KC-X
Encyclopedia
KC-X is the United States Air Force
(USAF) program to procure its next-generation aerial refueling
tanker aircraft to replace some of the older Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers. The contest was for a production contract for 179 new tankers with estimated value of US$35 billion. The two contenders to replace the KC-135 aircraft were Boeing
and EADS
, following the elimination of US Aerospace, Inc.
The current KC-X program follows earlier attempts by the USAF to procure a new tanker. A 2002 plan had the USAF leasing Boeing KC-767
tankers, followed by a 2003 modification where the USAF would buy most of the KC-767 aircraft and lease several more of them. Corruption investigations revealed wrongdoing in the award of the contract and the contract was canceled in 2005, setting the stage for the KC-X program.
The USAF issued the KC-X request for proposal
in January 2007, then selected the Northrop Grumman/EADS team and their Airbus A330
-based tankers in February 2008. In June 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office
sustained a protest by Boeing on the award of the contract. In July 2008, the U.S. Defense Department reopened the bidding process, but canceled the KC-X solicitation in September 2008. In September 2009, the USAF began the first steps toward accepting new bids. In March 2010, Northrop Grumman announced that it would pull out of the bidding process. Despite Northrop Grumman's withdrawal, EADS decided to remain in the ongoing competition alone. The Air Force selected Boeing's KC-46
bid on 24 February 2011 and EADS declined to protest the award.
tankers on a sole-source basis; Boeing is the only American company with the requisite industrial capability to manufacture large-body aircraft. As such, the KC-767 was initially selected in 2002 and in 2003 was awarded a US$20 billion contract to lease KC-767 tankers to replace the KC-135.
Led by Senator John McCain
, several US government leaders protested the lease contract as wasteful and problematic. In response to the protests, the Air Force struck a compromise in November 2003, whereby it would purchase 80 KC-767 aircraft and lease 20 more.
Yet in December 2003, the Pentagon announced the project was to be frozen while an investigation of allegations of corruption by one if its former procurement staffers, Darleen Druyun
(who had moved to Boeing in January 2003) was begun. Druyun pled guilty of criminal wrongdoing and was sentenced to nine months in jail for "negotiating a job with Boeing at the same time she was involved in contracts with the company". Additional fallout included the termination of CFO
Michael M. Sears
(who was later sentenced to four months in prison in 2005), the resignation of Boeing CEO
Philip M. Condit
, and the payment by Boeing of a $615 million fine in recompense for their actions related to the contract. In January 2006, the lease contract was formally canceled.
posted a request for proposal
on 30 January 2007. The U.S. Air Force's main requirements are "fuel offload and range at least as great as the KC-135", airlift capability, ability to take on fuel in flight, and multi-point refueling capability.
Two manufacturers expressed interest in producing this aircraft. The team of Northrop Grumman
and EADS
/Airbus
proposed a version of the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT)
, based on the Airbus A330
-200 Boeing proposed a version of the KC-767
, based on the Boeing 767
In February 2007, the Seattle Times commented on the pre-final designs: "Northrop has been viewed as the underdog, with a heavier, less fuel efficient aircraft. The Airbus tanker would have a maximum fuel capacity of 200,000 pounds. Northrop spokesman Randy Belote said Northrop's K-30 would tack on roughly 20 percent in fuel capacity."
Both competitors submitted their tanker proposals before the 12 April 2007 deadline. In September 2007, the USAF rejected having a mixed fleet new tankers from both Boeing and Northrop Grumman as being unfeasible because of increased costs in buying limited numbers of two types annually. The competitors submitted final revisions of their proposals to the U.S. Air Force on 3 January 2008. On 29 February 2008, the DoD announced their choice of the Northrop Grumman/EADS's KC-30.
In December 2007, it was announced that this aircraft will be designated the KC-45A
regardless of which design wins the competition. The DoD anticipated that the KC-45A would start to enter service in 2013.
On 11 March 2008, Boeing filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) of the award of the contract to the Northrop Grumman/EADS team. Boeing stated that there are certain aspects of the USAF evaluation process that have given it grounds to appeal. Their protest was upheld by the GAO on 18 June 2008, who recommended that the Air Force rebid the contract.
