The Vital Link

<p>This paper will focus on the unique and vital capabilities of the US Air Force's KC-135 tanker fleet. Specifically historic and current tanker usage tanker operational employment and the capability of today's tanker fleet will be analyzed with emphasis on force structure and force management. Given that the KC-135 is the USAF's primary air refueling asset and that no planned replacements are due on the flight line for some time how can the current KC-135 method of employment and force structure support future DoD and coalition operations? Since its inception in the mid-1950s the KC-135 has undergone numerous configuration as well as mission changes. One constant throughout has been the reliance of the nation's air power on this critical asset whether it was sitting alert during the Cold War or providing mission essential fuel for F-117s en route to Baghdad during the Gulf War. The success of combat operations in Operation ALLIED FORCE was made possible due to the rapid massive and professional employment of the KC-135 in the theater of operations. This success however can be attributed more to the actions of the tanker community than to any planned deliberate inclusion of air refueling assets into the operations plan. In light of decreasing budgets aging airframes increased downtime for maintenance and an explosion in the operations tempo this paper proposes a four-pronged methodology addressing tanker vision organization training and employment as the correction needed to get the KC-135 weapon system back on centerline. This will allow the tanker to effectively aid the Air Force in successfully deterring conflict and if needed quickly win the nation's future wars.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>