USAF Wants to Use Private In-Flight Refueling Tank
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Posted On: 03/29/2020 2:07:25 PM
USAF Wants to Use Private In-Flight Refueling Tankers Within 2 Years.
Extract from Article in Flight Global - March 27, 2020:
Brief on 2nd Industry Day (December 2019) released March 3, 2020.
Aims to start using private in-flight refueling tankers in 2 years.
Wants to contract 5,000 flight hours to support around 1,100 sorties annually.
Wants more tankers available so it can quickly deploy large numbers of aircraft across the Pacific Ocean in case of a war with China.
Shortfall made worse by problems with KC-46A Pegasus - including issues with the Rear Vision System which won’t be fixed until at least 2023.
To make up the gap in capacity, the USAF is looking at contracting tanking services. Several firms have expressed interest.
In 2018, Lockheed Martin partnered with Airbus on a potential offering of the A330-based Multi Role Tanker Transport.
In 2019, private in-flight refuelling company Omega Air bought 2 used McDonnell Douglas KDC-10 tankers, which have refueling booms. The company already owns a fleet of tankers which it contracts out to the US Navy. However, those tankers only have a hose-and-drogue.
Contracted out tanking will be split:
- 80% to refuel aircraft during training exercises.
- 8% for test and evaluation flights.
- 8% to refuel Foreign Military Sales aircraft.
- 3% to refuel aircraft flying across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Initial tanking priority: F-15, F-16, F/A-18, B-1 & B-52.
The USAF plans to solicit bids in June 2020.
Wants Initial Operational Capability (IOC), aircraft airworthiness certificate completed and aircraft and crew ready to schedule Air Force Materiel Command testing within 1 year of the contract being signed.
Wants the private tankers certificated for its top priority aircraft and ready for missions up to 3,000 hours annually 2 years after the contract is signed.
Full Operational Capability (FOC) - 5,000 hours a year - by 3 years after contract signing.
At FOC, cleared to refuel a larger set of aircraft including: F-22, F-35, A-10 & C-130.
My comments:
The USN 2020 MAC - if awarded to Omega & $TMPS - rather than the existing sole source contract to Omega which ends March 31, 2020 - would free up more USAF dual tanking method tankers - "flying boom" and "hose and drogue" - that are currently used for USN tasks.
30% of the USAF proposed contracted out task is for "probe and drogue" [reference Air Force Times article dated March 26, 2020].
Omega and $TMPS are the only contractors worldwide currently operating large "probe and drogue" tankers [in addition to Airtanker UK which provides the entire RAF capability]..
Various US-based "Red Air" adversary aircraft contractors can provide a limited capability using "buddy-buddy" refueling pods on fighter aircraft. Some of these companies will be among the 14 that attended the 2nd US TRANSCOM Industry Day.
All F/A-18 types require the "hose and drogue" method.
The F-35B (USN / USMC / RAF / RN / Italy / Japan) requires the "hose and drogue" method.
USMC F-35Bs need to be deployed to the UK every year starting 2021 to form part of the Joint UK / US Carrier Air Group on the HMS Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.
F-35Bs being delivered to Italy and Japan would require Foreign Military Sales refueling support.
F-35Bs from Italy and Japan may in the future be deployed on RED FLAG training exercises at Nellis AFB and would require refueling across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans respectively.
It remains to be seen which of the following possible outcomes will fall out:
- One of large aircraft manufacturers like Airbus offering new build / converted pre-owned A330-MRTTs - but hard pressed to do provide IOC within 1 year from contract signing and therefore sub-contracting to existing tanker fleet owners like $TMPS.
- Existing tanker fleet owners - like $TMPS and Omega - getting part of an USAF MAC in their own right - and then expanding their capability - both in numbers and refueling method - by any of the following methods:
-- Buying KC-135s as they are retired by foreign nations buying the A330-MRTT or KC-46.
-- Obtaining USAF KC-135s and KC-10s (possibly at no cost as part of the contract) when those aircraft have to be retired to balance the USAF budget requirements [cheaper to operate by a contractor because the USAF isn't carry the maintenance / spares / facilities / aircrew and groundcrew overheads].
-- Buying new build / converted pre-owned A330-MRTT one by one over time from operating profits.
