DEFENSE - Abdonline

pressure on any given area of concern
through their individual power to block
presidential appointees from approval. If
a Senator was concerned that some
aspect of military operations was not
being adequately addressed, he or she
could use this power to bring attention
to the problem and seek resolution.
Following Boeing's successful
protest against the Northrop Grumman-
EADS tanker contract, the Alabama
Senate delegation put a hold on all
presidential nominees for DOD
positions. This reportedly was due to
their unhappiness that the tanker
contract was overturned, as the aircraft
would have been built in Alabama. This
same blocking procedure could be used
in an attempt to remedy an issue of
safety or maintenance practices.
CONCLUSION
It's impossible to declare any operation
or procedure as completely safe, no
matter how carefully audited and
conducted. Accidents can happen,
despite the best preventive efforts. But
the U.S. military's acceptance of
standardized, safety-based refueling
procedures, along with the legislative
branch's numerous institutional
oversight groups, have been effective in
proactively addressing safety concerns.
Together, the checks and balances
provided by these institutions, along
with the dedicated work of personnel in
the field, appear to make it unlikely that
the lapses blamed for the loss of the
RAF's Nimrod could fester within the
U.S. armed forces with similarly tragic
results.
AAD
AIRCRAFT REFUELING
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
U.S. Air Force Aerial Refueling
Platforms:
The KC-135 Stratotanker provides
the core aerial refueling capability
for the U.S. Air Force. The KC-135
is derived from Boeing's model
367-80 aircraft, from which the 707
airliner also was developed. The
first KC-135 was delivered to the
U.S. Air Force in 1954, the last in
1965.
Most KC-135s have been
retrofitted with CFM International's
CFM-56 engines and are
designated as R or T models. Thus
equipped, these aircraft can carry
150,000 pounds of transfer fuel.
The Air Mobility Command
manages an inventory of more
than 415 Stratotankers, of which
the U.S. Air Force Reserve and U.S.
Air National Guard fly 235 in
support of the AMC's mission.
The KC-10 Extender
The KC-10 Extender is a derivative
of Boeing's DC-10-30 airliner. It
entered service in 1981.
Capable of carrying 356,000
pounds of transfer fuel, the KC-10
can refuel via boom at a maximum
rate of 1,100 gallons per minute,
and via a probe and drogue
system at a maximum refueling
rate of 470 gallons per minute. The
Air Mobility Command currently
has fifty-nine of these aerial
tankers in its inventory.
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