McDonnell Douglas KC - 10 The McDonnell Douglas KC - 10 tanker aircraft was in the service of U . S . Air Force . The KC - 10 aircraft was derived from the civil DC - 10 . It began in Vietnam War doubt about the need for more 700 Boeing KC - 135 for supply of aircraft . In Yom Kippur War in 1973 demonstrated the need for more adequate capacity to supply air . He saw that the C - 5 Galaxy were forced to land in Europe to supply , because there was no tanker aircraft large enough to make the direct flight United States to Israel . As a result the crew of C - 5 Galaxys were trained to an air supply and Department of Defense concluded that it was necessary to create a more modern tanker aircraft . Description . The KC - 10 Extender is an air - to - air tanker aircraft in service with the United States Air Force derived from the civilian DC - 10 - 30 airliner . Though there are 59 Extenders currently in service , they are greatly outnumbered by the older KC - 135 Stratotanker , though the KC - 10 has a significantly larger fuel capacity . Conversion to the KC - 10 involved only minor modifications to the DC - 10 , the largest of which was the addition of a boom control station in the rear of the fuselage and extra fuel tanks under the main deck . The KC - 10 is currently the world ' s longest - ranged production aircraft , and will continue to hold that record past the introduction of the Boeing 777 - 200LR , though future 777 variants may range further . The price is $ 88 , 400 , 000 USD . Design and Development . Beginning with the Vietnam War doubts began to be raised about the ability of the 700 + strong KC - 135 fleet to meet the needs of the United States ’ global commitments . The air - refueling fleet was deployed to South - East Asia in support of tactical aircraft and strategic bombers , while maintaining the US - based support of the nuclear bomber fleet . As a result , studies began into the feasibility of acquiring an air - to - air tanker with a greater capability than the KC - 135 fleet , but did not progress well due to lack of funding . The 1973 Yom Kippur War and the US Operation Nickel Grass demonstrated the necessity of adequate air - refueling capabilities . Denied landing rights in Europe , USAF C - 5 Galaxies were forced to carry a fraction of their maximum payload on direct flights from the continental United States to Israel . As a result C - 5 crews were soon trained in aerial - refueling and the Department of Defense concluded that a more advanced tanker was needed . In 1975 , under the " Advance Tanker Cargo Aircraft " program , four aircraft were evaluated : the C - 5 itself , the Boeing 747 , the McDonnell Douglas DC - 10 , and the Lockheed L - 1011 . The U . S Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas ' s DC - 10 over Boeing ' s 747 in December 1977 . The design for the KC - 10 involved only modifications from the DC - 10 - 30CF design . The major changes were the addition of a boom control station in the rear of the fuselage and extra fuel tanks below the main deck . The KC - 10 has both a centerline refueling boom and a drogue / hose system on the right side of the rear fuselage . Other changes from the DC - 10 - 30CF include the removal of most cargo doors and windows . The KC - 10 first flew on 12 July 1980 . Early aircraft featured a paint scheme with light gray on the airplane ' s belly and white on the upper portion . A gray - green camouflage scheme was used on later tankers . Aircraft have since been switched to a medium gray color . The KC - 10 boom operator is located in the rear of the airplane with wide window for monitoring refueling . The operator controls refueling operations through a digital , fly - by wire system . A total of 20 KC - 10s were later modified to add wing - mounted pods for added refueling locations . In addition to the USAF refueling boom , the KC - 10 ' s hose and drogue system allows refueling of U . S . Navy , Marine Corps , and most NATO allied aircraft . This gives the KC - 10 the ability to refuel USAF , USN , USMC and other NATO aircraft , all in the same mission . Specifications . General characteristics Performance