L3Harris proposes “Tanker Glass” cockpit overhaul for KC‑135 Stratotankers
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L3Harris has outlined a “Tanker Glass” solution that would replace the Boeing KC‑135 Stratotanker’s analog flight‑deck instruments and gauges with modern digital hardware and LED displays, using a Modular Open Systems Approach that allows parts from multiple vendors.
The proposal follows the fleet’s Block 45 cockpit upgrade completed in fiscal 2024, which added digital engine displays, a radar altimeter and a modern flight director, but was not engineered for service beyond 2050; the Air Mobility Command commander warned in March 2025 that acquiring new tankers at 15 per year would force a service‑life extension and could push the KC‑135 toward a century of operation.