US Air Force seeks to revive retired KC-10 tankers for North African nation

The US Air Force is seeking companies that can return up to four retired KC-10 Extender tankers to flying condition and deliver them to an unnamed partner nation in North Africa, according to a request for information (RFI) published on October 7, 2026. 

The notice, issued by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, outlines a potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program under which the aircraft would be transferred as Excess Defense Articles (EDA). 

The notice does not identify the prospective recipient, and the US Air Force has not yet issued a formal request for proposals. The notice is intended to establish whether industry can carry out the work and at what estimated cost. 

From desert storage back to flying condition 

The proposed program covers regenerating up to four KC-10 aircraft, including depot-level work to return them to service, a one-time flight clearance, and delivery to the recipient country. 

It also calls for contractor logistics support in the receiving country, operational and maintenance training, and a sustainment package lasting between three and five years. 

The US Air Force is seeking companies with the facilities and expertise to carry out the full program, from aircraft regeneration to long-term support after delivery. 

The aircraft would be provided under the US Excess Defense Articles program, which allows surplus US military equipment to be transferred to foreign partners at a reduced price or as a grant. 

According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, such equipment is generally supplied on an “as is, where is” basis, with the recipient responsible for transportation and any necessary refurbishment. 

In this case, the US Air Force is exploring whether a contractor could handle both the work needed to restore the aircraft to flying condition and their subsequent delivery and support. 

A possible second life for the KC-10 Extender 

USAF KC-10 Extender. (Credit: U.S. Air Force photo)Derived from the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 commercial airliner, the KC-10 Extender entered US Air Force service in 1981. 

The aircraft combines long-range aerial refueling and cargo transport capabilities. It can refuel other aircraft using either a flying boom or a centerline hose-and-drogue system, allowing it to support different types of receivers during the same mission. 

The US Air Force began retiring the type on July 13, 2020, when the first KC-10 arrived at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The final US Air Force KC-10 departed Travis Air Force Base, California, for AMARG on September 26, 2024, marking the end of more than four decades of service. 

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, signed into law on December 18, 2025, requires the Air Force to maintain retired KC-10s in their September 30, 2025, storage condition, while allowing their eventual disposal or transfer under applicable federal law. 

Some retired KC-10s are already earmarked for a return to service with a private operator. In May 2026, US-based aerial refueling contractor Omega Air announced that it had acquired 10 former US Air Force KC-10s at auction, with plans to restore them for contracted refueling operations. The company already operates three KDC-10 tankers, including two previously flown by the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The post US Air Force seeks to revive retired KC-10 tankers for North African nation appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source