Among military units deployed from France to support coalition operations in Afghanistan is the Flight Refueling Group 93 “Bretagne,” which has rotated its airmen to Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, since 2002, reports USAF journalist MSgt. Daniel Nathaniel. Their job for Afghanistan operations primarily is to refuel French Mirage fighters, but they also use their C-135FR tankers to refuel other coalition aircraft, including US Air Force and Navy fighters.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
