Mixed Tanker Fleet Suggested for Air Force
A Rand Corp. study on replacing the Air Force’s aging fleet of aerial refueling tankers said that the best option would be to modify commercial jets built by both Europe’s Airbus and by Boeing Co.
The two-year study requested by the Pentagon sets the stage for a multibillion-dollar, transatlantic competition to help the Air Force replace its fleet of KC-135s, which are used to refuel fighter jets and cargo aircraft in flight.
Rand concluded that the most cost-effective alternative for replacing the KC-135s would be to buy a fleet of new medium to large commercial planes modified as tankers.
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