KC-X
THE PATH TO A NEW AERIAL REFUELER WITH AN EXISTING PLATFORM.
As the initial phase of a comprehensive aerial refueling recapitalization strategy, the KC-X program will replace approximately one third of the warfighting capability provided by the current aerial refueling fleet. The government will procure up to 179 KC-X aircraft over a 15-20 year period.
The KC-X aircraft is expected to provide worldwide communication, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management compliant, day/night, adverse weather, samesortie boom/receptacle and probe/drogue with provisions for simultaneous multiple point probe/drogue, aerial refueling to fixed-wing, receiver-capable U.S., allied and coalition aircraft. The aircraft will operate in medium threat areas with self-defense/ protection capability and a night vision imaging system.
MISSION AREAS
The KC-X will fulfill six critical missions includes joint, allied and coalition support for nuclear (OPLAN 8044/8011), global attack, air-bridge, deployment, theater and—most importantly for SOTECH readers—special operations.
OPLAN 8044/8011 SUPPORT
OPLAN 8044/8011 is a critical operational requirement, and aerial refueling assets are incorporated into the OPLAN to support the bomber leg of the nuclear triad. Aerial refueling provides the nuclearequipped bomber force with the ability to deliver its payload to any location in the world and recover to a suitable reconstitution base. Bombers may also be refueled while holding in orbit areas well beyond the range of adversary missiles or attack aircraft. The bombers can maintain this orbital status until they are directed to fulfill their mission or are recalled. The enhanced offload/range capabilities of the KC-X will increase the range and endurance of bomber and other combat support aircraft (reconnaissance, command and control, etc.), further enhancing their flexibility to strike/reconnoiter distant targets. These same effects are also an indispensable component of the U.S. National Airborne Operations Center by enabling increased on-station times for these aircraft. The KC-X will also be used to support bomber contingency missions enhancing the sustainability of these missions. With aerial refueling, longer-range/longer duration reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions provide commanders a decisive information edge over the enemy. Operations in this arena dictate the need for protection from EMP and other environmental threats to enable mission completion.
GLOBAL ATTACK SUPPORT
Aerial refueling provides strike and reconnaissance platforms the ability to reach any target globally without relying on intermediate basing locations. The effect of being able to rapidly and directly strike targets in distant locations and recover to safe areas, especially for missions originating in the continental U.S. (CONUS), would be enhanced by the extensive communication and navigation systems of the KC-X. Global attack support missions highlight the KC-X’s key role in air and space expeditionary force (AEF) employment, demonstrating adaptability to support the full range of operations from CONUS-based bomber strike support to humanitarian/peacekeeping airlift support, whether conducted in exercise or real-world environments.
AIR BRIDGE SUPPORT
An air bridge creates an airborne line of communication linking CONUS and a theater, or any two theaters. Aerial refueling enables accelerated air bridge operations since enroute refueling stops are reduced or eliminated It reduces reliance on forward staging bases, minimizes potential en route maintenance delays, enhances security, and enables airlift assets to maximize their payloads. These effects hinge on the increased communication, navigation and CNS/ATM-compliant capabilities of the KC-X. Enhanced reliability of the KC-X would allow for more efficient air bridge support.
DEPLOYMENT SUPPORT
In parallel with air bridge support, the KC-X can extend the range of deploying combat and combat support aircraft, allowing them to fly nonstop to an area of responsibility (AOR) or joint operating area (JOA). The outcome is an increase in the deterrent effect of CONUS-based forces and rapid response to regional crises. The capability of air assets to fly nonstop to a theater may eliminate the need to obtain landing or overflight rights from foreign countries that may want to remain neutral in a given conflict, obviating political limitations on force deployment and enhancing the security of deploying forces. Significant increases in the efficiency of airlift operations enable the direct delivery of personnel and materiel and enable the successful execution of the AEF concept.
