Page 1 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 3-11-16

Volume 63, Number 35 Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California March 11, 2016

www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase

KC-46 continues milestones with Harrier refueling

A U.S. Air Force and Boeing aircrew aboard the KC-46 /LNHHYHU\DLUFUDIWLQWKH0DULQHÀHHWWKH$9%+DUULHU Courtesy photograph
tanker successfully refueled a U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B LVXVHGIRUPXOWLSOHPLVVLRQVZKLFKLQFOXGHDWWDFNLQJDQG
+DUULHU,,LQÀLJKW0DUFK,WWRRNSODFHLQWKHVNLHVRYHU GHVWUR\LQJVXUIDFHDQGDLUWDUJHWVHVFRUWLQJKHOLFRSWHUVHQ- The KC-46 has refueled multiple aircraft now including an
Washington state. JDJLQJLQDLUWRDLUGHIHQVHSURYLGLQJUHFRQQDLVVDQFHDQG $LU)RUFH)IURP(GZDUGVD1DY\)$6XSHU+RUQHW
DSSO\LQJRIIHQVLYHDQGGHIHQVLYHVXSSRUWZLWKLWVDUVHQDORI and now a Marine Corps Harrier.
The air refueling used the KC-46s hose and drogue system. PLVVLOHVERPEVDQGDQRQERDUGPPFDQQRQ2IIHULQJWKH
The KC-46 will refuel aircraft using both its boom and hose YHUVDWLOLW\WRFRQGXFWDOPRVWDQ\PLVVLRQWKH+DUULHU,,SUR- 7KH.&$3HJDVXVLVLQWHQGHGWRUHSODFHWKH$LU)RUFH¶V
and drogue systems. The boom allows the tanker to transfer YLGHVWKHLGHDOEOHQGRI¿UHSRZHUDQGPRELOLW\WRHIIHFWLYHO\ DJLQJWDQNHUÀHHWZKLFKKDVEHHQUHIXHOLQJDLUFUDIWIRUPRUH
XSWRJDOORQVRIIXHOSHUPLQXWHZKLOHWKHSODQH¶VKRVH counter enemies engaged by Marine ground forces. Twenty- WKDQ\HDUV:LWKPRUHUHIXHOLQJFDSDFLW\DQGHQKDQFHG
DQGGURJXHV\VWHPVORFDWHGRQERWKWKHSODQH¶VZLQJDQG WZRWKRXVDQGSRXQGVRIWKUXVWHQDEOHWKH+DUULHU,,WRKRYHU FDSDELOLWLHVLPSURYHGHI¿FLHQF\DQGLQFUHDVHGFDSDELOLWLHVIRU
FHQWHUOLQHHQDEOHVWKH.&WRUHIXHOVPDOOHUDLUFUDIWVXFKDV OLNHDKHOLFRSWHUDQGWKHQEODVWIRUZDUGOLNHDMHWDWQHDU FDUJRDQGDHURPHGLFDOHYDFXDWLRQWKH.&$ZLOOSURYLGH
WKH+DUULHU-XPS-HWZLWKXSWRJDOORQVRIIXHOSHUPLQXWH supersonic speeds. DHULDOUHIXHOLQJVXSSRUWWRWKH$LU)RUFH1DY\DQG0DULQH
according to Boeing. &RUSVDVZHOODVDOOLHGQDWLRQFRDOLWLRQDLUFUDIW

7KHWK7HVW:LQJLVWKHOHDGGHYHORSPHQWDOWHVWRUJDQL-
zation for the KC-46 Tanker Program.

Team Edwards Day

Team Edwards Day is March 14. Bring your family to work with you and show off
your work area. Then show them around the rest of Edwards throughout the day,
topping it off with ice cream in the community park at 3 p.m. There will be numerous
displays and demonstrations from all groups on base. Stay tuned for more informa-
tion to come and where to go on Team Edwards Day.
To see what activities are planned, check out the four-page insert in today’s Desert
Wings!