Social Media Ideas for Aerial Refueling

RAF ‘Looking At’ Requirement for Boom-Equipped Tankers

A Royal Air Force official at the Global Air and Space Chiefs’ Conference 2026 has confirmed that the planned GCAP fighter will be designed for boom refueling, meaning it will not...

The midair refueling pilots that keep U.S. military operations going around the world

Many U.S. military operations rely on the work of pilots flying midair refueling tankers, including the KC-135 Stratotanker. Charlie D'Agata visited U.S. forces stationed at a Roya...

Australian KC-30A Refuels Indian Rafales For First Time During Pitch Black 2026

An Indian Air Force Dassault Rafale DH twin-seat combat aircraft has been refuelled by a Royal Australian Air Force Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport during Exercise Pitch...

India Sets Benchmark With 7,570 Litres Per Minute Aerial Refuelling Module

India is preparing to establish a new benchmark in aerial refuelling technology with the Defence Research and Development Organisation initiating a project for a high-capacity refu...

UK Minister Confirms Development of RAF Boom Refueling Capability

In a response to an MP’s written question, Defence minister Luke Pollard said that the RAF’s existing aerial refueling force will be complemented by the development of a boom refue...

U.S. Air Force wants to test robotic boom control on old KC-135 tanker

The U.S. Air Force wants to build a fake airplane tail in an Ohio lab, and the reason traces back to one of the most dangerous stretches American aerial refueling crews have faced...

Naval Warfare Center Showcases Unmanned Refueling at Sea

The Navy took a major step toward enabling persistent, unmanned operations when the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division led a demonstration off the coast of Virginia using a...

Chinese YY-20A Tanker Refuels Egyptian Rafale During Eagles of Civilization 2026 Air Exercises

After refueling Egyptian MiG-29s during EoC 2025, the PLA Air Force’s YY-20A has now been photographed refueling an EAF Rafale during this year’s Eagles of Civilization exercise. A...

U.S. Navy Trials Robotic Towed Connector to Refuel USV

The U.S. Navy trialled a robotic towed connector to repeatedly capture, refuel and release an unmanned surface vessel (USV) last month as the sea service seeks to enable persistent...

Export potential? Chinese YY-20 refuels Egyptian Rafale in cross-platform drill

In a rare display of interoperability, a Chinese YY-20 aerial tanker has been pictured refuelling a French-built Egyptian Rafale fighter – showing a versatility analysts say could...

Iran war ‘accelerated’ key tanker connectivity upgrades, top Air Force officials say

Service leaders said increasing battlespace awareness on the KC-135 was paramount.

Could China’s new transport-tanker capability boost PLA power beyond first island chain?

China has confirmed that its new Y-20B heavy transport aircraft can be converted into an aerial refuelling tanker, potentially boosting PLA Air Force capacities deeper into the wes...

USAF ‘Franken-tanker’ KC-135 flies again with donor tail after Iraq collision

A US Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker that lost the upper portion of its vertical stabilizer in a mid-air collision over… The post USAF ‘Franken-tanker’ KC-135 flies again with donor...

U.S. Navy demonstrates at-sea refueling for unmanned surface vessel

The U.S. Navy demonstrated a system last month that can refuel an unmanned surface vessel at sea without any crew on board, a step toward keeping robotic boats on station indefinit...

U.S. Navy Demonstrates USV Refueling At Sea Using Robotic Towed Connector

The U.S. Navy's NAWCWD has successfully demonstrated USV refueling at sea using a Robotic Towed Connector, advancing autonomous surface vessel operations. The post U.S. Navy Demons...

Chinese YY-20 tanker refuels Egyptian Rafale for first time

Egypt’s Armed Forces spokesperson published photographs on August 31, 2026, showing a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) YY-20 tanker… The post Chinese YY-20 tanker refuels...

U.S. approves potential $4.5bn aerial refuelling aircraft sale to Qatar

The deal includes up to four KC-46A Pegasus tankers aimed at expanding the Qatar Emiri Air Force’s aerial refuelling capabilities and operational reach. The U.S. State Department h...

KC-135 Damaged In Fatal Mid Air Collision Transits Home with Donor Tail

The surviving KC-135R Stratotanker from the incident over Iraq in March which saw another Stratotanker lost with six fatalities has been repaired with a replacement vertical stabil...

India Launches Bid For Indigenous Air-To-Air Refuelling Pod Development

DRDO has formally invited bids under its Technology Development Fund (TDF) for the creation of an indigenous Air-to-Air Refuelling Pod (AARP), a project that will allow India to re...

Helicopter fuel drop drill hailed

TEJAS MK-1A Showcases Mid-Board Drop Tanks, Paving Way For Twin ASTRA Racks On MK-2

The latest TEJAS MK-1A configuration demonstrates a striking evolution in payload flexibility, with drop tanks now mounted on the mid-board pylons—an arrangement that frees outer s...

Israel receives second of six ordered KC-46 refueling aircraft

A second Boeing KC-46 “Gideon” aerial refueling aircraft landed at Nevatim Airbase and joined the Israeli Air Force’s 46 Squadron, the service said Friday. The aircraft is the seco...

The US Navy is testing robotic refueling to push drone boats deeper into high-threat waters without putting sailors at r...

At-sea refueling could keep Navy drone boats on mission longer, extending their reach and reducing disruptive returns to port.

At least five US military aircraft flying over Persian Gulf

Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers and Boeing KC-46A Pegasuses "are flying at an altitude of about eight kilometers, including along corridors designated for civil aircraft," a source in...