| KC-45 Tanker to Boost Military Airlift Capacity |
The recent decision by ATA Airlines to file bankruptcy and cease operations, including the charter service it provided to the U.S. military, makes more apparent the wisdom of the U.S. Air Force decision to select the Northrop Grumman Corporation KC-45 as America’s new tanker.
In evaluating the competing proposals, the Air Force considered the ability to carry passengers a Key Performance Parameter (KPP). KPPs are what the combatant commanders have deemed essential features of any new system such as the new tanker. In this case, the KC-45 was clearly the better choice.
“In addition to the KC-45’s remarkable superiority as a refueling platform, it can also carry 226 passengers, which is nearly 4 times as many passengers as the existing KC-135 and significantly more than what our former competitor offered,” said Randy Belote, Northrop Grumman vice president for corporate and international communications.
Gen. Norton Schwarz, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, highlighted the importance of this feature and the new tanker’s cargo carrying ability in remarks he made to Defense Daily in December 2007. “We need to be able to take advantage of that,” Schwarz was quoted as saying.
Schwarz referenced concerns about the ability of the Civilian Reserve Air Force (CRAF) to fully meet the military’s transport and cargo carrying needs. “I see KC-X as a bit of a hedge against instability in the CRAF.” Though, at the time, he was not sure how much cargo and passenger airlift support the new tanker would provide since the Air Force had not yet made its decision. “It depends on what aircraft we get,” he said.
Since it is superior in its ability to move both cargo and people, the KC-45 provides the military what Schwarz believes it needs.
The reality of this hit home when ATA Airlines went out of business in April, stranding a number of U.S. Soldiers, Sailors and Marines who were scheduled to fly ATA back to the United States from Iraq and Afghanistan. Military officials scrambled to provide for the troops, who were eager to return home after lengthy deployments.
“When the KC-45 is in service, it will be able to complement the military’s existing airlift capacity to a far greater degree than the current tanker or the tanker proposed by Boeing. This is another reason we believe the Air Force made the right decision for our troops and our nation,” said Belote.
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