Ever since the United States Air Force stood up its first aerial refueling squadron in 1948, the technique of filling up fighter gas tanks on the fly has become an integral component of a US Armed Forces strategy for airpower. The advent of jet-powered fighters made it more necessary than ever to refuel gas-hungry warplanes. That has continued until this day, with even the newest fifth-generation stealth fighters pushing the limits of range and relying on tankers to back them up.

The question is, what fighter jet in 2025 makes the best use of air-to-air refueling to enhance its mission and execute air dominance over the battlefield? The answer is the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, the world’s first fifth-generation fighter and the apex predator of the tactical air realm. Other planes have come along in recent years, like the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon or the LM F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike, but still, the Raptor reigns supreme.

The Raptor’s Dominance

The F-22 Raptor is by no means the only fighter jet capable of air-to-air refueling. As The War Zone and other outlets reported spotting, it is one of only a handful of stealth jets that can, and one of only three that have stealth external fuel tanks in service or development. The combination of air refueling capability with extended range through external drop tanks on a stealth fighter dramatically increases its strategic and combat value both on the front line and to the top brass in the command center.

The F-22 remains the most deadly fighter jet in the air thanks to its super maneuverability and overwhelming performance compared to any other warplane on Earth. On top of that, it has the most comprehensive stealth capability of any fighter-class warplane currently in production. The J-20 is known to have lower performance and an inferior stealth profile due to the technology limitations of the Chinese domestic industry. Similarly, the F-35 is a more cost-conscious design with more compromises to facilitate its versatile, multirole intent.

A sign from the F-22’s brutal dogfighting and beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air striking power is its role as an intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) node, which is almost equally valuable on a strategic level. The Raptor can supercruise across an ocean or a continent with its stealth drop tanks and tanker support. Keeping the stealth tanks on board after filling up in the air means that it can penetrate heavily defended airspace and loiter for extended periods of time, collecting intelligence and coordinating with other non-stealth units.

The reason why the F-22 could be considered the world’s best fighter for air refueling is because of the incredible strategic and tactical force augmentation that the Raptor captures by leveraging the extra range granted to it from aerial refueling.

Making Stealth Fighters Fly Farther

Lockheed Martin has been developing the stealth drop tanks for a number of years now on the F-22, but even as early as 2023, they already intended to potentially repurpose the design for other platforms like the F-35. According to Air and Space Forces magazine, the head of Lockheed’s Integrated Fighter Group said the low-drag, stealthy fuel tanks and pylons will migrate to the Next Generation Air Dominance program and other platforms and won’t go to waste when the F-22 retires.

Lockheed executive O.J. Sanchez and the Air Force’s director of fighters and advanced aircraft also said the Air Force’s hefty investments in F-22 capabilities over the coming years will also be a baseline to translate the same technology to both the NGAD and the F-35, plus future platforms.

Brigadier General Dale White, program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, said the Air Force plans to keep the F-22 at the cutting edge of air-to-air technology through its remaining service life, and that it will serve as a technological “bridge” to the NGAD:

“And so we have to focus on that, making sure we have the capability to address today’s requirements. And then, as we work on future activities, it’s tomorrow’s threats.”

Meanwhile, overseas, the Israeli Air Force deployed a modified F-35I « Adir » that uses both underwing external tanks and internally developed conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) to strike long-range targets without aerial refueling. And in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the J-20 of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has been photographed with similar stealth fuel tanks to the F-22.

NGAS: Next Generation Air-Refueling System

The Air Force has been recapitalizing its tanker fleet with the Boeing KC-46, a 767-based tanker variant with modern features and more multirole logistics missions. Its Halo tanker program, the NGAS, has been on the back burner for several years due to the pressing need to support non-stealth platforms and the reallocation of budgetary funds for sixth-generation platforms like the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider and the Boeing F-47.

The main goal of NGAS is to create a survivable refueling platform that can operate deeper into a contested environment, rather than staying in safe, permissive airspace. One of the primary driving factors behind this program is the fact that the Chinese J-20 has been designed as a hunter of high-value support platforms like tankers and AWACS. It is not meant to go head-to-head with fighters like the F-35, F-22, or the F-47.

The USAF is moving away from the fully stealthy tanker idea due to cost, opting instead for a « survivable air refueling » system of systems, which might include a mix of unmanned drones (like the Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray), hardened existing tankers, and potentially optionally-crewed, more efficient airframes. That is largely due to development timeline and budget constraints, not necessarily because of the devalued mission.

What About Buddy Tankers?

An interesting technique that has been in use for many years is what is known as “buddy tanking” between fighter jets, or as the Navy calls it, “strike tankers.” In this method, one fighter jet carries external aerial refueling stores (ARS) and flies with the planes that are armed with more weapons to provide them with a quick air-to-air tanking before they proceed into hostile airspace on the final leg of their mission. The MQ-25 Stingray performs the same mission, simply using an unmanned platform instead.

This method has been in use by the Navy since the mid-1950s, when Douglas A-4 Skyhawks began using a “buddy store” external fuel system with probe and drogue equipment to refill other Navy and Marine Corps fighters. Obviously, that equipment is not stealthy by design and would be unusable in heavily monitored hostile airspace. Would investment in designing a somewhat stealthy version of this system be a reasonable alternative to waiting for the NGAS?

A more survivable tanker reshapes tactics, allowing strike packages to fly shorter distances into hostile airspace before topping off, which is a major advantage in a large theater. It’s true that a fighter jet with these tanks is inferior to a dedicated tanker, but with the advent of a stealth external drop tank, it may be possible.

Can Stealth Buddies Fill The NGAS Void?

A dedicated NGAS is being pursued because it addresses operational needs that a buddy system cannot, even with budget constraints. At the same time, the F-22 Raptor remains more capable than any other threat, even with the stealth drop tanks and non-stealth tanker support. The main goal of NGAS is to create a survivable refueling platform that can operate deeper into a contested environment, rather than staying in safe, permissive airspace.

Implementing such a system would provide a critical operational advantage by removing the current logistical tether of relying on vulnerable, non-stealthy tankers that must operate far from hostile airspace. If a stealthy pod could be made, the receiving aircraft and the tanker performing the maneuver would need to operate in proximity for an extended period.

The vulnerability window makes the entire operation a high-risk scenario in a contested environment. There are no apparent plans to pursue any such system with the Air Force, so it remains to be seen what will fill the void if the NGAS program is abandoned.

A Snapshot Of Buddy Tanking Around The World

For 4th and 4.5th-Gen aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet, Eurofighter Typhoon, or Dassault Rafale, buddy tanking provides significant tactical and operational benefits. That helps them compensate for their lack of inherent stealth, making them more effective in modern conflicts.

An aircraft can take off with a full load of heavy weapons and minimal fuel, then « top off » its fuel tanks via buddy refueling once airborne. This overcomes airfield weight restrictions and allows for maximum weapons carriage on long-range strikes. For naval aviation, it increases sortie rates and operational flexibility from aircraft carriers, which are often targets for long-range enemy missiles.

Buddy tanking allows for a flexible mix of aircraft in a strike package. One F/A-18, equipped with an ARS pod (aka a Strike Tanker), can act as a mini-tanker for other F/A-18s, extending the reach of the entire group and reducing reliance on the main tanker fleet. It also allows fighters to remain on station or reach distant targets far beyond their internal fuel range, extending their endurance without relying on large, vulnerable, dedicated tankers.

While 5th-Gen fighters win with stealth and situational awareness, 4th-Gen jets use buddy tanking as a tool to extend their reach and bring a heavier fight to the enemy, relying on tactics and numbers to remain relevant in a modern threat environment.