Close on the heels of the last post that described the resurgence of some old technologies like turboprop aircraft and mainframe computers comes some news of things which are just plain getting old. Like America's aerial refueling tanker fleet. The average age of the KC-135 tankers is now 47 years. There are 530 of these planes in the fleet and they are not getting any younger.
WICHITA, Kan. — At the main entrance to McConnell Air Force Base, a stately KC-135 aerial refueling tanker manufactured more than 50 years ago sits on display as a museum piece, a tribute to the aircraft that was built to be a pillar of military strategy in the early years of the Cold War.
But inside the base, the old tanker is hardly a relic. Hundreds of personnel toil every day to keep 39 of the Air Force's 530 Eisenhower-era tankers airborne, a feat of tenacity and ingenuity that baffles even the men and women who manage to keep the planes airworthy three decades after commercial airlines retired such planes.
"The KC-135 is like that first girlfriend or your first car," said Senior Master Sgt. Buddy Gerhardt, a fuel systems repair technician from Berwyn, Ill., who at 33 is at least a decade younger than the tankers he works on. "You might always have a special feeling for that first girlfriend or that first car, but eventually you have to move on."
The Air Force announced last month it had awarded a $35 billion contract to a partnership of Northrop Grumman and the corporate parent of the European-led planemaker Airbus to begin replacing the tanker fleet, whose aircraft now have an average age of 47.
But the long-languishing plan to revamp the fleet will likely be further delayed as the competing bidder and manufacturer of the original fleet, Chicago-based Boeing, filed a complaint this month with the Government Accountability Office.
Defense analysts say Boeing's appeal could set back the manufacture of the new tankers by years. At the same time, members of Congress from Kansas and Washington state—where Boeing has manufacturing plants—are considering introducing legislation that would undo the deal.
Commanders at McConnell declined to comment on the politicking, saying only that they hope to have new tankers at their disposal as soon as possible. Air Force officials say they are confident they can keep up the maintenance of the aircraft for many more years, yet there is a recognition among senior officials and squadron leaders that time is not on the side of the aging aircraft.
"We're a catastrophe away from having the tankers grounded," said Col. James Vechery, commander of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell.
I have no doubt that the people who are maintaining these downright elderly aircraft are doing everything in their power to keep the planes aloft. I also have no doubt that they are fighting an uphill battle. The key to keeping old technologies alive is to reinvent them, not to keep trying to keep the old goods alive indefinitely. Congress has screwed around enough on this and has to get this resolved right away. These tankers are a vital part of America's defenses and need replacement. Stop playing politics and get this done.
Sounds like Boeing "screwed the pooch" on this one, offering the aging 767 in a tanker layout. I’d rather Boeing built our tankers but the military is not a domestic jobs program. I want the best plane for the money. They should have offered the new dreamliner in a tanker version.
Here is what I think will happen:Boeing didn’t want to use the 787 airframe because doing so would delay commercial orders. They intentionally offered a smaller airframe knowing that would give the project to Northrop-Grumman. Since N/G was using the foreign airframe, there would be a blood curdling scream from congress, the project would be frozen, the project would eventually be rebid and congress would "make sure" Boeing gets the contract but enough time would have elapsed for Boeing to use the 787.Otherwise I can’t see the reason for the complaining. There were only two companies in the bidding. If you aren’t prepared to give the contract to either of the bidders, then you should pretend like it is a competition.