Robert Gates
put the tanker contract in an "expedited recompetition" with Defense Undersecretary
John Young
in charge of the selection process instead of the Air Force. A draft of the revised RFP was provided to the contractors on 6 August 2008 for comments with the revised RFP to be finalized by mid-August. Proposals would be due in October 2008 and selection was to be done by the end of 2008. In mid-August, there was speculation that Boeing was considering a "no bid" position. On 21 August 2008 Boeing asked the DoD for an additional four months to submit a proposal centered on a larger aircraft, but they opposed further delay. Then on 10 September 2008, Defense Secretary Robert Gates decided that the new competition could not be fairly completed before the end of 2008. The DoD canceled the request for proposals and delayed the decision on when to issue another request until the new presidential administration was in office.
contract specified 373 requirements for the new plane, and stated that the price of each tanker would be adjusted to reflect how much it would cost to operate over 40 years and how well it would meet various war-fighting needs. The initial contract would be for 179 aircraft for $35 billion. Northrop Grumman/EADS team claimed the requirement was advantaging Boeing and threatened to withdraw from the competition on 1 December 2009.
The fiscal 2011 Defense Department budget relegates $864 million in research and development money. A contract award was expected in summer 2010. On 24 February 2010, the US Air Force released the revised request for proposal (RFP) for KC-X. The RFP calls for the KC-X tanker to first fly in 2012 and aircraft deliveries to begin in 2013.
On 8 March 2010, Northrop Grumman followed through with their earlier threat and decided to not submit a bid for the KC-X tanker stating that they believe the new evaluation methodology favors Boeing's smaller tanker. EADS, however announced on 20 April 2010, that it was re-entering the competition on a stand-alone basis and intended to bid the KC-30 with final assembly to take place in Mobile, Alabama as planned under its prior teaming arrangement with Northrop Grumman. On 18 June 2010, the USAF announced that the decision would be delayed until November 2010.
On 1 July 2010, a surprise third bidder, consisting of the team of US Aerospace and the Ukrainian manufacturer Antonov
announced its intention to bid in the competition. The two firms announced that they would be interested in supplying up to three types of aircraft to the United States Air Force. The types reportedly being offered are the four-engined An-124
and a twin-engined variant of the aircraft, the An-122. The third aircraft to be offered is known as the An-112. The An-112 tanker is a version of the Antonov An-70
, except with two jet engines. This tanker was proposed in the team's bid.
By 9 July 2010 bids from Boeing, EADS and US Aerospace/Antonov were submitted to the Air Force. However, the Air Force rejected the US Aerospace bid for allegedly arriving 5 minutes after the deadline, which US Aerospace disputes. US Aerospace filed separate protests with the U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO) on 2 August and 1 September. The U.S. Air Force proceeded with source selection while GAO investigated. The GAO dismissed U.S. Aerospace’s protest on 6 October.
In November 2010 the USAF made another mistake by sending technical reviews of the other side's bids to each of the two remaining teams. However the usual new delay in awarding the contract was said to be unrelated.
Boeing and EADS submitted their final bids on 10 February 2011. On 24 February 2011, Boeing's KC-767 proposal was selected as the winning offer. The tanker will be named the KC-46A. EADS North America chairman Ralph Crosby declined to protest the award saying that Boeing's bid was "very, very, very aggressive" and carried a high risk of losing money for the company.
Sources: Northrop Grumman KC-30, Airbus A330, KC-767 Advanced Tanker, Boeing 767, Civil Aircraft, A330 FSTA An-112KC
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) program to procure its next-generation aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
tanker aircraft to replace some of the older Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers. The contest was for a production contract for 179 new tankers with estimated value of US$35 billion. The two contenders to replace the KC-135 aircraft were Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
and EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
, following the elimination of US Aerospace, Inc.
The current KC-X program follows earlier attempts by the USAF to procure a new tanker. A 2002 plan had the USAF leasing Boeing KC-767
Boeing KC-767
The Boeing KC-767 is a military aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft developed from the Boeing 767-200ER. The tanker received the designation KC-767A in 2002, after being selected by the US Air Force initially to replace older KC-135Es...
tankers, followed by a 2003 modification where the USAF would buy most of the KC-767 aircraft and lease several more of them. Corruption investigations revealed wrongdoing in the award of the contract and the contract was canceled in 2005, setting the stage for the KC-X program.
The USAF issued the KC-X request for proposal
Request for Proposal
A request for proposal is issued at an early stage in a procurement process, where an invitation is presented for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service. The RFP process brings structure to the procurement decision and is meant to...
in January 2007, then selected the Northrop Grumman/EADS team and their Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
-based tankers in February 2008. In June 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
sustained a protest by Boeing on the award of the contract. In July 2008, the U.S. Defense Department reopened the bidding process, but canceled the KC-X solicitation in September 2008. In September 2009, the USAF began the first steps toward accepting new bids. In March 2010, Northrop Grumman announced that it would pull out of the bidding process. Despite Northrop Grumman's withdrawal, EADS decided to remain in the ongoing competition alone. The Air Force selected Boeing's KC-46
Boeing KC-46
The Boeing KC-46 is a military aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its 767 jet airliner. In February 2011, the tanker was selected by United States Air Force as the winner in the KC-X tanker competition to replace older KC-135 Stratotankers.-Background:The U.S...
bid on 24 February 2011 and EADS declined to protest the award.
