Tanker Aircraft

Military Acquisition and Procurement

commentary
Lessons from the Past for the Future of the KC-46A
Analysis suggests that fixed-price contracts have not successfully reduced costs to the DoD associated with developing complex weapon systems. This has implications for the Air Force, given the importance of the ongoing KC-46A program.
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Sep 16, 2015
Breaking Defense
Laura H. Baldwin, Mark A. Lorell, et al.

Military Budgets and Defense Spending

commentary
Peacetime Fuel 'Tankering' Could Save $25 Million Per Year
Fuel tankering involves carrying excess fuel on an aircraft when flying from origins where fuel is less expensive than at the destination. Tankering fuel to a conflict zone such as Afghanistan is almost always cost-effective, but the story is more complex in other regions because of the way fuel is purchased and resold within the DoD itself.
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May 4, 2015
The RAND Blog
Christopher A. Mouton
Wildfires

commentary
The Desirability of 'Free' C-27s for the U.S. Forest Service
Although we believe that a scooper-centric firefighting aircraft portfolio for initial attack would still be preferred, Air Force-provided 1,850-gallon C-27Js could be a cost-effective component of the retardant-bearing portion of the Forest Service's airborne firefighting arsenal, write Edward G. Keating and Daniel M. Norton.
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Sep 6, 2013
The RAND Blog
Edward G. Keating, Daniel M. Norton
Tanker Aircraft

commentary
Firefighting Aircraft: Is Bigger Better?
An aircraft's capacity and speed largely determine the rate at which water or retardant can be applied to a fire. Very large air tankers (VLATs) certainly have the capacity to apply large amounts of fluids to a fire, but because of the distances travelled they may not be able to get a second load very quickly.
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May 20, 2013
The RAND Blog
Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice

Quoted

The Biden administration's lack of a competitive economic strategy, not just in Oceania but throughout the Indo-Pacific, is providing China with unique opportunities to leverage its Belt and Road Initiative to deepen trade, investment, and infrastructure development. Chinese economic overtures tend to be successful, given that Pacific Island countries are overwhelmingly small and impoverished.

Derek Grossman

Senior Defense Analyst

Source: Foreign Policy

While neurodivergent diagnoses are not automatically disqualifying from Army service, any new recruit who reveals a diagnosis jumps through hoops to serve. Some described having to prove that their diagnoses do not impede their ability to serve, which puts the burden on an eighteen-year-old to prove a negative for which the Army has no assessment criteria.

Cortney Weinbaum

Senior Management Scientist

Source: Modern War Institute (West Point)

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America Is Winning Against China in Oceania

What Does Environmental Justice Look Like?

The Policy Currents Podcast

Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change

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Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Tanker Aircraft

Lessons from the Past for the Future of the KC-46A

Peacetime Fuel 'Tankering' Could Save $25 Million Per Year

The Desirability of 'Free' C-27s for the U.S. Forest Service

Firefighting Aircraft: Is Bigger Better?

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