On a mission from Dover AFB, Del., to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, a combined active duty and Air Force Reserve crew flies a C-5M Super Galaxy on a direct, non-stop 15-hour, flight-with one aerial refueling-over the Arctic, marking the first time a USAF aircraft has flown this northern route. Use of the route by military aircraft was made possible by an agreement reached with Russia in 2009.
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.