The US Air Force (USAF) is exploring the transfer of up to four retired McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aerial refueling aircraft to an unidentified country in North Africa, according to a contracting notice published on October 7.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is seeking companies capable of restoring the aircraft to flying condition, delivering them to their new operator and providing maintenance and training support for three to five years.
The proposed transfer would take place under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, which allows the United States to provide surplus military equipment to foreign partners.
The notice also calls for depot-level maintenance, flight clearance and logistical support in the recipient country. Companies interested in the project have until October 28 to respond.
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The Air Force has not identified the prospective recipient or announced a delivery schedule. The document is a market research request rather than a formal contract or confirmation that the transfer has been approved.
Egypt and Morocco are among the possible candidates, given their military aviation requirements and defense relationships with Washington. Neither country has been officially identified as the intended operator.
Both operate F-16 fighters, which require a flying boom for aerial refueling. The KC-10 can refuel aircraft using either a boom or a hose-and-drogue system, allowing it to support different types of combat aircraft.
Egypt currently lacks a dedicated aerial refueling fleet, although it is acquiring two C-130J-30 aircraft with tanker capabilities. Morocco operates C-130 tankers equipped with hose-and-drogue systems.
KC-10 fleet has been stored since 2024
The US Air Force retired its last KC-10 on September 26, 2024, after more than four decades of service. The final aircraft departed Travis Air Force Base in California for the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
The three-engine tanker, developed from the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliner, entered USAF service in 1981. The Air Force received 60 aircraft, one of which was lost in an accident in 1987.
The KC-10 was replaced by the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, although the newer aircraft carries less fuel than its predecessor.
Most surviving KC-10s were sent to AMARG, where retired military aircraft can be preserved for potential future use, dismantled for spare parts or prepared for disposal.
Some of the Extenders remain candidates for restoration to flying condition, although their individual preservation status varies.
In 2025, ten retired KC-10s were offered for auction without engines installed in their normal configuration and with their refueling booms removed. Private aerial refueling operator Omega Air subsequently acquired the aircraft and has begun preparations to return them to service.
The condition of the remaining KC-10 fleet is less clear. US legislation enacted in December 2025 required the Air Force to preserve the aircraft in their existing storage condition, although it did not require every example to be maintained in immediately flyable condition.
The latest contracting notice indicates that Washington is considering the restoration of another four aircraft for military service abroad. The Air Force has not disclosed which stored KC-10s could be selected or how much their recovery would cost.