Background
The initial plan was to lease Boeing KC-767Boeing KC-767
The Boeing KC-767 is a military aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft developed from the Boeing 767-200ER. The tanker received the designation KC-767A in 2002, after being selected by the US Air Force initially to replace older KC-135Es...
tankers on a sole-source basis; Boeing is the only American company with the requisite industrial capability to manufacture large-body aircraft. As such, the KC-767 was initially selected in 2002 and in 2003 was awarded a US$20 billion contract to lease KC-767 tankers to replace the KC-135.
Led by Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, several US government leaders protested the lease contract as wasteful and problematic. In response to the protests, the Air Force struck a compromise in November 2003, whereby it would purchase 80 KC-767 aircraft and lease 20 more.
Yet in December 2003, the Pentagon announced the project was to be frozen while an investigation of allegations of corruption by one if its former procurement staffers, Darleen Druyun
Darleen Druyun
Darleen A. Druyun is a former United States Air Force civilian official and Boeing executive.-Education:...
(who had moved to Boeing in January 2003) was begun. Druyun pled guilty of criminal wrongdoing and was sentenced to nine months in jail for "negotiating a job with Boeing at the same time she was involved in contracts with the company". Additional fallout included the termination of CFO
Chief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...
Michael M. Sears
Michael M. Sears
Michael M. Sears is a former Boeing executive.In 1992 Mr. Sears led the successful development of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, cited as the best managed aircraft program in U.S. Department of Defense history. In 1997, Mr. Sears was President of the Douglas Aircraft Company division of McDonnell...
(who was later sentenced to four months in prison in 2005), the resignation of Boeing CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
Philip M. Condit
Philip M. Condit
Philip Murray Condit is an American businessman who was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Boeing company from 1996 to 2003.-Education :...
, and the payment by Boeing of a $615 million fine in recompense for their actions related to the contract. In January 2006, the lease contract was formally canceled.
Initial competition
The USAF then began the KC-X tanker replacement program. The DoDUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
posted a request for proposal
Request for Proposal
A request for proposal is issued at an early stage in a procurement process, where an invitation is presented for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service. The RFP process brings structure to the procurement decision and is meant to...
on 30 January 2007. The U.S. Air Force's main requirements are "fuel offload and range at least as great as the KC-135", airlift capability, ability to take on fuel in flight, and multi-point refueling capability.
Two manufacturers expressed interest in producing this aircraft. The team of Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
and EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
/Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
proposed a version of the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT)
Airbus A330 MRTT
The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport is an aerial refuelling tanker aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330-200. The A330 MRTT has been ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Air Force , United Arab Emirates Air Force, and Royal Saudi Air Force...
, based on the Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
-200 Boeing proposed a version of the KC-767
Boeing KC-767
The Boeing KC-767 is a military aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft developed from the Boeing 767-200ER. The tanker received the designation KC-767A in 2002, after being selected by the US Air Force initially to replace older KC-135Es...
, based on the Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
In February 2007, the Seattle Times commented on the pre-final designs: "Northrop has been viewed as the underdog, with a heavier, less fuel efficient aircraft. The Airbus tanker would have a maximum fuel capacity of 200,000 pounds. Northrop spokesman Randy Belote said Northrop's K-30 would tack on roughly 20 percent in fuel capacity."
Both competitors submitted their tanker proposals before the 12 April 2007 deadline. In September 2007, the USAF rejected having a mixed fleet new tankers from both Boeing and Northrop Grumman as being unfeasible because of increased costs in buying limited numbers of two types annually. The competitors submitted final revisions of their proposals to the U.S. Air Force on 3 January 2008. On 29 February 2008, the DoD announced their choice of the Northrop Grumman/EADS's KC-30.
In December 2007, it was announced that this aircraft will be designated the KC-45A
Northrop Grumman KC-45
The EADS/Northrop Grumman KC-45 is a proposed aerial refueling tanker aircraft based on the Airbus A330 MRTT. The United States Air Force had ordered 179 KC-45As in the first stage of replacing the aging Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tankers currently in service. However, the contest was reopened in...
regardless of which design wins the competition. The DoD anticipated that the KC-45A would start to enter service in 2013.
