Upgrading the Extender
Which Options Are Cost-Effective for Modernizing the KC-10?
ResearchPublished Feb 25, 2011
The U.S. Air Force's KC-10 air refueling fleet has been in operation since 1981 without significant modernization. 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. To be cost-effective, an upgrade must return a benefit that outweighs its cost over the lifetime of the fleet. For some options, this calculation depends heavily on the KC-10's mission mix, the type of role it plays (refueling only, airlift only, or dual-role), distance from base, and the number of fighters it must refuel. An assessment of options to upgrade the KC-10 — specifically, to add a tactical data link, advanced avionics, additional multipoint refueling capability, a suite of defensive systems, and lighting that is compatible with night-vision devices — weighed the costs and potential benefits of the upgrades against demands in homeland defense, theater employment, deployment, and air bridge operations and other KC-10 roles. The tactical data link, avionics upgrade, and additional multipoint refueling capability were the most cost-effective options. Defensive system upgrades could be cost-effective with the right mission mix and KC-10 role. The findings show that the night vision–compatible lighting upgrade would not be cost-effective for the KC-10. The full avionics upgrade analysis is documented Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Modernizing the KC-10 to Meet Global Air Traffic Management Mandates.
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- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 2011
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 104
- Paperback Price: $35.00
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 978-0-8330-5109-7
- Document Number: TR-901-AF
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Rosello, Anthony D., Sean Bednarz, David T. Orletsky, Michael Kennedy, Fred Timson, Chuck Story, and Katherine M. Calef, Upgrading the Extender: Which Options Are Cost-Effective for Modernizing the KC-10? RAND Corporation, TR-901-AF, 2011. As of September 13, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR901.html
Rosello, Anthony D., Sean Bednarz, David T. Orletsky, Michael Kennedy, Fred Timson, Chuck Story, and Katherine M. Calef, Upgrading the Extender: Which Options Are Cost-Effective for Modernizing the KC-10? Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2011. https://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR901.html. Also available in print form.
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