Boeing said in a statement that its KC-767 air tanker program made history Jan. 26 "when one if its aircrews successfully transferred fuel from a KC-767 tanker aircraft to an F-15E at night -- the first nighttime refueling ever accomplished on a KC-767."

"The new tanker, scheduled for delivery to Japan's Air Self-Defense Force -- JASDF -- early this year, departed McConnell Air Force Base, adjacent to the Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Wichita, Kan., facility, and flew a 3-hour and 9 minute flight. Operating in the skies over Missouri, the aircrew connected the KC-767s fifth-generation, fly-by-wire boom -- a telescoping tube used to deliver fuel to military aircraft -- to an F-15E 11 times during dusk and night conditions and successfully offloaded fuel before returning safely. The company uses F-15E1 under a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Air Force," Boeing said.

"Using our remote vision system, I was impressed with the quality of the picture and my ability to accurately see details of the F-15E and its refueling receptacle at night," said Rickey Kahler, Boeing KC-767 chief test boom operator.

"The Japan KC-767 Tanker, a military derivative of the proven 767-200 commercial airplane, was selected over its competitor, the Airbus A-310, in a direct competition in 2001," the company said.

"Its advanced boom builds on the aerodynamic shape and size of previous systems and provides more precise and responsive controls to the operator. With 2,600 fewer parts than previous booms, it also is easier to maintain," Boeing said.

"This milestone highlighted the KC-767's ability to perform refueling operations under all lighting conditions and demonstrated an upgrade to the lighting system we promised our Japan customer," said George Hildebrand, Boeing KC-767 Japan program manager. "Our next step is to complete the remaining Federal Aviation Administration certifications and deliver two new tankers to Japan early this year."