Air Force Tankers for the Carrier Battle Group: Considerations for the Operational Commander

Abstract

This paper presents the operational commander tasked with planning a maritime air campaign a means of dramatically improving the Carrier Battle Group's (CVBG) combat power. Current US military strategy requires the Navy to get the most out of its CVBG for its primary mission of power projection. This paper proposes the regular use of US Air Force (USAF) land-based tankers (LBTs). Today's USAF/Navy air refueling force, operations, and use in past maritime air campaigns is discussed. A proposed maritime strategy employing three possible CVBG offensive strike options with USAF LHTs is recommended. A concept for the Joint Force Commander tasked with planning a maritime air campaign is presented for a peacetime regional scenario. Within the process presented here, an operational commander will have the means to understand the limitations and capabilities of LBTs, their CVBG employment benefits, and Navy operational concerns.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 18, 1992
Accession Number
ADA253112

Entities

People

  • Donn M. Lewis

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Aircraft Carriers
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Carrier Based Aircraft
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Employment
  • Jet Engine Fuels
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Strategy
  • Naval Operations
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Air Force Base Actions.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies