The Air Force is conducting another round of market research for its proposed next-generation tanker, specifically asking industry for ideas on the airframe—a wide-open question with major implications for the future fleet.
NGAS
The Air Force appears to be leaning buying toward more KC-46 refuelers rather than developing a stealthy future tanker, based on budget documents released this week. USAF’s plans prioritize connectivity upgrades and self-protection measures for its aerial refueling fleet. No...
Air Force Reveals Range and Inventory Goals for F-47, CCAs By John A. Tirpak The F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter will have a combat radius greater than 1,000 miles—nearly double that of the F-22—and the Air Force plans to acquire...
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.
The Air Force may need to extend the life of the KC-135 Stratotanker again if the pace of aerial tanker modernization remains static, Gen. John A. Lamontagne said.
Air Mobility Command is nearly done submitting its analysis of alternatives for the Next-Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS), Gen. John D. Lamontagne said March 5 at the AFA Warfare Symposium.
The Air Force is collecting data from flight tests of a subscale version of its Blended-Wing Body demonstrator, and using that data to revise the full-scale aircraft’s control software and final configuration—the first flight of which remains on track for 2027. Full-scale test parts, including ...
An artist’s rendering of a Lockheed Martin Skunk Works concept for a potential stealthy and autonomous Next-Generation Air-refueling System (NGAS) aircraft is getting new attention after a repeat display at the recent Airlift/Tanker Association meeting.
The Air Force cannot afford its three marquee air combat and mobility programs simultaneously, but should be given the resources to do so, Secretary Frank Kendall said.
Discussion of future tankers comes as the Air Force continues downsizing two of its three aerial refueling fleets and bringing on the troubled KC-46 Pegasus, the U.S. military’s first 21st-century tanker program.
What kind of aircraft the Air Force needs, what it can afford, and how long it will be before that aircraft is available all hang in the balance.
The Air Force’s top acquisition official said Sept. 16 that longstanding plans to replace the KC-135 Stratotanker refueling jet with a similar airframe hinge on the progress of the service’s search for a more futuristic tanker.
