After more than 40 tremendous years of service, the Air Force today flew its last KC-10 Extender.
The 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis AFB, CA is the last active-duty wing to operate the KC-10, and held a ceremony Sep 26 to thank its history and bid farewell to the aircraft.
Most KC-10s are already retired and stored at the Davis-Monthan AFB “Boneyard” in Arizona. The aircraft that flew today’s last mission, named Excalibur, will soon end up in the boneyard too.
F-15 fighters from the local CA Air National Guard flew alongside Excalibur as it made its final flight over the base.
Retirement of the aircraft comes as the USAF transitions to the KC-46 Pegasus. It’s part of the Air Force’s recapitalization of its tanker fleet.
KC-10s were workhorses of the USAF for decades
The plane was a workhorse of the USAF for decades. It was vital in the U.S. military’s global reach and power projection capabilities. They had a long range and carried a large fuel load. It was common for crews to spend 12 hours or more on a single sortie.
The massive aircraft is best know for its primary role as an aerial refueler, but it’s also great for moving large loads of cargo and passengers. Its cargo capacity nearly matches the C-17.
The aircraft was critical in supporting combat missions, but it also served well in humanitarian support. It could move tons of food, water, meds, clothing, blankets, construction equipment, roof trusses… virtually anything needed for a humanitarian mission, anywhere.
Needless to say, the KC-10 fleet was not retired for poor performance, but budget pressures. The fleet was relatively small compared to the KC-135. The KC-46 replacing the KC-10 reduces the total types of tankers in the Air Force fleet from three to two.
The KC-10 might live on flying commercially
They may be done as USAF planes, but the KC-10 might make a comeback commercially. Air Mobility Command has been exploring the idea of commercial aerial refueling.
The USAF says there is enormous value in aircraft that have the potential to provide readiness in the commercial sector. Initial work on the idea for the KC-10 has already begun.
Also, KC-10s going into commercial operations would not require any modifications to be able to conduct air refueling or cargo missions.
The DOD already uses two commercial companies for aerial refueling
Currently, Omega Air and Metrea are already serving commercial aerial refueling needs for the DOD, with tankers acquired from other nations. In service to the U.S. they cannot refuel planes supporting combat; they can only refuel for training or exercises.
The Navy and Marine Corps have been using commercial refuelers for nearly 20 years.
The USAF did not get onboard with the idea until June 2023, when an Omega KDC-10 commercial refuelerhooked up with an E-3 Sentry and RC-135. Later that year, F-16s, F-15s and even F-22s hooked up with it in Nov 2023 during Commando Sling 23, a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Singapore.
“Leveraging the capability of commercial air-to-air refueling allows the USAF to increase warfighter readiness in the priority theater and around the globe,” says the USAF.