THEATER SUPPORT TO COMBAT AIR FORCES
Intratheater aerial refueling enables fighter aircraft to increase their range, persistence and flexibility, allowing them to carry a larger payload on initial takeoff by decreasing the amount of initial fuel required, thereby multiplying their combat force and combat efficiency. Aerial refueling also increases the endurance of air combat support assets, negating extensive regeneration periods between sorties. The effects of extending persistence/endurance are a reduction in the number of sorties required, a decrease in ground support requirements at forward locations, and a possible reduction in the number of aircraft deployed to an AOR. The overall effect of continuous engagement is enabled by this mission. Theater-based aerial refueling assets also enhance the security of combat and combat support air assets by allowing them to be based beyond the range of adversary threats. The KC-X’s increased offload capability and enhanced self-protection will enable it to operate closer to the battlespace, significantly enhancing this mission critical function, and its increased reliability could decrease the number of tankers required, providing a boost to the force management options of the combatant commanders. The added capability to transition from boom to drogue aerial refueling while airborne is a significant enhancement to the flexibility of the ARA fleet in supporting U.S. joint and allied/coalition forces. Aerial refueling operations are also an essential element of homeland defense, enabling extended persistence for air defense aircraft and permitting larger cargo loads for CONUSoperating airlift aircraft. Homeland support could include activating the deployment support, theater refueling support, special operations force support, emergency aerial refueling support, and airlift missions described above within the CONUS, employing all the advanced capabilities envisioned for the KC-X.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT
Aerial refueling enables the SOF to maintain a long-range operating capability. The AF maintains aerial refueling crews who are trained to air refuel fixed-wing special operations aircraft. Successful mission completion requires special equipment, including an NVIS capability and enhanced communication suites, specialized crew training, and modified operational procedures. The increase in the KC-X’s capabilities in navigation, communication, situational awareness and formation compatibility with receiver night vision devices will positively affect the successful completion of SOF support missions. Enhanced reliability may decrease the numbers of KC-X required to support these missions, resulting in a decreased footprint and enhanced security.
The inherent flexibility of the KC-X platform will accommodate a diversity of secondary missions in a manner that does not significantly impact the primary aerial refueling missions. These include cargo and/or passenger transportation; homeland defense; aeromedical evacuation; command, control, communications and computers augmentation; and treaty compliance.
The KC-X program acquisition strategy is focused on an existing commercial, Federal Aviation Administration or equivalent, certified transport aircraft modified to meet USAF requirements. The system development and demonstration is scheduled to start in FY 2007 and low-rate initial production is projected to start in FY 2010.
Initial requests from the Air Force have the platform and engines included as one entity but they have said they will consider a breakout of engine procurement at the fullrate production stage of acquisition.
REFUELING CAPABILITIES
The new tanker must be able to provide for safe and reliable, worldwide, day/night, adverse weather, boom and drogue aerial refueling (on the same sortie) to receiver capable U.S., allied and coalition military aircraft. Importantly, the KC-X shall be capable of delivering fuel to all receptacle equipped receivers at rates and standard refueling pressure such that the KC-X is not the limiting factor. It must also be able to effectively provide (non-simultaneously) both boom and (centerline) drogue aerial refueling on the same mission.
The aircraft shall be capable of aerial refueling all current USAF tanker-compatible fixed wing receiver aircraft using current USAF procedures with no modification to existing receiver aerial refueling equipment and no degradation to the receiver aircraft refueling capability, including after-body effects for wide-body aircraft and fuel temperature, and in accordance with international standards.
The KC-X must also be capable of receiver aerial refueling to its maximum inflight gross weight from any compatible tanker aircraft—KC-135, KC-10, and KC-X—using USAF aerial refueling procedures.
MAINTENANCE
The long-term support concept for the KC-X is organic two-level maintenance— organization level (O-level) and depot level (D-level). For the purposes of this program, all maintenance other than O-level shall be referred to as D-level. The government plans to separately compete the development, deployment and sustainment of both the aircrew and maintenance training systems.
WHAT IT DOESN’T DO
It is no secret that the Air Force Special Operations Command’s fleet of C-130 tankers and tanker-capable aircraft are among some of the oldest in the Air Force’s inventory. OPTEMPO is causing this to be used up faster then ever envisioned. That being said, the KC-X program was never intended to address the tactical level refueling needs and especially the refueling requirements for rotary wing aircraft.
Equally important as the strategic KC-X program, if not more so, is an ever-growing urgency to bring relief to the AFSOC tanker aircraft. The KC-Xs will keep the MC- and HC-130s topped off, but they too need attention.
This is definitely not a fault of the KC-X program because it does bring extended capability to the SOF fight, but the tanker needs don’t end there. ♦