On 11 March 2008, Boeing filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
(GAO) of the award of the contract to the Northrop Grumman/EADS team. Boeing stated that there are certain aspects of the USAF evaluation process that have given it grounds to appeal. Their protest was upheld by the GAO on 18 June 2008, who recommended that the Air Force rebid the contract.
Expedited recompetition
On 9 July 2008, the Defense SecretaryUnited States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
put the tanker contract in an "expedited recompetition" with Defense Undersecretary
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics - USD - is a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the Department of Defense of the United States of America...
John Young
John J. Young, Jr.
John Jacob Young, Jr. was United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 2001 to 2005 and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics from 2007 to 2009....
in charge of the selection process instead of the Air Force. A draft of the revised RFP was provided to the contractors on 6 August 2008 for comments with the revised RFP to be finalized by mid-August. Proposals would be due in October 2008 and selection was to be done by the end of 2008. In mid-August, there was speculation that Boeing was considering a "no bid" position. On 21 August 2008 Boeing asked the DoD for an additional four months to submit a proposal centered on a larger aircraft, but they opposed further delay. Then on 10 September 2008, Defense Secretary Robert Gates decided that the new competition could not be fairly completed before the end of 2008. The DoD canceled the request for proposals and delayed the decision on when to issue another request until the new presidential administration was in office.
Restarted competition
On 16 September 2009, Secretary Gates announced a renewed effort for the KC-X program. The selection process will be under the Air Force with a "robust oversight role" by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to prevent a repeated failure. On 25 September 2009 the USAF issued a draft request for proposals (RFP) seeking comments for the official tanker replacement RFP. The RFP for a fixed priceFixed price
The term "fixed price" is a phrase used in the English language to mean that no bargaining is allowed over the price of a good or, less commonly, a service...
contract specified 373 requirements for the new plane, and stated that the price of each tanker would be adjusted to reflect how much it would cost to operate over 40 years and how well it would meet various war-fighting needs. The initial contract would be for 179 aircraft for $35 billion. Northrop Grumman/EADS team claimed the requirement was advantaging Boeing and threatened to withdraw from the competition on 1 December 2009.
The fiscal 2011 Defense Department budget relegates $864 million in research and development money. A contract award was expected in summer 2010. On 24 February 2010, the US Air Force released the revised request for proposal (RFP) for KC-X. The RFP calls for the KC-X tanker to first fly in 2012 and aircraft deliveries to begin in 2013.
On 8 March 2010, Northrop Grumman followed through with their earlier threat and decided to not submit a bid for the KC-X tanker stating that they believe the new evaluation methodology favors Boeing's smaller tanker. EADS, however announced on 20 April 2010, that it was re-entering the competition on a stand-alone basis and intended to bid the KC-30 with final assembly to take place in Mobile, Alabama as planned under its prior teaming arrangement with Northrop Grumman. On 18 June 2010, the USAF announced that the decision would be delayed until November 2010.
On 1 July 2010, a surprise third bidder, consisting of the team of US Aerospace and the Ukrainian manufacturer Antonov
Antonov
Antonov, or Antonov Aeronautical Scientist/Technical Complex , formerly the Antonov Design Bureau, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. Antonov ASTC is a state-owned commercial company...
announced its intention to bid in the competition. The two firms announced that they would be interested in supplying up to three types of aircraft to the United States Air Force. The types reportedly being offered are the four-engined An-124
Antonov An-124
The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a strategic airlift jet aircraft. It was designed by the Ukrainian SSR's Antonov design bureau, then part of the Soviet Union. It is the world's largest ever serially-manufactured cargo airplane and world's second largest operating cargo aircraft...
and a twin-engined variant of the aircraft, the An-122. The third aircraft to be offered is known as the An-112. The An-112 tanker is a version of the Antonov An-70
Antonov An-70
The Antonov An-70 is a four-engine medium-range transport aircraft, and the first large aircraft to be powered by propfan engines. It is being developed by Ukraine's Antonov design bureau to replace the obsolete An-12 military transport aircraft...
, except with two jet engines. This tanker was proposed in the team's bid.
By 9 July 2010 bids from Boeing, EADS and US Aerospace/Antonov were submitted to the Air Force. However, the Air Force rejected the US Aerospace bid for allegedly arriving 5 minutes after the deadline, which US Aerospace disputes. US Aerospace filed separate protests with the U.S. Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
(GAO) on 2 August and 1 September. The U.S. Air Force proceeded with source selection while GAO investigated. The GAO dismissed U.S. Aerospace’s protest on 6 October.
In November 2010 the USAF made another mistake by sending technical reviews of the other side's bids to each of the two remaining teams. However the usual new delay in awarding the contract was said to be unrelated.
