When unmanned aircraft can refuel one another, their time on a mission will be dramatically extended. The Air Force Research Laboratory is spending $49 million over the next four years to create a system that will allow UAVs to autonomously refuel in the air, as seen in this 2007 RQ-4 Global Hawk test.
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| F-16 Fighting Falcon: This oft-upgraded multirole warplane has proved itself in dogfights and air strikes since 1979. MC-12W Liberty: In 2009 this plane began flying battlefield surveillance missions. | MultiMission UAV: Medium-size UAVs will swap onboard gear and weapons to intercept communications, bomb ground targets or fight enemy aircraft. This year the Pentagon will select a design for a 2015 replacement of the MQ-9 Reaper. |
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| KC-135 Stratotanker: This 136-foot airplane can offload 6500 pounds of jet fuel per minute but fills only one airplane tank at a time. The average age of the Air Force's fleet of tankers, flying since 1957, is now more than 40 years. | Joined-Wing Aerial Refueling UAV: A box-wing UAV could fuel many airplanes at the same time and loiter, perhaps for a week, until needed. The Pentagon is spending more than $40 billion on manned refuelers, but unmanned tankers could be built to service UAVs. |
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| B-2 Spirit: Since 1989, this stealth bomber's mission has been to attack well-guarded ground targets. U-2 Dragon Lady: This unarmed, high-altitude recon airplane, in service since 1957, can fly 12-hour missions. | Long-Range Surveillance Bomber:This stealth UAV could monitor a target for days--and then destroy it at the time of a commander's choosing. The Air Force hopes to restart its bomber program this year; the new aircraft will likely be able to fly with or without a pilot. |
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