The US Air Force is advancing its plans for the Next-Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) by issuing a fresh RFI to industry partners. The program, launched in 2023, has already explored initial concepts and propulsion solutions in earlier RFIs, with the latest call intended to refine future design and performance options.
The service aims to field the NGAS by 2040, but shifting operational requirements have delayed firm progress. For now, the USAF continues to rely on its aging KC-135 Stratotankers—in service since the 1950s—and the newer KC-46 Pegasus, based on Boeing’s 767. The KC-135 fleet is scheduled for gradual retirement, while the KC-46 was procured as its partial replacement.
However, the KC-46 program has not been without controversy. Persistent technical issues, including defects in the refueling boom and vision systems, have slowed deliveries. In March 2025, deliveries were temporarily halted after cracks were discovered in two aircraft, resuming only in May after corrective inspections.
Meanwhile, the Department of Defense’s FY2026 budget proposal points to a possible purchase of up to 75 additional KC-46s, potentially bypassing a fresh competition for another interim tanker. This move underscores the urgent need to maintain tanker capacity until NGAS is ready for operational deployment.
