KC-135

Under a new contract, the company will develop an automated flight plan system that can be integrated across current and future tankers.

Autonomous flight developer says it will begin flying the converted Boeing 707s with Merlin Pilot, an AI-driven robotic flight system, in 2025.

Company says the first flights gathered data on how to design and fine-tune the robotic controls.

Company engineers observed pilots as they performed a variety of tasks, collecting data to identify where automation can be most helpful.

U.S. F-35s and a KC-135 Stratotanker participate in the aerial drill with NATO’s E-3A surveillance aircraft.

In-flight demonstrations will take place in the next year, starting with a series of basic air refueling operations, the company said.

Six fighter squadrons have deployed to the Middle East since October 7 as part of U.S. deterrence efforts in the region.

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.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants U.S. Air Force aerial tankers to take refueling to the next level by powering up unmanned aircraft systems with laser beams of energy in order to extend their range. DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office laid out the idea for the Airborne Energy Well concept in a Request for […]

The record-breaking sortie was an endurance test of the U.S. Air Force tanker that’s replacing the aging KC-135 fleet.