Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/C13500/ — data as of July 28, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
C-135
Budget Figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why partial FY2026 data? →
- FY24
- $117.6M
- FY26
- $165.4M
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $58.8M | $144.6M | $117.6M | ||
| Enacted | – | $144.6M | $153.6M | $111.6M | |
| Request | – | – | $153.6M | $146.6M | $165.4M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2024 book requested $153.6M for FY2024; the PB2026 book reports $117.6M actually spent — $36.0M below the request.
Program Lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Description — C-135
The C/KC-135 is the only fully operational tanker in the Air Force inventory and also the oldest fleet by average age. In FY 2024, USAF C/KC-135s offloaded 70,727,162 gallons of fuel to refuel 36,515 aircraft (9% increase from FY 2023) in support of global operations. Procurement funding for ongoing modifications is necessary to ensure the C/KC-135 fleet can sustain global aerial refueling operations through 2050 and beyond. The C/KC-135 is a four-engine aircraft used for long range cargo, passenger airlift and to support theater commanders. The C/KC-135 provides air refueling through either the refueling boom or drogue. As a cargo aircraft, the C/KC-135 can carry six (6) standard 463-L pallets. There are 376 aircraft (375 R/Ts, plus one test tanker) in the C/KC-135 inventory. There are no special purpose aircraft in the C/KC-135 inventory. With an average age of 63 years, the designed service life varies within the fleet with prioritized aircraft for retention certified up to 53,000 flight hours. As the fleet averages 900 flight hours per year, the estimated service life remaining is 30 years (approximately 2053). In accordance with Section 1815 of the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 110-181), this item is necessary for use by the active and reserve components of the Armed Forces for homeland defense missions, domestic emergency responses, and providing military support to civil authorities. Funding may be used to address Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS) issues. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $1.066 million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative. Funding for this exhibit is contained in PE 0401218F.
Justification
Justification — C-135
The FY 2026 request for C/KC-135 includes $124,368 thousands of discretionary and $41,000 thousands of mandatory (reconciliation) for a total of $165,368 thousands. The mandatory funds AERO-I SATCOM, depot standup for Block 45, and MAF Connectivity modification efforts. Further information for this reconciliation request is provided in Section 20007 (Air Superiority) of the Reconciliation Exhibit. FY 2026 primary efforts include KC-135 Block 45, Rudder Position Indicator, AERO-I SATCOM, Real Time Information in the Cockpit (RTIC), Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Radios, Communication (COMM) 2 Cryptographic and Data program, High Frequency (HF) Modernization and MAF Connectivity programs. These efforts are necessary to modernize C/KC-135 to support warfighter connectivity and ensure the system meets all aerial refueling requirements through 2050.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit P-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY24 Actuals | $117.6M |
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY25 Enacted | $111.6M |
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY26 Disc. Request | $124.4M |
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY26 Reconciliation | $41.0M |
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY26 Total | $165.4M |
Exhibit P-1R
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY24 Actuals | $49.6M |
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY25 Enacted | $53.0M |
| Aircraft Procurement, Air Force | F | FY 2026 request | $40.0M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $745.6M | $117.6M | $111.6M | $124.4M | $124.4M |
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 1741 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Awards
No awards are linked to this program element at high confidence — the budget→award crosswalk only asserts links it can defend, and this line has none yet.
Lobbying Mentions
No Senate LDA lobbying filing in the tracked data mentions this program element by code or alias.
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1741 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →