Despite a published report Monday at the online journal DOD Buzz claiming that Boeing has opted to offer both a 767- and a 777-derived tanker for the Air Force’s KC-X program, no such decision has been made, a Boeing spokesman said Tuesday. “All we have said is that after we review and understand the draft [request for proposal] and the USAF issues a final RFP, we could offer either a 767 or a 777, or possibly both,” Boeing spokesman Dan Beck told the Daily Report. He added, “We have not made any decision one way or the other.” (The editors of DOD Buzz subsequently updated the report to indicate that Boeing refuted the claim.) Beck also noted that Boeing understands “from customer comments” that “a single plane” will be selected in the competition—as opposed to a mixed fleet of new tankers.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
