U.S. Air Force officials are to hold one-on-one discussions on Oct. 21 with Boeing [BA], Collins Aerospace [RTX], Northrop Grumman [NOC], BAE Systems, L3Harris [LHX] and Field Aerospace on a possible KC-135 Center Console Refresh program for the tanker.
The Air Force KC-135 program office at Tinker AFB, Okla., and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s KC-135 CCR program office under AFLCMC’s Mobility and Training Aircraft directorate have solicited ideas from industry on the possible replacement of the fuel management and flight display systems for 276 of the service’s more than 400 Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, first fielded in 1958.
In addition to the new fuel management and flight display systems, AFLCMC has said that it wants to hear from industry on new “display capabilities to support [KC-135] aircraft into 2060 and beyond” and the number of annual KC-135 CCR kits companies could build.
In 2015, the Air Force awarded Rockwell Collins–now Collins Aerospace–a nearly $306 million contract to upgrade the KC-135 fleet to the Block 45 configuration with digital avionics and new radio altimeter, autopilot, and digital fight director systems–work to be conducted at Tinker. Before that, between 1997 and 2002, the Air Force had modernized the KC-135 under the Pacer CRAG (compass, radar and GPS) program.
The AFLCMC has said that the KC-135’s integrated fuel management panel; fuel management advisory computer; control display units; tank interface unit; and multi-functional displays face obsolescence in the near future (Defense Daily, May 11).
In fiscal 2023, the Air Force is seeking congressional authorization to retire six KC-135s and 10 KC-10s. In addition, the service plans to field 24 Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers in fiscal 2023. The KC-46A has faced a number of technical problems, including with the tanker’s Remote Vision System (RVS).
The Air Force is to field 179 Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers by 2029 to replace the KC-135s and KC-10s. At that time, the Air Force tanker fleet would consist of the 179 KC-46As and some 300 remaining KC-135s.