IRIA News

U.S. Air Force’s LMXT strategic tanker aircraft aerial refueling boom system will be manufactured by Airbus in western Arkansas, Lockheed Martin and Airbus announced on May 18.

According to the Lockheed Martin press release, the LMXT air refueling tanker is built on the “combat-proven design of the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport”, and “offers advantages like an established fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom.”

Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO James Taiclet said “Given the undisputed importance of the U.S. Air Force’s strategic refueling mission, ensuring the LMXT is equipped with critical and relevant technologies for its refueling system is of paramount importance. Like the LMXT airframe, this refueling system is proven and low-risk, translating to known and added capabilities for the U.S. Air Force. With this commitment, Arkansas’ manufacturing community has the opportunity to contribute to building America’s next strategic tanker.”

Chairman and CEO of Airbus Americas, Jeffrey Knittel said: “We are excited to continue expanding our U.S. footprint by partnering with the state of Arkansas to create the LMXT refueling boom production site and center of excellence. It is an honor to bring Airbus innovation to the state for this and future manufacturing opportunities. The state-of-the-art boom system is a vital aspect of the overall LMXT offering, and we are proud to be working with Arkansans to build this best-in-class solution for the U.S. Air Force.”

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said, “Lockheed Martin consistently sets the standard for aerospace and defense worldwide and significantly contributes to Arkansas’ robust aerospace and defense industry.”

“Arkansas has the tools in place to help high-tech manufacturing succeed, and I’m pleased that Lockheed Martin and Airbus see themselves growing here in our state as they look to the future in the defense industry,” Hutchinson added.

The U.S. Air Force is expected to procure around 140 to 160 refueling tankers under the KC-Y program to be compatible with its F-22, F-35A, F-16, B1-B, C-17, E-3, A-10, E-7, F-15, and P-8A planes.

The basic airframe for an LMXT tanker would be a slightly modified version of the Airbus-A330. In order to be selected as a candidate for Lockheed Martin’s LMXT program, the Airbus-A330 planes were rigorously tested for combat theater environments.

U.S. Representative for Arkansas’s 3rd congressional district, Steve Womack said that “Flights of freedom will be sustained by equipment made right here in Arkansas! This announcement further strengthens the Third District’s role in our nation’s defense, and our community’s strong workforce and infrastructure are ready to support the manufacturing of the state-of-the-art LMXT system.”  

Based on the information provided by Lockheed Martin, the LMXT offers a proven airframe with distinct capabilities designed to meet operator requirements, with advantages that include:

• Enhanced range and fuel offload capacity over current tankers

• A proven fly-by-wire boom currently certified and used by allies to refuel U.S. Air Force receiver aircraft in operations around the world

• The world’s first fully automatic boom/air-to-air refueling (A3R) system

• Operational and combat-proven advanced camera and rear vision system

• Open system architecture JADC2 systems

• Established allied interoperability and resilient global supply chain

• A multi-domain operations node that connects the LMXT to the larger battlespace, increasing onboard situational awareness to provide resilient communications and datalink for assets across the force

• A permanently installed aeromedevac suite enabling world-class medical care with intercontinental reach

• Forklift accessible cargo capacity for six military pallets with weights of up to 70 k/lbs. for austere base support

• Unrivaled persistence in the battlespace and operational performance enabling greater access to non-traditional bases

Earlier in January 2022, Lockheed Martin’s Director of Air Mobility Business Development Larry Gallogly revealed the production plans for the latest LMXT tanker planes. LMXT tankers would be based on Airbus A330-200. The French company Airbus would partner with Lockheed Martin to establish a special assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, as well as Marietta, Georgia, where Lockheed Martin already has an assembly line for its C-130 Hercules line.

The U.S. Air Force initiated the KC-X program aimed to procure modern air refueling tanker aircraft by altering the likes of Boeing KC-767 and Airbus A330. USAF KC-X program was significantly successful in providing mid-air refueling tankers that have been successfully tried and tested in a combat environment. KC-Y would be the next phase of the USAF air refueling tankers procurement program. KC-Y program would be spearheaded by U.S. defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin.