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US Air Force and Air National Guard test Northrop Grumman solution to increase performance for air tankers

12th March 2025 - 10:45 GMT | by Flavia Camargos Pereira in Kansas City

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KC-135 Stratotanker transport/tanker aircraft. (Photo: USAF)

The voice and data interoperability system has been built to enable operations in contested environments.

The Utah Air National Guard and the US Air Force (USAF) Air Mobility Command have tested a portable Northrop Grumman voice and data interoperability solution to enhance survivability and situational awareness for air tankers and enable those platforms to move into and operate in contested environments.

By combining multiple sensors and technologies of the company’s portfolio, the system was demonstrated for the KC-135 Stratotanker transport/tanker aircraft.

In a simulated environment, it underwent several mission scenarios to showcase its ability to connect and seamlessly flow data between diverse capabilities.

An official spokesperson for the manufacturer explained to Shephard that the

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