**Tomorrow’s Tankers**
Air Force officials indicate that future tankers may simply be today’s tankers equipped with self-protection gear. The Air Force is grappling with financial constraints that prevent it from pursuing all its next-generation plans.
**Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS)**
The service has been developing the Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) to operate in contested environments, particularly the Indo-Pacific region. This development comes as China advances new counter-air systems that pose threats to tankers over longer distances.
**Enhancements to Current Fleet**
Given the challenges of building a new tanker from the ground up, the Air Force might focus on enhancing its existing tanker fleet. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall stated that new designs would not be feasible for several years and suggested improving the resilience of the current force to be more cost-effective and timely.
**Ongoing Studies and Reviews**
The Air Force plans to complete a study on NGAS and review its sixth-generation fighter program, the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), by the end of the year. These efforts aim to shape the service’s 2026 budget request. Notably, the next-gen fighter program has been paused for reassessment of costs, emerging threats, and the introduction of new technologies, like collaborative combat aircraft.
**Interconnected Designs**
Kendall noted that the designs for NGAS, NGAD, and collaborative combat aircraft are interconnected in terms of operations and finances. Currently, he expressed concern about the availability of adequate resources to pursue these designs, given existing commitments and strategic priorities.
**Tightening Budgets**
Officials anticipate that the 2026 budget will be even stricter than that of 2025. The costs associated with other programs, such as the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) replacement, have exceeded initial projections, leading to uncertainty regarding the next-gen aircraft initiatives.
**Budget Priorities**
Kendall emphasized that funding for the Space Force, modernization of the Air Force’s nuclear triad components, robust air base defense, and neutralizing adversaries’ long-range capability are the top budget priorities. Importantly, he pointed out that these essential initiatives would require significant investment, and neither NGAS nor NGAD was mentioned as current priorities.
