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.
JetZero
The ability to fuel aircraft, ships, and vehicles and to power the comfort and computing needs of a military force is arguably the most crucial piece of the entire logistics chain. That is going to be the margin of victory in great power competition.
The Air Force has picked aerospace startup JetZero to build a prototype Blended-Wing Body (BWB) aircraft for testing and demonstrating new technologies, the service announced Aug. 16. Initial flight testing is expected to be completed in 2027.
As the Air Force embarks on what is likely to be a lengthy process of developing the Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) to help recapitalize its aerial refueling fleet, the service is placing more and more of a “premium on survivability” for future tankers, ...