U.S. Combat Air Power: Aging Refueling Aircraft are Costly to Maintain and Operate.

Abstract

Air refueling extends the operational range of the military services' aircraft, increases combat capabilities, and enhances commanders' flexibility in the use of aircraft. During Operation Desert Storm, the Air Force routinely refueled Navy, Marine Corps, allied, and its own aircraft. Since then, because of contingency and other operations, the demands on the tanker fleet have not diminished, even though the services have downsized in many other areas. During this review, GAO examined the services' air refueling needs, the cost to operate and maintain the air refueling fleet, and the impact that the air refueling missions have on the active and reserve forces. This report is one of a series of reports assessing how the Department of Defense (DOD) might better adapt its combat air power to meet future needs.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 08, 1996
Accession Number
ADA315367

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Power
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Cargo Aircraft
  • Carrier Based Aircraft
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Maintenance
  • Military Aircraft
  • Military Force Levels
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • Transport Aircraft
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.