Last October, the Reagan Administration announced a plan to update U.S. strategic nuclear forces. A centerpiece of that program was a commitment to build two new strategic bombers over the next decade. The first, a modified form of the B-l bomber (which had been cancelled by President Carter in 1977) would be fielded in 1986. The second, a new advanced technology bomber (ATB) incorporating 'stealth' technologies, would be deployed in the early 1990s. The current fleet of B-52s now being converted to carry cruise missiles will eventually be retired or retained as standoff cruise missile carriers as the new bombers enter service. Much public debate has focused on the bombers. As important as the bombers themselves, however, is the large fleet of tanker aircraft used to refuel bombers in flight. Bombers could not execute their missions without using tankers to extend their ranges. The bomber modernization program, and especially the plans to retire a major portion of B-52s, have tremendous implications for current tanker resources. Tankers also now figure prominently in conventional nonnuclear war plans, and they could prove indispensible, for instance, in projecting the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) to distant theaters of operation. The need for substantial tanker capacity emerged especially clearly during the Arab-Israeli war in 1973, when U.S. airlift missions in support of Israel were nearly halted for the lack of mid-course refueling. These two sets of developments planned bomber development and the need not to rely on ground refueling have led to efforts to expand U.S. tanker resources.
Aerial Tanker Force Modernization
1982
62 pages
Report
No indication
English
Aircraft , Tanker aircraft , Bomber aircraft , Strategic bombing , Military forces(United states) , Nuclear forces(Military) , Israel , Ground level , Standoff , Inflight , Strategic warfare , Refueling , Israelis , Midcourse guidance , Weapons carriers , Rapid deployment , Airlift operations , Fleets(Ships) , Arabs , Conventional warfare , Cruise missiles , Jet bombers , Missions
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