Global Vigilance, Reach, and Power? Made Possible only with a Robust Tanker Capability

Abstract

Today, aerial refueling is essential to quickly open or prepare air bases of operations and generate missions. It is also necessary to quickly deploy, efficiently sustain and maintain, and quickly redeploy forces. In short, without a robust, multi-service, aerial refueling capability, the combatant commanders (CC) will not be able to efficiently project power throughout their areas of responsibility (AOR). Therefore, the CCs should place aerial refueling capability and the recapitalization of the multiple tanker fleets at the top of their integrated priority lists and should also take sufficient personal interest in "shaping" their AORs to ensure that aerial refueling infrastructure requirements are developed and negotiated prior to the outbreak of hostilities. CCs should also push the services to develop and adopt technologies that increase the flexibility of the tanker fleet including multipoint refueling, defensive systems, and austere field capability.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 17, 2005
Accession Number
ADA463679

Entities

People

  • Stephen Uyehata

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

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

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Geography
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Prompt Global Strike
  • Refueling In Flight
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Strategic Security Studies