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The US Air Force is considering the use of business jets as aerial refueling tankers to address the challenge of modernizing its aging tanker fleet. The current fleet, which includes many Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders, is becoming outdated. The Air Force already operates several Gulfstream and Bombardier-based aircraft for various roles, such as VIP transport and battlefield communications.
The KC-46A Pegasus is currently being introduced as a more modern tanker platform, but it is not expected to be the final solution for the Air Force’s needs. A stealthy Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) is under development, though no public timeline has been released for its arrival.
General John Lamontagne, head of Air Mobility Command, discussed the broad range of options being considered for future air refueling: “We are working on the Next Generation Air Refueling System, NGAS, as it’s effectively known. Put the finishing touches on that last year. And that was a really wide look at how we would do air refueling in the future. When I say a wide look, looking at conventional tankers [as] we know it today, you know something like a [KC-]135 or KC-46 as is; something with a bunch of mission systems added to it, with a defense systems [sic], connectivity, intelligence and more; a business jet; a blended wing body; or a signature-managed [stealthy] tanker.”
