LMXT Air-to-Air Refueling Massively Extends Flight & Fight Range of F-35s

Video Above: F-35s to Europe  

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

They may not command the attention of stealth fighter jets, nuclear-armed submarines or the latest in armored vehicle innovations, yet aerial refueling tankers could prove to be an impactful, if lesser recognized, reason for victory in war.

This is particularly true in areas such as the Pacific, where range, power projection and combat mission reach would be stressed in potentially unprecedented ways. In any kind of major engagement with China, for instance, effective tankers could more than double the range of carrier-launched fighter jets such as F-35Cs and F/A-18s.

KC-Y Bridge Tanker Program

Perhaps these are some of the reasons why the Air Force is moving quickly to deploy a near-term “bridge” tanker to support operations until sufficient numbers of the KC-46 can arrive. The program, called the KC-Y Bridge Tanker program, seeks to militarize the latest in commercial innovation for maritime and land combat missions. It might not even be a stretch to see tankers as a primary reason why the U.S. could prevail against China’s growing arsenal of long-range “carrier-killer” missiles.

The primary aim of the Bridge Tanker program is to begin replacing the aging KC-135 Stratotankers which are now nearing the end of their service life. The KC-135 will be 70 years old when the USAF receives its last planned KC-46A in 2029, Jane’s Defense reports.

The move suggests an Air Force interest in nearer-term readiness, as a fast-produced, commercially derived Bridge Tanker would indeed be available for operations much sooner than the full expected force of KC-46As.