Airmen with the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuel Management Flight at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, are now using a new fuel delivery system that significantly reduces the number of operators required to refuel large aircraft. The $130 million Type III constant pressure system consists of two 1.1 million-gallon storage tanks and more than two miles of pipes. With the new system, airmen only need to dispatch one refueling truck—compared to the five or six typically dispatched in the field—and one operator. To top it off—pardon the refueling pun—the job is done in half the time, according to Bagram airmen. “It allows us to save wear and tear on the tactical equipment and get quality fuel on demand,” said SMSgt. Arnaldo Rodriguez-Matos, the 455th ELRS fuels flight superintendent. (Bagram report by SrA. Sheila deVera)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
