Lockheed Discusses its Potential KC-Z Designs

a reply to: Zaphod58

kind of off topic but i havent seen talks about new AWACS, or at least that i have come across.

i have read that some of the newer russian and chinese missiles are adding AWACS killing features


im not 100% sure how you would make one stealthy but im sure it could be improved

a reply to: penroc3

Make it a big flying wing like the B-2 or QUARTZ with some sort of hyper-expensive low-POI conformal AESA built into the leading/trailing edges. Having it be manned like an AWACS would be nice, but would also make it even bigger/more expensive, and I'm sure that in this era of high-speed datalinks it could probably get away with being minimally manned, optionally manned, or even completely unmanned.

The big problem is that, like the QUARTZ, you end up with an aircraft that makes the B-2 look as cheap as an F-5 very, very, very quickly. That said, I'm sure there have been plenty of design studies in the black world, and I wouldn't be shocked it someone hasn't flown a demonstrator or two over the years, if only because the concept of a VLO AWACS bird is just *THAT* tantalizing.

a reply to: mightmight

I wouldn't be surprised if we revert to pre-WWI social spending, too. This is going to be a rough century for the US.

And just like that, the KC-Y is back on the table. It will be a non- developmental contract, meaning it will come down to the A330MRTT and KC-46 again. It will be immediately after the KC-46, and be a "bridge tanker".

www.airforcemag.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58
I'm betting that the MRTT KC-45/KC-30 is back on the table. The USAF really doesn't want all its tanking assets in one basket and the 45 offers greater offload as well. Time will tell, maybe Boeing will pull a rabbit out of the hat and offer a 777 or 787 derivative instead? Who knows yet.

a reply to: thebozeian

I wouldn't mind a mixed fleet, but the only way we'll see a 777/787 tanker is through KC-Z, which, if they stick to plan, will be an LO. The next buy will only be developed birds, so we'll probably see a mixed KC-45/-46 fleet.