Tanker, Bomber Needed

Op-Ed

Contacts: Matt Dempsey 202-224-9797
Elizabeth French 202-224-8260
March 14, 2009

Tanker, bomber needed

By Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.)

The Air Force has been engaged in combat operations over the Balkans and in the Middle East since 1991. Last year it flew more than 18,000 tanker sorties, 49,000 airlift sorties and 37,000 ground attack sorties. Our Air Force is a combat-tested and proven force. Sadly, it also is operating the oldest fleet in its young but distinguished history. The average age of its tankers is 45 years; bombers, 33 years, fighters, 20 years, and strategic airlift aircraft, 16 years.

Recent reports indicate the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has recommended a five-year delay in the acquisition of the Air Force aerial tanker replacement, and the cancellation of the next generation bomber. Any delay or cancellation of either program is an unacceptable and unnecessary risk to our nation's ability to project air power worldwide.

None of our recent military operations would have been possible without the utilization of our tanker fleet. Specifically, our aircraft would not have been able to operate over Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, and Kosovo without a robust aerial refueling capability. However, the mainstay of our aerial tanker fleet, the Eisenhower-era KC-135, is nearly 50. Undoubtedly, these were some of the factors the Obama Administration considered when it articulated the importance of aerial tanker recapitalization, stating, "We must preserve our unparalleled air power capabilities to deter and defeat any conventional competitors, swiftly respond to crises across the globe, and support our ground forces. We need greater investment in advanced technology ranging from the revolutionary, like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and electronic warfare capabilities, to essential systems like the C-17 cargo and KC-X air refueling aircraft, which provide the backbone of our ability to extend global power."

Equally disconcerting is OMB's reported recommendation to cancel the next generation bomber, which will incorporate state-of-the-art stealth technology. The utilization of state-of-the-art stealth technology will be essential to defeat the emerging threat posed by advanced integrated air defense systems such as the Russian-made S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missiles.

At any given time, our bomber fleet consists of approximately 16 combat-ready stealth aircraft out of a total force of 129 bombers. Half of the Air Force's combat-ready bombers consist of B-52s, which also have 50 years of service. As Congressional Research Service noted, "the Air Force's operational assessment is that the B-52 will not be survivable under the 2015-2020 threat picture, and therefore its effectiveness and utility could be limited except in benign threat environments." It is a vital national security interest for a next generation bomber to achieve an initial operational capability by 2018.

Our tanker and bomber fleets have been the bedrock of this national capability. I question OMB's analysis regarding the KC-X and next generation bomber. Our depots do an outstanding job maintaining and sustaining our aging fleet of aircraft, but the cost of maintaining these relics continues to increase. In the end, we will spend billions providing life support to our B-52s and KC-135s and still need the KC-X and next generation bomber. Therefore, as our aircraft become increasingly obsolete and unsupportable, it is important for the Obama administration to commit to procurement of a new aerial refueling tanker and development of a next generation bomber.

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