Boeing has unveiled more details of their potential offering for the US Air Force KC-X tanker competition.
The company plans to offer either the 767-based tanker or the larger 777-based aircraft for the aerial tanker competition based on the request for proposal.
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The firm intends to pitch a 767-based tanker if the air force requires a flexible wide-body tanker that can operate in an austere, expeditionary environment, and the 777-based tanker if the air force places more emphasis on fuel, cargo and passengers.
Boeing KC-X director and programme manager Rick Lemaster said the aviation firm is prepared to offer the best solution through the KC-7A7.
“Whether it’s the agile 767-based tanker or the larger 777-based tanker, Boeing is ready to deliver maximum capability at the lowest cost,” Lemaster said.
The Boeing 767-based tanker can offload 20% more fuel, carry three times the cargo and fly five times the number of passengers compared with the USAF’s current KC-135, within a comparable narrow-body footprint, according to a Boeing statement.
The Boeing 777-based tanker, meanwhile, is comparable in size to the Airbus A330 and delivers 23% more fuel and carries 44% more cargo and 42% more passengers than the A330 in a more technologically advanced airframe.
The Pentagon is still in the process of drafting the rules for the estimated $35bn aerial tanker aircraft deal.
