Jane Edwards
Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new tanker designed to meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force’s KC-Y program.
The company said Friday its LMXT strategic tanker comes with a fly-by-wire boom capability, air-to-air refueling system, advanced camera and vision system, open system architecture and a multidomain operations node to improve onboard situational awareness and communications.
The new aircraft is based on the design of the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport, which has recorded over 250,000 flight hours refueling fighter jets, maritime patrol and transport aircraft in combat environments.
Greg Ulmer, executive vice president of Lockheed’s aeronautics business, said LMXT offers operator-specific capabilities designed to meet the service’s refueling requirements in support of the National Defense Strategy.
In June, the Air Force launched a market research for the KC-Y program as it looks for companies that could deliver commercial derivative aircraft at a rate of 12 to 15 units per year to supplement the service’s tanker fleet at the end of the production of the KC-46A aerial refueling aircraft. The service expects the bridge tanker to be operational by 2029.
