Air Force Seeks Ideas for New Tanker

Industry partners have until late October to provide their input.

Zach Vasile

Monday, August 25, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A KC-135 Stratotanker [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force is actively seeking industry input for its Next-Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS), issuing a new request for information with an October 24 deadline, aiming for the aircraft to be in service by 2040.
Initial requirements for the NGAS project, such as stealth capabilities, have been reduced as other modernization efforts take priority.
Despite challenges with the existing KC-46 Pegasus tankers, the Defense Department plans to acquire up to 75 more KC-46s in its fiscal year 2026 budget rather than hold a competition for a new tanker design phase.

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The U.S. Air Force is again seeking input from the defense industry as it moves forward with plans to commission a next-generation aerial refueling tanker.

A request for information published August 15 gives industry partners until October 24 to produce fresh ideas for the project, known as the Next-Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS). The text of the request is considered “controlled” and cannot be accessed by the public.