Overview
- A top Air Force planner told House lawmakers the KC-135 Stratotanker fleet will gain full beyond-line-of-sight connectivity within six years.
- The service identified about $105 million in fiscal year 2027 for the effort and roughly $1.1 billion across the five-year defense plan.
- Installations of ATOMS, a modular software backbone that speeds future upgrades, are slated to finish in about four years before hybrid satellite links complete the rollout.
- Procurement includes 315 hybrid satcom terminals and about 240 Ku-band array kits, with some tankers already using Link 16 data links and ARCTIC relay nodes.
- Pressure intensified after a March 12 collision of two KC-135s killed six airmen, and leaders say upgrades are vital for a fleet expected to serve past 2050 so crews can see friendly traffic, receive threat data, and work more safely.