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KC-135 Stratotanker Related News »

• Boeing KC-767 Tanker: 'Sized Right for the Fight'
• Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Versatility
• Boeing: KC-767 Tanker Adds Up to Best Value for Warfighter, Taxpayers
• Boeing KC-767 Tanker Determined More Survivable in USAF Evaluation
• Boeing: Study Projects That As Oil Prices Climb, 767 Tanker Most Cost Efficient

Background

Air Mobility Command manages more than 490 total aircraft inventory Stratotankers, of which the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard fly 271 of those in support of AMC's mission.

The Boeing Company's model 367-80 was the basic design for the commercial 707 passenger plane as well as the KC-135A Stratotanker. In 1954 the Air Force purchased the first 29 of its future 732-plane fleet. The first aircraft flew in August 1956 and the initial production Stratotanker was delivered to Castle Air Force Base, Calif., in June 1957. The last KC-135 was delivered to the Air Force in 1965.
Of the original KC-135A's, more than 410 have been modified with new CFM-56 engines produced by CFM-International. The re-engined tanker, designated either the KC-135R or KC-135T, can offload 50 percent more fuel, is 25 percent more fuel efficient, costs 25 percent less to operate and is 96 percent quieter than the KC-135A.

Under another modification program, 157 Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard tankers were re-engined with the TF-33-PW-102 engines. The re-engined tanker, designated the KC-135E, is 14 percent more fuel efficient than the KC-135A and can offload 20 percent more fuel.

Through the years, the KC-135 has been altered to do other jobs ranging from flying command post missions to reconnaissance. RC-135s are used for special reconnaissance and Air Force Materiel Command's NKC-135A's are flown in test programs. The Air Combat Command operates the OC-135 as an observation platform in compliance with the Open Skies Treaty.

In Southeast Asia, KC-135 Stratotankers made the air war different from all previous aerial conflicts. Midair refueling brought far-flung bombing targets within reach. Combat aircraft, no longer limited by fuel supplies, were able to spend more time in target areas.

Over the next few years, the aircraft will undergo upgrades to expand its capabilities and improve its reliability. Among these are improved communications, navigation and surveillance equipment to meet future civil air traffic control needs.

Features

Four turbofans, mounted under 35-degree swept wings, power the KC-135 to takeoffs at gross weights up to 322,500 pounds (146,285 kilograms). Nearly all internal fuel can be pumped through the flying boom, the KC-135's primary fuel transfer method. A special shuttlecock-shaped drogue, attached to and trailing behind the flying boom, may be used to refuel aircraft fitted with probes.
Some aircraft have been configured with the Mulitpoint Refueling System or MPRS. MPRS configured aircraft are capable of refueling two receiver aircraft simultaneously from special "PODS" mounted on the wingtips. One crewmember, known as the boom operator, is stationed in the rear of the plane and controls the boom during in-flight air refueling.
A cargo deck above the refueling system can hold a mixed load of passengers and cargo. Depending on fuel storage configuration, the KC-135 can carry up to 83,000 pounds (37,648 kilograms) of cargo.

Recent developments:

May. 7th, 2008 | Boeing KC-767 Tanker: 'Sized Right for the Fight'

ST. LOUIS, May 07, 2008 -- The KC-767 Advanced Tanker developed by Boeing [NYSE: BA] was sized to meet the aerial refueling requirements of the U.S. Air Force's mission and exceeded performance requirements to replace the aging, yet storied fleet of KC-135 medium tankers. Despite the fact that the stated parameters for evaluating the aircraft said no extra credit would be assigned for exceeding certain requirement objectives, the Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Com...
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Apr. 24th, 2008 | Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Versatility

WASHINGTON - April 23, 2008 - The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:NOC) bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing's in four of the five most important selection criteria. Despite this fact, the losing bidder wants the Government Accountability Office to overturn the Air Force decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman even though the Air Force conducted what even Boeing described as a fair, open and transparent bidding process. Here is a...
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Apr. 16th, 2008 | Boeing: KC-767 Tanker Adds Up to Best Value for Warfighter, Taxpayers

ST. LOUIS, April 15, 2008 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] KC-767 Advanced Tanker would save billions of dollars over the anticipated lifetime of the aircraft compared with the larger Airbus-based KC-30. Nonetheless, the U.S. government selected the larger air tanker from the team of Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS). Due to irregularities in the competition, such as the cost comparison, Boeing has protested the decision and asked the Government Accountabi...
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Apr. 11th, 2008 | Boeing KC-767 Tanker Determined More Survivable in USAF Evaluation

ST. LOUIS, April 11, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today said the U.S. Air Force's decision to award a contract for the next aerial refueling airplane to the team of Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) is at odds with the fact that the Northrop/EADS team's KC-30 is less survivable and more vulnerable to attack than the Boeing KC-767 Advanced Tanker. The Air Force evaluation cited the Boeing offering to be more advantageous in the critical area of survivab...
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Mar. 18th, 2008 | Boeing: Study Projects That As Oil Prices Climb, 767 Tanker Most Cost Efficient

ST. LOUIS, March 17, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] reports that the U.S. Air Force likely would pay up to $30 billion more in fuel bills over 40 years to operate a fleet of 179 Airbus A330-200 aerial refueling tankers, compared to a similar number of tankers based on the Boeing 767-200ER. This assessment is based on a Conklin & de Decker Aviation Information study, funded by Boeing, that calculated the Air Force's cost with oil at $100 per barrel and $125 per barrel. Oil prices hit a record high...
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KC-135 Stratotanker Related News »

• Boeing Protests U.S. Air Force Tanker Contract Award
• Boeing to File Protest of U.S. Air Force Tanker Contract Award
• New tanker to bring increased capabilities to warfighter
• AMC commander welcomes tanker announcement
• Gripen in-flight re-fuels with French KC135
• KC-30 Tanker Successfully Completes In-Flight Contact With An F-16
• Date for tanker contract award changed again
• Boeing Wins $1.1 Billion KC-135 Tanker Maintenance Contract
• Northrop's First KC-30 Tanker Completes Initial Assembly in 30 Days
• Air Force officials evaluating KC-X proposals
• Northrop Grumman to Bid on KC-135 Tanker Replacement Program
• Tanker recapitalization proposal released
• Air Force releases KC-X draft request for proposals
• US Air Force still on plan with tanker competition
• U.S. Air Force ready to pursue $13B in tanker funding
• US Launches Tanker Contest Between Boeing, Airbus Planes
• USAF will place tanker program 'on pause' without new R&D dollars
• KC-135s take on aeromedical evacuation role
• US Air Force leaders wary of tanker services offering
• Tanker Wars: Boeing challenged

All KC-135 Stratotanker News Articles »

Specifications

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