Shaw AFB, S.C., is the first Air Force base to employ a new hybrid refueling truck and plans to operate it in a one-year test to determine whether the 72,000-pound vehicle will indeed save money and reduce emissions. Shaw currently uses diesel trucks to refuel aircraft, making about 1,600 trips from the fuel storage area to waiting aircraft every month. The hybrid has a diesel engine, an electric motor, and a battery pack.
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.