I suppose I should know more about this since I am a 135 lifer, but I confess ignorance on all this. I thought the first new tanker was supposed to be the smaller one. Obviously this was not the case. Did the goals of the program change or did I have bad info from the start?

Since less than 200 KC-45 are scheduled, it seems as if there will still need to be another new airplane to update the fleet--smaller than the KC-45 and built in greater numbers. What might this plane be:
A 707 redux built with 21st century technology/materials?
A 737-800/900 with body tanks and an AR receptacle?
Once more with the 767?
Something completely different?

I guess probably the last. Congress and the USAF seem to want to fund the tankers about every 25-30 years. Given that record I'm sure that it'll be a long time before they field something new.

 

They went with a large combi aircraft....

Smells like SLEP some of the -135s and keep them as the little tanker to keep the boom count up.

They'll again wonder why they stopped at only about 60 KC-10s.

MAYBE some 767s, probably only if any -135 fleet groundings pop up and make bad press in the interim.

Just a guess. AMWV

 

The contract has always been for 179 aircraft. The AF has stated that there will be a three part buy to replace the entire tanker fleet, including the KC-10s. The second phase should be awarded sometime around the 2020 timeframe. I believe that there is going to be a seperate competition for each phase, so expect Boeing to be in the loop again. They won't offer the 767 though, as the production line will be closed by then. I'd bet on seing a 787 based aircraft at some point.

 

Judging by my recent cancel rate due to maint issues, they better start looking at moving that date forward.

Not being a 135 lifer, I have quickly grown weary of this POS plane's "Quirks" Bring on a replacement, any replacement.

 

Well what I suppose they'll do is, continue replacing all the guard E-models with active duty R-models and continue upgrading them until the damn wings fall start falling off (Blk40.x, Blk50, Blk60, etc...). They probably figure that since the guard won't use them as much anyway, they'll be able to salvage 10-20 more years out of them while they slowly replace the active duty -135's with KC-45's.