Until the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS) platform is confirmed, the KC-135 will continue handling the Air Force’s aerial refueling needs—potentially until 2050 or later.
The Air Force will possibly need to extend the service life of their KC-135 Stratotankers—despite the fact that the newest KC-135s in the fleet are already more than 60 years old. According to General John D. Lamontagne, “recapitalization of the tanker fleet is absolutely a priority”—but it’s going to take a while. In the meantime, the KC-135 will possibly need to fill the gap, which could extend even into the 2050s.
The KC-135 Could See One Hundred Years of Service
Lamontagne explained that the Air Force was recapitalizing the KC-135 fleet “to the tune of a squadron a year—which is typically how we acquire platforms.” However, if the Air Force turns over their KC-135s at a squadron per year, then the service will still have KC-135s flying into the 2050s.
“I think that’s where we’re headed,” Lamontagne admitted.
If the KC-135s are indeed still in service in the 2050s, “that timeline would put the KC-135’s service life near 100 years,” Air & Space Forces Magazine reported. That’s a long time. Aviation itself was barely fifty years old when the KC-135 first flew, meaning that by the time the tanker retires it will have served for two-thirds of the timeline in which airplanes existed.
Getting the KC-135 to the 2050s won’t be easy, however. The tanker has already required major upgrades just to stay relevant. So far, “the fleet has been re-engined, re-skinned, and received numerous structural and avionics upgrades since it was built.” The net effect is that the KC-135 is “not the same airplane it was when it came into the inventory,” Lamontagne said.
“We can continue to upgrade the fleet and put defensive systems on it, just like we’ve upgraded the navigation, the engines, and more over the past decades,” he continued. “We can also team up with other partners in the joint force and have them defend us. And so, a variety of ways to do it, even if we don’t pursue NGAS.”
Out with the Old… Eventually
The future of the Air Force tanker fleet may belong to the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS), although the NGAS platform is yet to be confirmed. President Trump’s announcement last week awarding the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth-generation fighter contract to Boeing could influence the next steps for the NGAS, but the president has not previewed his plans for the system yet.
If NGAS proceeds as planned, the purpose will be to develop a tanker that can operate in contested airspaces and support U.S. air power needs in places like the Indo-Pacific. If so, the NGAS will likely incorporate stealth technology, autonomous capabilities, and the ability to operate at long-ranges. The end product will be tasked with refueling fighters in an environment that is hard to reach, isolated from friendly airfields and friendly airspace.
Should the Air Force move ahead with the NGAS program, the new tanker likely won’t be available until sometime in the 2030s—and in the meantime, the KC-135 will need to continue pulling its weight.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / Michael Fitzsimmons.
