Air Force Says These Are Its Options For Hiring Private Aerial Refueling Companies
Between its aging KC-135 and KC-10 tanker fleets and problems with the new KC-46A, the Air Force is facing a worrying tanker gap.
By Joseph TrevithickJune 16, 2020
The War Zone
The U.S. Air Force has released a report it sent to Congress earlier this year about how it might make use of private contractors to provide aerial refueling services to support various non-combat training and testing activities. The service has been exploring this for years now, but there has been an increased impetus for doing so recently given significant issues with the new KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft. The Air Force has said it will not use those aircraft for day-to-day aerial refueling operations of any kind, except in an emergency, until serious problems get fixed, which will take years. This has raised concerns about a tanker gap as its aging KC-135R and KC-10A fleets become more difficult to operate and maintain.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/34120/the-five-ways-the-air-force-says-it-could-pursue-hiring-private-aerial-refueling-companies
