The Pentagon is considering leasing aerial refuelling tankers to mitigate Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker delivery delays to the US Air Force (USAF), according to the head of US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM).
General Stephen Lyons said on 28 January that the aerial refuelling force element across the command is the most stressed. USTRANSCOM is a unified, functional combatant command that provides globally integrated mobility operations and support to the 10 other US combatant commands and military services.
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30 (A330 MRTT) refuels a Lockheed Martin F-35A. Airbus and Lockheed Martin are jointly exploring opportunities to offer the A330 MRTT as a leased tanker capability. (US Air Force)
An advantage of leasing tanker capability, he said, would be immediately relieving tanker pressure as the USAF continues to retire Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders. But Gen Lyons said a disadvantage would be that these leased tankers could not be used in contested or combat environments.
“I think there are opportunities to reduce the tension or stress on that particular force element,” Gen Lyons said at the Atlantic Council think tank.
Gen Lyons is specifically concerned that the continuing retirement of legacy tankers, combined with insufficient KC-46s, would result in a significant decrease of “taskable tails.” Douglas Birkey, executive director of the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies, told Jane’s on 29 January that these are aircraft that can be tasked by the tanker airlift control centre at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois to perform mission requirements.
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