USAF Defends 767 Lease

Jane's Defence Weekly | June 26, 2002 | Michael Sirak

[Stand Watch Listen]

Amid lingering scepticism among several US government offices, US Air Force (USAF) officials maintain that the proposed arrangement to lease 100 Boeing 767 tanker/transport aircraft over a period of approximately 10 years is the best near-term option for relieving the growing stress on its 40-year-old aerial refuelling fleet.

The service is currently negotiating a lease deal with Boeing that it will submit to Congress for approval. The talks began in April. Initial estimates indicated that a lease would cost between $26 billion to $28 billion over 10 years, although the USAF says these estimates may be outdated.

The service says a leasing arrangement would provide the fastest option for recapitalising its aged KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling fleet, while avoiding the high up-front costs of purchasing new aircraft. First deliveries of the leased 767s could be possible in 2005, with delivery of all 100 aircraft likely by 2011 (Jane's Defence Weekly 21 November 2001).

"Obviously 100 is a number we would like to see, but we are looking at all the possibilities," said Marvin Sambur, assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition.

The USAF has 134 KC-135E models in its reserve forces. They are the oldest tankers in the inventory. It also has 411 more modern KC-135R units, which offer improved performance, and operates 54 newer KC-10A tankers.

While the USAF believes that the case for leasing is compelling, it has not found resonance for its views among government analysts. In May, the General Accounting Office reported that re-engining 100 KC-135Es at $29 million per aircraft likely would be a faster and less expensive option to achieve improved capability and reliability. The Congressional Budget Office found that purchasing the 767 tankers would be more cost-effective than leasing them. The Office of Management and Budget made similar assertions in late 2001.

These agencies also noted that, based on the USAF's own previous estimates, most Stratotankers will not reach their projected lifetime flying-hour limits for decades.

Conversely, the USAF says that the need to replace at least the E models has been become more acute from the increased strain on them in supporting military operations in Afghanistan and combat air patrols over North America since 11 September 2001. Flying hours have increased by 45% in the last year, it notes.

The average length of time for each Stratotanker to undergo its scheduled maintenance overhaul is around 400 days and USAF officials say they are faced increasingly with corrosion, technical obsolescence and supportability challenges.

Beyond the KC-135Es, the service still faces a longer-term issue of how to replace its KC-135R fleet.

Italy in 2001 became the first 767 tanker customer, signing up for four aircraft with the option for two more. Japan followed suit in December 2001, also for four aircraft.

The 767 will provide many new features, one of which will be Boeing's Remote Aerial Refuelling Operator system. It allows operators to manoeuvre the boom remotely "like a video game" from their crew-station in the cabin, using cameras for situational awareness, according to the company. The system will also be fited on the Italian and Japanese aircraft.

Additional reporting: Kim Burger, JDW Staff Reporter, Washington DC