Travis AFB, Calif., on March 28 welcomed the 59th and final KC-10 Extender to complete a six-year-long modification project for the entire fleet. The update, called the Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management system, began in 2011 and modernized the aircraft, along with increasing fuel efficiency, according to an Air Mobility Command release. Each jet underwent modifications for several months at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.