Collins Aerospace has signed a $27 million agreement with the U.S. Department of Defence to replace satellite communications systems for KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft.

KC-135s still use the C/KC-135 satellite system.

Collins Aerospace will change this system to the Iridium Satellite Communications System. The agreement covers the identification, development, integrating and testing of Iridium.

System work must be completed by July 31, 2026. The contract has an option for a similar transaction for Turkish and French aircraft of the same type.

“This contract includes optional Foreign Military Sales to Turkey and France.”

A First in Refueling

Meanwhile, the NATO-owned E-3A AWACS, which took off from Germany and served as part of the Safe Security Measures, was refuelled over Romania on a Turkish Air Force KC135R tanker plane. The Turkish Air Force’s KC135R tanker aircraft first refuelled the plane to NATO during a night mission.

Almanya’dan kalkan ve Güvence Tedbirleri kapsamında görev yapan NATO’ya ait E-3A AWACS uçağına, Hava Kuvvetlerimize ait KC-135R tanker uçağıyla Romanya üzerinde yakıt ikmali yapıldı. Bu görevle, bir NATO uçağına ilk kez gece görevi esnasında havadan yakıt ikmali sağlanmış oldu. pic.twitter.com/VWuRYIDo0e

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) January 28, 2021