The state and prospects of the US tanker fleet in the report of the Hudson Institute
The United States Air Force has several hundred tanker aircraft designed to expand the operational capabilities of combat aviation... However, the condition and size of such a park is already a matter of concern and action needs to be taken. On November 15, the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology of Hudson Institute published Resilient Aerial Refueling: Safeguarding the US Military's Global Reach, in which discusses current problems and suggests ways to solve them.
Non-compliance with requirements
The authors of the report note a number of problems faced by the American tanker fleet. First of all, we are talking about quantitative and qualitative indicators, as well as the specifics of the deployment and use of aircraft. Also considered are the tasks characteristic of the present time and the ability of the existing fleet of equipment to perform them with the required efficiency.
It is noted that in the past 30 years, despite the end of the Cold War, tanker aircraft continued to work actively and provided the activities of combat and special aviation. At the same time, the Pentagon considered it necessary and possible to gradually reduce the tanker fleet. If at the beginning of the nineties there were 701 aircraft of this class in service, now the Air Force uses only 473 units.
Basis fleet of tankers are relatively old KC-135 aircraft in the amount of 379 units. Also, 50 KC-10 vehicles remain in service. In recent years, the Air Force received 47 modern KC-46A tankers and their production continues. Despite all the measures to renew the fleet, the average age of the aircraft is 52 years - the impact of a large number of old equipment and insufficient construction of new ones.
The obsolescence and obsolescence of the KC-135 and KC-10 aircraft, combined with the production problems of the new KC-46A, leads to additional risks. Old equipment has to be written off without timely replacement in sufficient quantities. Accordingly, the total size of the fleet is decreasing, which can affect the planning and conduct of operations.
The report draws attention to the fact that tanker aircraft do not exist on their own. Their activities are supported by the appropriate ground infrastructure: airfields and fuel complexes. In addition, air refueling is dependent on the supply of fuel by land or sea. The existing logistics system generally meets today's requirements, but it is already necessary to begin its development.
Aircraft and politics
The background for all these processes is the change in the military-political situation in different regions. Thus, there is a significant increase in the military power of Russia and China, which is why the Pentagon needs to build up its groupings in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. A significant place in such plans is assigned to the combat aviation of the Air Force and the Navy.
The combat effectiveness of tactical and strategic aviation in the regions under consideration directly depends on the possibility of refueling in flight. However, here again questions arise about the quantity and quality of tankers. The imperfection of the ground infrastructure is also manifested.
All this significantly reduces the real potential of combat aviation and limits its ability to fight a developed enemy. At the same time, it is obvious that the further development of the Russian and Chinese armies will exacerbate such problems. Accordingly, together with combat aviation in the region, it is necessary to develop auxiliary, incl. refuellers.
Technology Issues
The authors of the report propose a number of measures that are supposed to modernize the tanker fleet and improve its quantitative and qualitative indicators. New concepts, organizational steps, as well as promising projects and developments of various kinds are considered. The issue of financing was not ignored either: to increase the capabilities of refuellers, additional investments are required in various projects.
First of all, it is proposed to maintain the number of tankers in the ranks at the existing level and gradually increase it. To do this, it is necessary to continue purchasing new KC-46A, as well as maintaining the condition of older aircraft. In addition, it is necessary to develop fundamentally new tankers. Projects KZ and LMXT are considered in this capacity.
The KZ aircraft is called the most profitable in all respects, which is expected to be able to deliver fuel to remote areas with an optimal balance of technical, economic and performance characteristics. By purchasing from 18 to 24 such aircraft annually, the Pentagon will be able to significantly renew the entire fleet of tankers within a reasonable time frame. In particular, it will be possible to write off a significant number of the oldest KC-135 and reduce the average age of combat aircraft to 30-32 years.
At the same time, the Hudson Institute points to the ambiguous prospects for light and ultralight tankers, incl. on unmanned platforms. Such equipment has limited technical and operational characteristics, which is why it is far from fully meeting the requirements of the Air Force. At the same time, it is of great interest for carrier-based aircraft.
Not only planes
The authors of the report rightly point out that one should invest forces and funds not only in airplanes, but also in related facilities. Without renewing airfields and fuel infrastructure, the most modern tankers will not be able to realize their full potential.
The main air bases of the Indo-Pacific region are to undergo modernization. Refurbishment of fuel facilities will have to spend $ 633 million annually over the next 10 years. Further maintenance and upgrading of the infrastructure will require additional annual investments of $ 400 million. Due to these measures, the total capacity of tanker aircraft ready to perform tasks will increase by 63%.
Optimization of equipment operation processes is of great importance. In the tanker fleet, as in other areas, it is necessary to introduce modern means of communication, management and planning. Competent planning of real work, duty and routine maintenance will reduce operating costs, but maintain or even increase readiness and efficiency indicators. In addition, interaction with combat aircraft will be simplified, which will also provide certain advantages.
Problems and solutions
Resilient Aerial Refueling: Safeguarding the US Military's Global Reach reports that the American refueling fleet is currently in a specific position. While he meets the current requirements and copes with the tasks. However, in the foreseeable future, various processes are expected, as a result of which the requirements will increase.
It is not yet certain that the tanker fleet being modernized under the current Pentagon programs will meet the requirements of the future. To exclude a negative scenario and launch positive development processes, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology offers not individual measures, but a whole range of organizational and technical solutions. The issues of deployment and modernization of bases, organization and maintenance of service, procurement and development of new equipment, etc. were touched upon.
On the whole, the Hudson Institute's proposals look sound, and their implementation is likely to have the desired consequences. However, we are talking only about the next report from a research organization that is not directly related to the Pentagon. All this seriously limits the real prospects of the proposed park modernization project and its individual measures.
The fact is that the military department has long ago drawn up and adopted a program for the modernization of the fleet of tanker aircraft and related infrastructure. This program is being successfully implemented, although there are noticeable difficulties, and the pace of work is still insufficient. How events will develop further and whether it will be possible to fulfill all plans within the desired time frame is unknown. But one should not expect that the Pentagon, having read the latest report, will urgently revise its plans and projects that have already been launched.
- Ryabov Kirill
- Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, United States Air Force
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