Tanker Aircraft

REPORT

Upgrading the Extender: Which Options Are Cost-Effective for Modernizing the KC-10? — Feb 25, 2011

The Air Force is considering upgrades to the KC-10 in several areas: avionics, command and control, multipoint refueling, defensive systems, and compatibility with night-vision systems. An assessment of options to upgrade the KC-10 weighed the costs and potential benefits of the upgrades against demands in homeland defense, theater employment, deployment, and air bridge operations and KC-10 roles (refueling only, airlift only, or…

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• National Security Research Area

REPORT

Should the U.S. Air Force Modernize Its Refueling Fleet to Meet Upcoming Mandates? — Oct 31, 2009

The U.S. Air Force's KC-10 air refueling fleet has been in service for 25 years without a major avionics upgrade. Without modernization, the KC-10 will not be in compliance with upcoming air traffic management mandates regulating the minimum allowed communication, navigation, and surveillance capabilities.

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• National Security Research Area

RESEARCH BRIEF

A New Tool Forecasts Programmed Depot Maintenance Workloads for Aging Aircraft — May 22, 2007

This research brief describes a new tool for forecasting the maintenance workloads of aging Air Force fleets.

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• National Security Research Area

REPORT

Alternatives for Recapitalizing Aging Aerial Refueling Tankers — Apr 18, 2006

Aerial refueling tankers play a critical role in U.S. military and national security strategy, but the KC-135 fleet is nearing 50 years of age and has exhibited some technical difficulties and increased costs. Alternatives are needed for recapitalizing the tanker force.

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• National Security Research Area

RESEARCH BRIEF

Analysis of Alternatives for Recapitalizing the Air Force’s KC-135 Aerial Refueling Tanker — Mar 9, 2006

This research brief describes an analysis that assessed alternatives for recapitalization of the ageing KC-135 air tanker fleet.

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• National Security Research Area

RESEARCH BRIEF

The Mission Day: A New Metric to Evaluate Peacetime Demands on Mobility Air Forces — Nov 25, 2005

• Research Brief
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• National Security Research Area

REPORT

Multipoint Aerial Refueling: A Review and Assessment — Dec 31, 1995

The work described in this documented briefing reviews five studies to determine whether any general conclusions may be drawn regarding the merits of multipoint aerial refueling.

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REPORT

A Two-Way Controlled Sample for Collecting Tanker Aircraft Base Maintenance Information — Dec 31, 1968

A description from the statistical viewpoint of the sampling design, selection of estimators, and preliminary analysis of maintenance data on KC-135 tanker aircraft of the Strategic Air Command, collected in June-July 1967.

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