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摘要

Call it the KC-17. On Dec. 2, a C-17 Globe-master Ⅲ refueled a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber on the ground for the first time - the latest test of the cargo jet's versatility. The experiment was a milestone for the bomber as well, expanding its ability to hopscotch around the globe. "What happens when you need fuel but there's no air refueling available? Call us," Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, said on Twitter. The experiment is one of several events in recent years aiming to give the mobility fleet more flexibility in combat, rather than sticking to the missions for which its jets were built. It's taken on new urgency in an era of nonstop aerial refueling sorties that have stretched the Air Force thin and forced it to consider outsourcing those missions. "This capability was designed into the C-17 but not considered widely necessary in previous use of the aircraft," said Maj. Ross Jensen, 437th Operations Group special operations division deputy director. "As we prepare for the future, the Air Force is looking for additional ways to increase the operational range of aircraft without solely using air refueling platforms."