Air Force Eyes Autonomous Refuelling Aircraft Amid MQ-25 Progress

The US Air Force is exploring the possibility of developing autonomous refuelling aircraft to replace its ageing fleet. This idea has been revived by the progress made in the development of the MQ-25, an unmanned refuelling drone developed for the Navy.

Lt. Gen. Daniel Tulley, commander of Air Mobility Command, expressed his thoughts on the matter, stating that a future air-refuelling solution may not need to be manned, but added that 'how do we bring that to bear in scope, scale, and range?'

The current KC-46 tanker has a range of just under 7,400 miles and carries over 100 tons of fuel, while the MQ-25 has a range of around 500 miles and holds up to 7.5 tons of fuel.

Boeing's MQ-25 can currently take off, follow programmed routes, and land on autopilot, but it is not yet used autonomously by the Air Force.