Melbourne FL (SPX) Dec 11, 2007 – Northrop Grumman’s KC-30 Tanker Aerial Refueling Boom System (ARBS) performed its first in-flight contacts with a receiver aircraft, marking the successful completion of a key program milestone and underscoring the company’s low-risk approach for quickly replacing the U.S. Air Force’s KC-135 tanker fleet. The initial refueling contacts used the advanced ARBS installed on an A310 testbed aircraft, which operated with an F-16 receiver aircraft flying at 27,000 feet.