USAF considering 'very large' autonomous airborne tankers to replace KC-135, KC-46 — and Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray UAV is only the beginning
Autonomous refueling for aircraft? Not happening anytime soon
by https://www.techradar.com/author/efosa-udinmwen · TechRadarNews By Efosa Udinmwen Published 25 September 2026 3 min read
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- Air Force explores unmanned tankers to replace its ageing refuelling fleet
- The MQ-25's progress has revived plans for autonomous Air Force tankers
- Range remains the biggest obstacle to building an unmanned tanker today
The US Air Force is considering whether its next refueling aircraft, expected to replace the KC-135 and KC-46, could fly with no crew aboard.
The idea gained ground because the Navy's Boeing MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned refuelling drone, flew for the first time earlier in 2026.
On Thursday, the Navy cleared the MQ-25 for low-rate production and purchased three additional units, raising its order to 14 aircraft.
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Crews are not needed, but size remains unsolved
At the recent Air, Space & Cyber 2026 conference in National Harbor, Maryland, the Air Force said its future refueling aircraft might not need a crew.
“I do not believe that it has to be manned, a future air-refuelling solution…But then, how do we, the U.S. Air Force, bring that to bear in scope, scale, and range?” said Lt. Gen. Daniel Tulley, commander of Air Mobility Command
The service is still buying Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers, and it spent $12 million this year to study a new tanker design.
However, its proposed fiscal 2027 budget drops that funding entirely and asks for $13 million instead, labelled as money for advanced refuelling systems.
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