Aerial Refueling Enterprise Lacks Resiliency, Capacity
12/20/2021
By Jon Harper
Air Force photo
Billions of dollars are needed over the next decade to enhance the resiliency of the U.S. military’s aerial refueling enterprise, according to a new study.
The global architecture — which consists of tanker aircraft, airfields and bulk fuel storage and distribution — enables planes to refuel without landing and extends their reach. However, this strategic advantage for the United States is increasingly under threat as adversaries such as China improve their ability to attack aircraft and air bases, experts say.
“The U.S. aerial refueling enterprise is losing altitude,” said a recent study from the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, “Resilient Aerial Refueling: Safeguarding the U.S. Military’s Global Reach,” written by analysts Timothy Walton and Bryan Clark.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/12/20/aerial-refueling-enterprise-lacks-resiliency-capacity
