If it were truly simpler to equip aircraft with the “drogue” and tankers with the “probe”, don’t you think someone would have done it by now with manned aircraft? This reeks of a sneaky CYA or budgetary effort instead of a sound engineering decision.
I think that they are serious if an organization like DARPA is getting involved. They have the money,time, and contractors to make this thing work. They made the X-37 and X-51 the success it is.These aircraft are all came from the mittelworks of DARPA.
If more taxpayer dollars went into defense organization like DARPA,ONR in partnership with defense contractors we would be light years ahead of anyone.