It has been a long road for the USA's aerial tanker replacement competition. After the Darlene Druyun scandal and the linked but separate withdrawal of Boeing's KC-767 lease proposal, the USA continues to examine its options. Some reports note that the existing tanker fleet of "more than 490" KC-135 Stratotankers (USAF figure, out of 732 built until 1966), derived from Boeing 707s, and 59 KC-10 Extenders derived from McDonell Douglas DC-10-30CFs, may be able to perform until 2040. Yet a combination of procurement momentum and steadily increasing, future-uncertain maintenance costs for the USAF's aging Boeing 707 fleets continues to push the competition ahead.
With a potential Phase One buy of at least 100 aircraft and civil versions of the desired aircraft costing well over $100 million each, this could easily be a $200 billion program in its first phase alone. Meanwhile, studies like "Brittle Swords: Low-Density, High-Demand Assets" [42k, PDF] highlight the dangers and potential false economies of under-investment.
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