{"id":42398,"date":"2021-02-02T22:18:26","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T22:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/02\/02\/air-force-study-on-future-aerial-refueling-tanker-could-start-in-2022\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:21:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:21:18","slug":"air-force-study-on-future-aerial-refueling-tanker-could-start-in-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2021\/02\/02\/air-force-study-on-future-aerial-refueling-tanker-could-start-in-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force study on future aerial refueling tanker could start in 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Air Force could begin to lay out its vision for<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2016\/11\/29\/kc-y-competition-still-under-consideration-as-air-force-works-to-define-future-tanker-fleet\/\" target=_blank> a future aerial refueling tanker<\/a>, previously known as KC-Z, as early as next year, the head of Air Mobility Command said Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The service intends to conduct an analysis of alternatives for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/afa-air-space\/2016\/09\/20\/air-force-could-pursue-stealthy-aerial-refueling-tanker\/\" target=_blank>advanced aerial refueling aircraft<\/a> in fiscal year 2022, AMC commander Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost said during a Defense Writers Group meeting with reporters. That study will help the Air Force determine precisely which capabilities a future tanker will need to to operate in more heavily contested battlefields against the threats posed by nations such as Russia and China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re thinking about the near peer [competition], and what we need for a near peer [competition],\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key to that discussion is figuring out how much of the aerial refueling process can be performed without a human pilot or boom operator onboard the plane to fly it or give other aircraft gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIs going to be autonomous? Is it going to be pilot on the loop [or] pilot in the loop capability?\u201d asked Van Ovost. \u201cIs it going to be small? Is it going to be large? What kind of [self protection] is it going to have? What kind of electromagnetic spectrum capabilities is it going to have to both protect itself and enhance the lethality of the Joint Force while it\u2019s out there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April, Will Roper, then the Air Force\u2019s top acquisition official, told reporters that an agreement with Boeing for a new and improved KC-46 vision system could pave the way<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2020\/04\/08\/boeings-kc-46-tanker-now-has-a-pathway-for-autonomous-aerial-refueling\/\" target=_blank> for autonomous aerial refueling<\/a>. The addition of 4K high-definition cameras, modern processors and LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) sensors would help the new system accumulate much of the data necessary for a computer to correctly calculate all the variables that need to be solved for safe aerial refueling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll you have to do is take that data that tells the world inside the jet the reality of geometries between the airplane and the boom outside the jet. Once you have that, you simply need to translate it into algorithms that allow the tanker to tank itself,\u201d Roper said then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force is not the only service interested in automated aerial refueling. The Navy is flight testing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2020\/07\/24\/boeing-preparing-for-the-next-big-step-testing-the-us-navys-new-aerial-tanker-drone\/\" target=_blank>MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling drone<\/a> \u2014 which, like the Air Force\u2019s new KC-46 tanker, is built by Boeing. The Navy eventually hopes to operate the MQ-25 onboard aircraft carriers, where it will be used to extend the range of fighter jets like the F-35C and F\/A-18EF Super Hornet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Van Ovost acknowledged the Air Force is still years away from being able to hold a competition for the platform formerly known as KC-Z. After the Air Force completes its procurement of 179 KC-46s \u2014 which, if its current buy rate holds, will occur around the 2027 timeframe \u2014 the service will buy a non-developmental \u201cbridge tanker,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That effort, which replaces the KC-Y program, will likely be a battle between Boeing and an Airbus-Lockheed Martin team, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/12\/05\/lockheed-airbus-venture-ups-the-pressure-on-boeing-to-deliver-its-us-air-force-tankers\/\" target=_blank>joined forces in 2018<\/a> to market Airbus\u2019 A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport to the U.S. Air Force. Both teams are expected to offer upgraded versions of their current aerial refueling aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Van Ovost did not say when that competition will begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with tackling questions about its future tanker, the Air Force is also set to begin a business case analysis whether to pursue <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/12\/13\/the-air-force-needs-more-tankers-could-the-defense-industry-have-the-answer\/\" target=_blank>contracted aerial refueling<\/a> to support U.S. military training and test activities across the contiguous United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After holding a December 2019 industry day with interested vendors, Air Mobility Command <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2020\/03\/05\/the-us-air-force-is-getting-ready-to-make-a-decision-about-commercial-aerial-refueling-services\/\" target=_blank>conducted a study<\/a> into the feasibility and affordability of commercial air refueling services and submitted a proposal to Air Force leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Air Force leaders want more information before making a final decision, and have asked for a comprehensive business case analysis that would finalize a requirement for all of the services\u2019 needs, Van Ovost said. The study would come up with options for various contracting models \u2014 which could include tankers that are leased to the government or contractor-owned and operated \u2014 as well as hammer out details on Federal Aviation Administration certification requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re working with headquarters Air Force to finalize the parameters for the study, and then likely will be contracting out that study,\u201d Van Ovost said. \u201cAnd for expectation\u2019s sake, it does take a while. These kinds of business case analysis we have seen take 18 months, so we are going to put pen to paper and take a very close look at it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The head of Air Mobility Command said the analysis will explore whether to make a future tanker autonomous.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":76244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":7,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"},"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","news","left-column","home","middle-column","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"your-air-force"}}},"categories":[7,160,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3384],"class_list":["post-42398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"MY6QEWJGKFHCZOTFTRU3ZEXYNI","arc_canonical_url":"\/air\/2021\/02\/02\/air-force-study-on-future-aerial-refueling-tanker-could-start-in-2022\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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