Aerial Refueling Initiative

Cross-Service Analysis Needed To Determine Best Approach Gao ID: NSIAD-93-186 July 19, 1993

This report examines the performance of the air refueling tanker force during Operation Desert Storm. GAO analyzes (1) the relevance, in light of that wartime experience, of a 1990 initiative to boost tanker efficiency, effectiveness, and interoperability and (2) the adequacy of the Defense Department's assessment of the initiative, which basically called for standardizing Air Force refueling equipment for tankers and fighters on the refueling system used by the other services and many U.S. allies. The tanker modifications would also allow two fighters to refuel simultaneously, a capability known as multipoint.

GAO found that: (1) in late 1990, the Air Force initiated a tactical air refueling standardization package; (2) the cost to modify 3,000 F-15 and F-16 fighters and 250 tankers could be offset by the retirement of 26 KC-135 tankers; (3) the tactical air refueling initiative is intended to increase efficiency, effectiveness, interoperability, and safety during multiservice air operations; (4) the Air Force has significantly downsized and restructured the refueling initiative; (5) the assumptions used in an air staff multipoint utility study were not well founded and understated the benefits of twin off-load points; (6) the technical and operational concerns about retrofitting fighters with probes have been exaggerated; (7) the Air Force is satisfied with its refueling system and is unwilling to commit its resources to a different refueling system; (8) Desert Storm air refueling operations confirmed the advantages of multipoint refueling and pointed out additional benefits during air space-constrained operations; (9) retrofitting 15 KC-10 aircraft with twin off-load points may not be cost-effective if the Air Force does not add probes to its fighter aircraft; and (10) the Air Force is proposing to address Navy air refueling requirements by adding multipoint refueling capabilities to 75 KC-135 tankers.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Team: Phone:


The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.