Deterrence in the Face of Explosive Peace: SAC Tankers into the Twenty- First Century

Abstract

Air power moves on jet fuel; jet fuel moves by tankers. The impact of air refueling on Air Force capabilities and missions is crucial and expanding. As forward basing and forward mobility give way to rapid mobility from the United States, the role of the tanker will become a critical part of almost every air operation. With the deactivation of the Strategic Air Command in June 1992, air refueling assets have been spread between many major air commands with the majority of the tanker fleet resting in the control of the Air Mobility Command. In addition, tankers and bombers no longer sit on day-to-day alert at airfields across our country. Even though the force structures that Major Gant describes have changed, the need to shape the refueling forces to fit the needs and shape of the refueling mission remains valid. This paper points out a way to use a scarce but critical asset as we move into the next century.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADA271969

Entities

People

  • Henry N. Gant

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air National Guard
  • Air Power
  • Aircrafts
  • Business Administration
  • Employment
  • Flight Crews
  • Flight Training
  • Maintenance
  • Military Science
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Refueling In Flight
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Strategic Security Studies