Shortly after purchasing a batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters of the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF), the Argentine government now wants tankers to refuel the 'new' jets.
In his most recent report to the Chamber of Senators of the Congress of the Argentine Nation, the Chief of Staff of the Argentine Armed Forces was questioned about the in-flight refueling capacity of the F-16. Responding to questions, he confirmed that the purchase of KC-135 Stratotanker tankers is being studied, as reported by the Argentine portal Military zone.
The probe and basket system used by the current KC-130 Hercules of the Argentine Air Force (FAA) is not compatible with the F-16, which are refueled in flight by planes that use a rigid boom to transfer fuel. The Chief of the Cabinet stated that the acquisition of KC-135s is being evaluated, but did not mention any specific variant of the Boeing tanker.
“Furthermore, it is reported that the incorporation of the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft in Ramp to Ramp mode is planned as soon as this type of aircraft becomes available. To this end, istrative processes were initiated to analyze different alternatives”, says the Chief of Staff.
Developed in the 1950s by Boeing, the KC-135 is today the main tanker in use in the United States. The aircraft has its origins in the 367-80 (Dash 80) project, which also resulted in the 707 commercial jet. In addition to the USA, Chile, and Turkey also operate the four-engine in-flight refueling engine, which has been replaced by newer models such as the Airbus A330 MRTT and the KC-46 Pegasus, the latter also from Boeing.
