This is a really big one…the original replacement plan for the KC-135 involved three separate competitions: KC-X, KC-Y and KC-Z. The winner of the (very contentious!) KC-X competition was the KC-46. It appears the Air Force has decided to skip the KC-Y competition and instead expand the KC-46 purchase. Hopefully, the AF has confidence in…

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defenseone.com

Air Force will buy more KC-46s, skip competition

The service is mulling whether to move away from fixed-priced on the next buy.

The ability to power project through air refueling is one of our military’s greatest strengths. With a little planning (and enough tankers!) we can project power to nearly anywhere on the planet. As a guy that took a 4 year break from military flying mid-career, I can attest that air refueling skills are “perishable” skills and important to…

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defensenews.com

Images show shredded KC-46 boom that led to emergency landing

Photographs that leaked online showed extensive damage to the KC-46's refueling boom, with its metal ripped and twisted and a chain hanging down.

No doubt everyone has read about last night’s strike on Iran. Here is an interesting run-down on Operation Midnight Hammer, employing 14(!) GBU-57 “Bunker Buster” munitions. As I understand it, it is one of the largest B-2 strikes in AF history.

airandspaceforces.com

7 Air Force B-2s Drop 14 Bunker-Busters on Iran

The U.S. military struck key Iranian nuclear sites June 21 in an operation that was intended to shut down Iran’s nuclear program.

An article that simply compares the Israeli and Iranian Air Forces…can’t overstate the importance of quality people, training, equipment and tactics…hopefully all employed with an effective strategy. It will be very interesting days ahead…

newsweek.com

How Israel's air force compares as IDF claims "air superiority" over Iran

Israel's air force achieved a "remarkable feat," said William Freer, a research fellow for national security at the U.K.-based Council on Geostrategy.