About The Best American Tanker

The KC-45 was born to be a tanker.

KC-45: Proven Design

Based on the highly successful A330 airliner, the KC-45 possesses the latest advances in commercial aircraft design, including advanced aerodynamics, low-weight composite materials, a modern cockpit and fly-by-wire controls.

The nearly 700 A330s and A340s flying today are backed by an international support network that responds to the needs of the world’s most demanding operators.

For its tanker role, the KC-45 combines the proven A330/A340 airframe with a highly capable in-flight refueling system and large cabin volume for cargo, passengers and additional mission equipment.

KC-45: Building on Experience

KC-45 industrial team leader Northrop Grumman is a recognized innovator in converting commercial aircraft for military missions, developing advanced aircraft technology, and integrating large complex systems.

Its demonstrated track record includes the prime contractor for the B-2 stealth bomber and the E-8C Joint STARS airborne battle management, command & control, and surveillance platform. The company was a pioneer for the U.S. Air Force on ROBE (Roll-on Beyond Line-of-sight Enhancement) and SMART (Scalable, Multifunction, Automated Relay Terminals) tankers. Most recently, the U.S. Air Force selected Northrop Grumman to provide Contractor Logistics Support for its fleet of KC-10 Extender refueling tanker aircraft. The KC-45 Tanker variant has been ordered by Australia, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

KC-45: American Made

The KC-45 will be made in America – directly and indirectly creating 48,000 new American jobs and generating billions of dollars in economic activity across the United States.

With 230 suppliers spread across all 50 states, the Northrop Grumman KC-45 will not only be the answer to our nation’s aerial refueling needs, it will be a component of our economic recovery.

KC-45: Delivering the Fuel

With multi-point refueling and high fuel offload rates, the KC-45 Tanker is a highly versatile and capable aerial refueling platform. The KC-45 is able to simultaneously refuel multiple receiver aircraft. Its mix of boom and hose and drogue refueling systems ensures that U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied aircraft can be accommodated on the same mission without the need for on-ground tanker reconfiguration.

KC-45: Any need, Anywhere

An aerial tanker’s effectiveness depends on its ability to deploy rapidly and operate from airfields around the world.

The KC-45’s superior performance characteristics ensure the tanker will be able to deploy from the largest number of airfields and airports possible. The aircraft’s excellent takeoff performance allows it to depart from a 7,000-ft. runway fully loaded. In addition, the KC-45’s ability to perform refueling missions over longer ranges allows staging from more distant support bases, freeing up limited airfield ramp space near the combat area. KC-45 deployments also will benefit from the existing infrastructure at civilian airports worldwide that supports more than 570 A330s now in service or on order by commercial airlines. The KC-45’s standard ground turning radius enables the tanker to operate from hundreds of airfields around the world – including all of the runways utilized by tankers during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

KC-45: A Versatile Platform

The KC-45 offers unmatched performance by carrying more fuel, offering superior fuel off-load rates and guaranteeing flexibility though multi-point refueling with a mix of boom, hose and drogue, and hose drum systems. State-of-the-art multipoint refueling allows the KC-45 to service more aircraft per mission, reducing or eliminating waiting aircraft queues and lowering fuel-related mission abort rates.

The optimized widebody fuselage cross-section and large internal volume greatly increase the KC-45’s efficiency for cargo and airlift missions, and give it the ability to self-deploy troops and equipment from the continental United States to overseas theaters.

In addition, the KC-45 is perfectly suited to undertake additional missions for current and future U.S. Air Force requirements.

KC-45: A 50-year Solution

In modernizing its tanker fleet, the U.S. Air Force will make a procurement decision that will shape its primary aerial refueling fleet for decades to come. Its choice should be based on an open and competitive evaluation of all possible alternatives that will create the best long-term investment of tanker performance and flexibility, the use of modern technology and the lowest life-cycle costs.

A tanker derived from an existing large commercial airliner is the most cost-effective way to meet all U.S. Air Force mission requirements, and the KC-45 is the best commercial aircraft derivative for the service’s new-generation tanker. The KC-45 Tanker provides superior operational capability in all critical areas of mission performance.

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The KC-45 is a low-risk solution for the U.S. Air Force. Its excellent performance and superior reliability make it the optimal choice for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation tanker aircraft.