Air Mobility Command’s Gen. Arthur Lichte told reporters Tuesday that the Air Force has been refining the requirements for the upcoming reboot of the KC-X competition. “I think they will stand up,” Lichte said of the new requirements, which are expected to be released in a new request for proposals soon. The cost of not getting it right this time is incredibly high, he warned, and getting higher with each passing year. Every year of delay to the KC-X program costs approximately $55 million, according to AMC analysts, Lichte said. That is the cost of increased maintenance and time on the ground needed to keep older aircraft running longer. Once 2018 rolls around, that cost will skyrocket as the Air Force will have to look at re-skinning and rewiring some of the existing KC-135 fleet. Continue
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.