For Immediate Release
January 26, 2006
COMMENTS FROM U.S. REP. NORM DICKS FOLLOWING BRIEFING ON TANKER ALTERNATIVES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Pentagon’s analysis of alternatives for re-capitalizing the KC-135 aerial refueling tanker fleet has concluded that the best alternative for replacing the nation’s aging tankers would be to acquire a version of a medium-to-large-sized commercial airframe, or a combination of airframes, according to U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks.
The congressman, a member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, received the details of the recently completed study from a Defense Department staff briefing late Thursday.
Based on the analysis, Rep. Dicks said that it is likely that any of several existing commercial aircraft would meet that requirement, including Boeing’s 767, 777, 787 and 747 airplanes, as well as the Airbus A-330 and the A-340.
In analyzing a broad range of acquisition scenarios, from building a new version of a military tanker to acquiring used commercial planes that could be converted to tankers, the conclusions of the Rand Corp. study identified this range of aircraft as the most cost-effective approach to replacing the tanker fleet, which today consists primarily of KC-135s -- Boeing 707 airframes-- that average more than 45 years old, Rep. Dicks stated.
Unfortunately, Rep. Dicks stated, the study made no definitive conclusions about the timing of the tanker replacement because it was primarily an analysis of cost-effectiveness. It did note, however, that “factors other than economic concerns should drive the acquisition schedule for tanker recapitalization.”
“Clearly we must face the reality that refueling aircraft will be increasingly important in any of our future conflicts because a smaller portion of U.S. forces and equipment is deployed or positioned around the world and because we can never be assured of the use of airfields in the region of battle,” Rep. Dicks said. “Given the age and the consequent reliability and maintenance challenges of the existing fleet, starting the replacement of these tankers as quickly as possible must be a priority for Defense Department in the near future,” he added.
The congressman said he expects that a decision will be made by the Pentagon later in this year to seek interest from manufacturers for the acquisition of an initial portion of the tanker replacement program. He noted that $100 million that was initially appropriated by Congress in Fiscal Year 2003 remains available to the Air Force to launch the program.
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