Air Force Seeks Ideas for New Tanker
Industry partners have until late October to provide their input.
Industry partners have until late October to provide their input.
Move comes after testing of fleet upgrade to eight-blade composite propeller system.
The unmanned carrier-based refueling drone will now go through ‘rigorous airframe integrity evaluation,’ the company said.
The air-to-air refueler was participating in the ongoing ‘Red Flag’ combat training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
A Republic of Singapore Air Force A330 conducted the air-to-air refueling as part of bilateral training.
The next-gen aerial refuelers are projected to start arriving in 2029.
A RAAF KC-30A conducted air-to-air clearance trials with U.S. Air Force RC-135 and A-10C Thunderbolt II airframes.
During the exercise, a C-5M Super Galaxy topped off a KC-10 Extender with 23,500 pounds of fuel in about 30 minutes.
An F-16 was refueled during a proof-of-concept demonstration while en route from Osan Air Base, South Korea, to Singapore.
Its LMXT strategic aerial refueling tanker had been expected to take on Boeing’s KC-46 as a contender for an interim update under the KC-135 fleet recapitalization program.