I am suggesting that you and others in your business
had better think seriously about getting shot at. And you better think
about putting some battle hardening into your new airframes.

We've been thinking about it as long as I've been in the business.
Unfortunately getting the funding for even the basics is well-nigh
impossible. Every time something starts to gain momentum it is sacrificed
for something determined to be more important. And if I had a dollar for
every time a general made a pronouncement...
On the other hand, if a very powerful politician or high-placed civilian
says make it happen, it will. That's how the smart tanker idea came about.
The Secretary Rouch said make it happen and it did.

I guess tanker guys think they will never be in a position to take
rounds.

We have been; many, many times. As you point out with the reference to the
"Baghdad missions." My opinion, or the opinion of the tanker guys, means
little. Until there is an established need identified by the leadership,
nothing will happen regards hardware.

Time will tell.

You're right there.

No, I'm not smarter than Gen Jumper. Yep you're right its money.

Which is my whole point. Is that money better spent defending tankers
against a threat that may or may not occur, or on some other program with a
higher priority? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see all this stuff. I just
don't see it happening. Even if it means losing a couple tankers. Hell, we
can't even bail-out of a KC-10. I would also love to see a purpose-built
tanker but that's a long shot at this point. The 767 lease may provide a
short-term respite to allow to us to better define the next generation
tanker. Or we could just buy more 767s. IMHO, the AF should get in on the
7E7 program now, provide some seed money, and lay the ground work for that
next generation tanker. Or we could just buy more 767s.

Pardon a digression here but I must ask. Is the 767 cockpit going to
be reconfigured for a flight engineer? IIRC there may have been some
early ones that were configured that way for union purposes but I've
never seen one. It would be expensive to do in the current production
line.

No (sigh), no way they will put a FE on the crew. Too much $, and not
everybody likes us. However, the roles of enlisted aircrew are evolving and
I expect the boom operator will be taking on some new duties.