Friday, November 21, 2025 l Vol. 50, Number 47
336TH EFS Page 3
SERVING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY OF SOLANO COUNTY
317TH AIRLIFT WING Page 6
TRAVIS
19TH CES Page 7
TAILWIND A product of Daily Republic
THUNDER
OVER BAY Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file (2019)
The Air Force Thunderbirds perform during the Thunder the Over the Bay air show at Travis Air Force Base, March 30, 2019.
AMC modernizes connectivity to prepare for future mobility airlift Staff Sgt. Dalton Williams
AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — From pioneering new data relay systems on the KC-46 Pegasus to prototyping agile communication platforms across the mobility fleet, Air Mobility Command (AMC) is taking bold steps to modernize connectivity and ensure decision advantage for the Joint Force. During the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series in July 2025, AMC Mission System Operators executed a successful test of the Taclane Augmented Roll-on Beyond Line-ofSight Enhancement System (TARS) onboard a KC-46. The demonstration marked a significant milestone in expanding the Pegasus’ role in command-and-control connectivity and advancing AMC’s contribution to the Joint Force’s Maneuver Battle Management System. “This test was all about confirming the full path of data relay and validating that we can keep passing critical mission data,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Hagebusch, 22nd Operations Support Squadron mission system operator. The test built on an initial trial conducted at Pease Air National Guard Base in May, which first proved the KC-46 could receive an IP-based Joint Range Extension Application Protocol connection to its tactical data link. By extending and securing connectivity, AMC crews now have greater capacity to sustain communication throughout contested environments – whether airborne or on the ground during refueling operations. “This allows us to operate in ways that have never been available to us in the past,” said Master Sgt. Kyle Bone, AMC Mission System Operator Program manager. “Now, even
McGhee Tyson ANGB selected to host KC-46A Pegasus MOB 7 in 2031 Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
Staff Sgt. Dalton Williams/U.S. Air Force file
Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Hagebusch, a mission system operator assigned to the 22nd Operations Support Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, performs a demonstration of a Taclane Augmented ROBE System onboard a KC-46 Pegasus during the 2025 Department-Level Exercise at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 24. while aircraft are parked doing refueling operations, it’s operating as part of a tactical data link mesh network.” A mesh network ensures resilient communication by automatically rerouting signals through alternate paths if one device goes offline. This redundancy is critical in austere or denied environments, allowing crews to maintain awareness and continue supporting the fight. “TARS can collect and rebroadcast real-time information to overcome perceived area denial tactics like jamming,” Bone added. “It’s the next step in countering near-peer challenges.”
A startup approach to connectivity At the same time TARS testing advances tanker connectivity, AMC’s
Commander’s Initiative Group is charting the future of mobility communications through its Airlift/ Tanker Open Mission System (ATOMS) prototype program. Formed after Operation Allies Refuge revealed gaps in command situational awareness, the group is a small, cross-functional team of pilots, engineers and software developers tasked with delivering decision advantage through rapid innovation. “We’re the command’s little startup company – small, agile, and built to deliver decision advantage,” said Lt. Col. Paul Tucker, AMC CIG director and a C-17 Globemaster III pilot by trade. The ATOMS kit itself is built to be modular and flexible with network and server capabilities. Together, See AMC, Page 2
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Department of the Air Force has selected McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Knoxville, Tenn., as the preferred location to host the KC-46A Pegasus Main Operating Base (MOB) 7. A final basing decision for the location of the ANG’s KC-46A MOB 7 is expected in 2027. One base will be selected to host the new mission pending a final basing decision and the outcome of a planned environmental impact analysis anticipated no later than 2027. The first of eight aircraft are scheduled to arrive in 2031. Eight KC-46As will replace all KC-135 Stratotankers at the final decision location and bring enhanced capabilities, such as boom and drogue defueling on the same sortie, worldwide navigation and communication, cargo capacity on the entire main deck floor, receiver air refueling, improved force protection, and multi-point air refueling capability.
Senior Airman Aidan Thompson/U.S. Air Force
A KC-46A Pegasus sits on the flight line at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Tuesday. The KC-46 is a multi-role tanker and transport aircraft that provides aerial refueling, cargo transportation and aeromedical evacuation capabilities during missions.