The U.S. Air Force is revolutionizing decades-old aircraft maintenance procedures with the Integrated Respirator Information System (IRIS), an AI-enabled technology developed by MetroStar and ActionStreamer. This innovative system is transforming how technicians maintain critical KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, a job that has remained largely unchanged for over 50 years.
The maintenance challenge involves technicians crawling into cramped, dark fuel tanks with limited visibility and communication. Workers must contort their bodies through tight spaces while wearing heavy protective suits and breathing through respirators. The environment is hazardous, with jet fuel fumes and poor air quality, and the work requires painstaking attention to detail—cleaning sealant, tightening rivets, and inspecting for damage. Communication with support teams outside the aircraft has historically been difficult, requiring workers to crawl back to entry points to retrieve tools or clarify instructions.
IRIS features include a high-definition video camera mounted on face masks, two-way communication systems, and hands-free lighting. The technology connects to a mobile workstation that can support up to four units simultaneously, allowing support teams to see exactly what technicians see in real-time. This live-streaming capability enables instant collaboration with experts who can provide guidance remotely, eliminating costly delays that previously required specialists to travel to the site.
The AI component plays a crucial role in streamlining operations. As technicians work, an AI agent compiles images and data to make requests, anticipate needed maintenance work, and handle administrative forms automatically. This automation frees workers from what retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Cedric George calls “shallow work,” allowing them to focus on actual repairs rather than paperwork.
Early results are impressive: technicians using IRIS at Royal Air Force Mildenhall have experienced zero safety incidents, and inspections are running 60% faster in test environments. MetroStar estimates the system could save 35,000 maintainer hours and add more than 7,000 aircraft availability days based on KC-135 maintenance baselines. The technology also provides video records that verify completed work and quickly resolve disputes between shifts, preventing unnecessary rework and identifying new problems faster.
Key Quotes
An initial phase of this was kind of set up and abandoned because cameras weren’t small enough.
Master Sgt. Troy French, a former 100th Maintenance Squadron member, explained why earlier attempts to modernize this maintenance work failed in the 2000s. This highlights how recent advances in miniaturization and AI technology have finally made this transformation possible.
We were taking the cart out of the hangar into a safe area to do some software punch-ups, and they were like, ‘Wait a minute, where are you going with that? We need to use that now.’
ActionStreamer CEO Bob Lento described how quickly technicians embraced IRIS after initial apprehension. Within one week, workers who were skeptical about changing 50-year-old procedures became dependent on the new AI-enabled system, demonstrating its immediate practical value.
This is not for the faint of heart, it’s dirty work. [Current technicians] have to have something better than what we have now.
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Cedric George emphasized the motivation behind IRIS development—technicians who endured dangerous conditions wanted to improve the job for future workers. This underscores how AI adoption can be driven by worker advocacy rather than top-down mandates.
A simple sealant job can turn from a couple of hours of scraping and then eventually reapplying to another day because it turned out that you applied it to the wrong spot.
Tech Sgt. Chris Anderson from the 100th Air Refueling Wing illustrated how communication failures in the old system led to costly errors and delays. IRIS’s real-time video and AI-assisted guidance directly addresses this problem by ensuring work is done correctly the first time.
Our Take
The IRIS system represents a textbook example of practical AI implementation that delivers measurable results while improving worker safety and satisfaction. What’s particularly noteworthy is that this innovation originated from maintainers themselves, not technology executives—demonstrating that the most effective AI applications often come from understanding ground-level challenges.
The 60% efficiency improvement is remarkable, but the zero safety incidents metric may be even more significant. In hazardous environments, AI’s ability to provide real-time expert guidance and documentation could prevent injuries and save lives across industries. The AI agent’s role in handling administrative tasks also validates the concept of AI as a productivity multiplier rather than a replacement.
This story challenges common AI narratives. Rather than eliminating jobs, IRIS makes an essential but punishing job more bearable and efficient. The Air Force’s success here could accelerate AI adoption in other maintenance-intensive sectors, from commercial aviation to infrastructure inspection, where similar challenges exist.
Why This Matters
This story represents a significant milestone in AI’s practical application to military operations and workforce safety. The Air Force’s adoption of AI-enabled maintenance technology demonstrates how artificial intelligence can transform dangerous, inefficient manual labor into safer, more productive work. The 60% improvement in inspection speed and projected 35,000 saved maintainer hours showcase AI’s potential to address critical military readiness challenges.
The broader implications extend beyond military aviation. This use case illustrates how AI can augment human workers in hazardous environments across industries—from oil refineries to nuclear facilities to mining operations. The system’s success challenges the narrative that AI primarily threatens jobs; instead, it shows how AI can make existing jobs safer and more efficient while preserving human expertise and decision-making.
For the defense sector specifically, this innovation addresses a critical bottleneck. Tanker aircraft like the KC-135 are “silent enablers” essential to power projection, as demonstrated in operations like Midnight Hammer against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Improving maintenance efficiency directly translates to increased aircraft availability, enhancing military readiness at a time of growing global tensions. The Air Force’s consideration of expanding IRIS to other bases signals potential widespread adoption that could reshape military maintenance operations across multiple aircraft types.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/behind-new-tech-making-dirty-hard-air-force-job-easier-2025-12