Aerial Refueling

High-value airborne assets—including KC-46 and KC-135 tankers, C-5 and C-17 cargo aircraft, and P-8 maritime patrol platforms—form the backbone of U.S. military power projection. Yet these critical enablers face a growing threat from advanced adversaries deploying long-range weaponry that’s reshaping contested airspace. Traditionally, tankers and cargo aircraft operated in relative safety, far from engagement zones. But proliferation of sophisticated surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles by China and Russia is fundamentally changing the operational calculus. “We still need to perform aerial refueling and cargo transport missions,” explains Jared Belinsky, product line director of Integrated Survivability Solutions at BAE Systems. “But our tankers and cargo aircraft are going to be pushed farther away from their area of responsibility or they’re going to need protection—either electromagnetic or kinetic—to fly in contested spaces.”

Poland has taken a significant step toward acquiring its first dedicated aerial refueling capability, with the government authorizing Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz to request financing through the European Union’s Strategic Airlift & Air-to-Air Refueling (SAFE) program. A government filing from late November 2025 reveals that tanker and transport aircraft rank among Warsaw’s priority projects within its €43. The Polish defense ministry is reportedly considering a purchase of two to four Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft, with estimated costs reaching €1 billion. This capability has become increasingly critical as Poland expands its fighter inventory with F-35A and FA-50 aircraft while navigating sustained operational demands along NATO’s eastern flank.

Boeing Secures $2.47B Air Force Contract for 15 Additional KC-46A Tankers Boeing has been awarded a Lot 12 contract by the US Air Force valued at $2.47 billion for 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial ...