United States. The U.S. Air Force's nearly 400 tanker aircraft will need to be replaced as soon as possible due to corrosion levels in the aircraft, which are responsible for keeping the rest of the U.S. air fleet flying, without the need to land to refuel.These tanker aircraft, known as KC-135s, are more than fifty years old and the cost of maintenance over the next eight years will rise to $6 billion annually, as corrosion attacks the metal cover and internal structure of aircraft.
The U.S. Department of Defense now has two bids to fully replace the KC-135 fleet by Boeing, the largest U.S. aircraft manufacturer, and the European Defense Aeronautics Company, which owns Airbus, the continent's largest aircraft manufacturer.
However, even if the purchase contract is defined before the end of the year, the KC-135s will have to continue flying indefinitely, while the aircraft are built and put into operation.
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