The Proposed Cockpit Upgrade That Could Keep 376 Boeing KC-135s Relevant Into The 2050s

L3Harris has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the flight deck on the Eisenhower-era Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker as the US Air Force struggles to keep the half-century-old fleet operational. Dubbed the ‘Tanker Glass’ solution, the overhaul aims to update the aging aerial refueling tankers to keep them mission-ready and flying beyond 2050. The idea of digitizing these antique planes, which share DNA with the same prototype that created the Boeing 707, emerged only because of the long-delayed rollout of its successor.