Making the Right Choice
To ensure the U.S. Air Force maintains the aerial refueling capability necessary to support America's global multi-service warfighting needs, all possible options should be considered for modernizing its tanker fleet.
An open, fair and competitive contracting process will result in the optimal tanker at the best price - and one that supports the interests of the U.S. Defense Department, the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied Coalition forces... as well as the U.S. taxpayer.
In recent international competitions, the KC-30 family of tankers was selected by four key U.S. allies; Australia, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Royal Australian Air Force has ordered the A330 MRTT as its new-generation multi-role tanker/transport, and the British government has named the AirTanker Consortium and its A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) as the preferred bidder for its Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft requirement.
These decisions underscore the KC-30's many advantages: it carries more fuel, offers a superior fuel transfer capability, incorporates fly-by-wire technology in the cockpit and the advanced flying boom, and provides multi-point refueling with a mix of flying boom and hose & drogue systems.
The KC-30 will directly benefit the American economy. It will be a U.S. product, creating thousands of new domestic jobs. At least 58 percent of the aircraft's content - from engines to avionics and systems - will come from American companies, further expanding the U.S. industrial base in modern widebody aircraft.
As a derivative of a modern commercial jetliner early in its operational prime, the KC-30's advantages also include low life-cycle costs, continued manufacturer upgrades and improvements, and a guaranteed supply of spare parts for decades to come.
