Airmen at RAF Mildenhall, England, are preparing Turkish KC-135 crews to operate with an upgraded Global Air Traffic Management system that the Turkish air force is introducing on its tankers at the end of this month. Mildenhall KC-135s have used this system since 2004, but the two-week course marks the first time that members of the 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 19 have trained allied forces on the system. Divided between classroom work and hands-on exercises aboard the KC-135, the course is aiding technicians to “easily get used to the aircraft and maintain it,” noted a Turkish captain. This training is “crucial to assisting Turkey accomplish this multi-million-dollar program in a timely manner,” said Bud Brooks, attached to USAF’s Security Assistance Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, Tex. GATM equipment allows aircraft to travel safely in increasingly crowded worldwide airspace. (Mildenhall report by Karen Abeyasekere)
Air & Space Forces Magazine traveled the the globe in 2024 to cover the biggest stories involving the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, from Ukraine to the Middle East, from Florida to California. Between regional conflicts in Europe and...