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/us-ai...99.article
Extract from Article in Flight Global - March 27, 2020:
Brief on 2nd Industry Day (December 2019) released March 3, 2020.
Aims to start using private in-flight refueling tankers in 2 years.
Wants to contract 5,000 flight hours to support around 1,100 sorties annually.
Wants more tankers available so it can quickly deploy large numbers of aircraft across the Pacific Ocean in case of a war with China.
Shortfall made worse by problems with KC-46A Pegasus - including issues with the Rear Vision System which won’t be fixed until at least 2023.
To make up the gap in capacity, the USAF is looking at contracting tanking services. Several firms have expressed interest.
In 2018, Lockheed Martin partnered with Airbus on a potential offering of the A330-based Multi Role Tanker Transport.
In 2019, private in-flight refuelling company Omega Air bought 2 used McDonnell Douglas KDC-10 tankers, which have refueling booms. The company already owns a fleet of tankers which it contracts out to the US Navy. However, those tankers only have a hose-and-drogue.
Contracted out tanking will be split:
- 80% to refuel aircraft during training exercises.
- 8% for test and evaluation flights.
- 8% to refuel Foreign Military Sales aircraft.
- 3% to refuel aircraft flying across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Initial tanking priority: F-15, F-16, F/A-18, B-1 & B-52.
The USAF plans to solicit bids in June 2020.
Wants Initial Operational Capability (IOC), aircraft airworthiness certificate completed and aircraft and crew ready to schedule Air Force Materiel Command testing within 1 year of the contract being signed.
Wants the private tankers certificated for its top priority aircraft and ready for missions up to 3,000 hours annually 2 years after the contract is signed.
Full Operational Capability (FOC) - 5,000 hours a year - by 3 years after contract signing.
At FOC, cleared to refuel a larger set of aircraft including: F-22, F-35, A-10 & C-130.
My comments:
The USN 2020 MAC - if awarded to Omega & $TMPS - rather than the existing sole source contract to Omega which ends March 31, 2020 - would free up more USAF dual tanking method tankers - "flying boom" and "hose and drogue" - that are currently used for USN tasks.
30% of the USAF proposed contracted out task is for "probe and drogue" [reference Air Force Times article dated March 26, 2020].
Omega and $TMPS are the only contractors worldwide currently operating large "probe and drogue" tankers [in addition to Airtanker UK which provides the entire RAF capability]..
Various US-based "Red Air" adversary aircraft contractors can provide a limited capability using "buddy-buddy" refueling pods on fighter aircraft. Some of these companies will be among the 14 that attended the 2nd US TRANSCOM Industry Day.
All F/A-18 types require the "hose and drogue" method.
The F-35B (USN / USMC / RAF / RN / Italy / Japan) requires the "hose and drogue" method.
USMC F-35Bs need to be deployed to the UK every year starting 2021 to form part of the Joint UK / US Carrier Air Group on the HMS Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.
F-35Bs being delivered to Italy and Japan would require Foreign Military Sales refueling support.
F-35Bs from Italy and Japan may in the future be deployed on RED FLAG training exercises at Nellis AFB and would require refueling across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans respectively.
It remains to be seen which of the following possible outcomes will fall out:
- One of large aircraft manufacturers like Airbus offering new build / converted pre-owned A330-MRTTs - but hard pressed to do provide IOC within 1 year from contract signing and therefore sub-contracting to existing tanker fleet owners like $TMPS.
- Existing tanker fleet owners - like $TMPS and Omega - getting part of an USAF MAC in their own right - and then expanding their capability - both in numbers and refueling method - by any of the following methods:
-- Buying KC-135s as they are retired by foreign nations buying the A330-MRTT or KC-46.
-- Obtaining USAF KC-135s and KC-10s (possibly at no cost as part of the contract) when those aircraft have to be retired to balance the USAF budget requirements [cheaper to operate by a contractor because the USAF isn't carry the maintenance / spares / facilities / aircrew and groundcrew overheads].
-- Buying new build / converted pre-owned A330-MRTT one by one over time from operating profits.
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/us-ai...99.article
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A very apposite motto for those who trade successfully in the OTC market..
All posts are my opinion - trade at your own risk.
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