Boeing and EADS submitted their final bids on 10 February 2011. On 24 February 2011, Boeing's KC-767 proposal was selected as the winning offer. The tanker will be named the KC-46A. EADS North America chairman Ralph Crosby declined to protest the award saying that Boeing's bid was "very, very, very aggressive" and carried a high risk of losing money for the company.
Specifications
There were three different bids proposed in July 2010. EADS proposed the Airbus A330 MRRT/KC-30, Boeing proposed the KC-767, while the Antonov/US Aerospace team's bid was the An-112KC. Specifications of these aircraft, as well as the aircraft intended to be replaced, the KC-135, are listed in the table below.| KC-135R | A330 MRTT / KC-30 | KC-767 Advanced Tanker (based on 767-200LRF) |
An-112KC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 136 in 3 in (41.53 m) | 192 in 11 in (58.8 m) | 159 in 2 in (48.51 m) | 131 in 5 in (40.06 m) |
| Height | 41 in 8 in (12.7 m) | 57 in 1 in (17.4 m) | 52 ft (15.8 m) | 53 in 2 in (16.21 m) |
| Wingspan | 130 inch | 197 in 10 in (60.3 m) | 156 inch | 166 inch |
| Fuselage width | 12 ft (3.7 m) | 18 in 6 in (5.64 m) | 16 in 6 in (5.03 m) | 17 in 1 in (5.21 m) |
| Fuselage height | 14 ft (4.3 m) | 18 in 6 in (5.64 m) | 17 in 9 in (5.41 m) | - |
| Engines | 4 x CFM International CFM56 CFM International CFM56 The CFM International CFM56 series is a family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by CFM International , with a thrust range of . CFMI is a 50–50 joint-owned company of SNECMA, France and GE Aviation , USA. Both companies are responsible for producing components and each has its own... |
2 x RR Trent 700 or GE CF6-80 turbofans |
2 x Pratt & Whitney PW4062 | 2 x GE GEnx-1B74/75, Engine Alliance GP7277 or Pratt & Whitney PW4074/74D |
| Thrust | 4 x 21634 lbf (96.2 kN) | 2 x 72000 lbf (320.3 kN) | 2 x 63500 lbf (282.5 kN) | - |
| Passengers | 80 | 226-280 | 190 | 300 |
| Cargo | 6 x 463L pallets | 32 x 463L pallet 463L master pallet The HCU-6/E or 463L Master Pallet is a standardized pallet used for transporting military air cargo. It is the main air-cargo pallet of the United States Air Force, designed to be loaded and offloaded on today's military airlifters as well as many civilian Civil Reserve Air Fleet cargo... s |
19 x 463L pallets | 8 pallets |
| Maximum fuel capability | 200000 lb (90,718.5 kg) | 250000 lb (113,398.1 kg) | greater than 202000 lb (91,625.7 kg) | 139000 lb (63,049.3 kg) |
| Max. takeoff fuel load | Approximately 200000 lb (90,718.5 kg) | 245000 lb (111,130.1 kg) | greater than 202000 lb (91,625.7 kg) | 139000 lb (63,049.3 kg) |
| Range | 11015 nmi (12,675.9 mi; 20,399.8 km) | 6750 nmi (7,767.8 mi; 12,501 km) | 6590 nmi (7,583.7 mi; 12,204.7 km) | 6800 nmi (7,825.3 mi; 12,593.6 km) |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.79 (530 mph or 853 km/h) | Mach 0.82 (534 mph or 859.4 km/h) | Mach 0.80 (530 mph or 853 km/h) | - |
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.90 (600 mph or 965.6 km/h) | Mach 0.86 (570 mph or 917.3 km/h) | Mach 0.86 (570 mph or 917.3 km/h) | - |
| Max. takeoff weight | 322500 lb (146,283.5 kg) | 507000 lb (229,971.3 kg) | greater than 400000 lb (181,436.9 kg) | 364000 lb (165,107.6 kg) |
| Max. landing weight | 322500 lb (146,283.5 kg), normally 200000 lb (90,718.5 kg) |
396800 lb (179,985.5 kg) | 300000 lb (136,077.7 kg) | - |
| Empty weight | approx. 122000 lb (55,338.3 kg) | 263700 lb (119,612.3 kg) | 181600 lb (82,372.4 kg) | 164000 lb (74,389.1 kg) |
Sources: Northrop Grumman KC-30, Airbus A330, KC-767 Advanced Tanker, Boeing 767, Civil Aircraft, A330 FSTA An-112KC