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665 ALW JP Fleets.indd 2 20/08/2014 15:31 introduction 1 3 5

lmost 36 years ago to the day, I watched a KC- 29, 1958 and serves with the Kansas Air National 135A Stratotanker take off – and it was a fi rst Guard’s 190th Air Refueling . The youngest, a for me. The was from the 410th Bomb RC-135U Combat Sent 64-14849, made its maiden Wing based at K I Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, fl ight on January 27, 1965, and serves as a special

and on temporary duty with the air forc es in europe 1 3 5 mission aircraft with Air Combat European at square Command’s at Offutt RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, England. Air Force Base, Nebraska. I had no idea why the jet gushed The fact to highlight here is out so much oily smoke as it lifted that two aircraft, one from off from runway 29 but it all added 1958 and one from 1965, he KC-135 has had a long association with RAF Mildenhall. The initial unit was Detachment 1, 98th Strategic Wing (SW), which relocated from RAF Upper Heyford in January 1970 – its headquarters being located at Torrejon Air Base, Spain. The detachment’s role was primarily to support rotational RC-135 operations in Europe. t The 98th SW inactivated when replaced by the 306th SW on August 15, 1976, headquartered at , – although no aircraft were located there. Instead, the KC-135s were based at Mildenhall, which increased complement to an unforgettable experience. signi cantly when the rotation to Torrejon ceased. are still serving on frontline The 306th SW relocated to Mildenhall on July 1, 1978, thereby returning a complete, ‘numbered’ (SAC) organisation to the Suffolk base. The change brought responsibility for organising the European Tanker Task Force to the UK and at the same time consolidated air refuelling at one location. Around 16 KC-135s rotated to Mildenhall on temporary duty from the United States at any one time, including aircraft from SAC units, the and Air Force Reserve. Despite being dedicated to the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), control was retained

by SAC. While this operational organisation was adequate, there was a Matthew Clements Two other things fascinated requirement for a dedicated USAFE air refuelling with aircraft operations 55 and 48 years wholly committed to the requirements of the European theatre. To satisfy the need, the was activated at Mildenhall on February 1, 1992 with 15 KC-135Rs assigned to the 351st Air Refueling Squadron. The unit operates 24 hours a day, every

me about the aircraft: the blue the world ’s greatest tanker and more 29 respectively after their fi rst Strategic Air Command ‘milky fl ights: quite amazing! I way’ band on its fuselage, and its silver paint scheme. wonder how many military aircraft built in the last Much has changed since then. The KC-135A no decade will be serving for that long? longer exists, and nor does Strategic Air Command, There are of course other types that conduct the the 410th Bomb Wing and K I Sawyer Air Force air refuelling mission but none of them can touch Base: once known as the the impressive records held by 1 3 5 fourth largest city in the Upper the KC-135: number of aircraft Michigan peninsula. built, the number of versions or But much has not changed. the amount of frontline combat

The US Air Force’s need for Jim Haseltine service, etc. And those facts

Initially the RC-135s were operated in natural metal nish, with full and their role has been described as ‘scienti c and technical’, a simplistic colour national insignia displayed on the rear fuselage and beneath the way of saying their task is to identify new and revised known emitters. wings, and ‘U.S. Air Force’ applied to the forward fuselage. However, Combat Sent can call on a vast computerised library of weapons the US decided to adopt a more high-pro le approach, as losses to systems and communications centres and the frequencies they use enemy action during the 1950s were aircraft deemed to be little different to conduct their operations. Electronic warfare operators (EWOs) the white from all other US military aircraft. Now they are similarly marked monitor automated sensors that scan a bewildering array of frequencies externally, nished with a gloss mid-grey lower fuselage and a white to determine every facet of a potential enemy’s military posture and upper surface and tail. The n displays the United States  ag in full governmental composition. Primarily these are foreign military airborne, tankers, the role and missions colour as well as the ‘OF’ tail code signifying . land and seaborne signals. alone surely place the 135 as ‘U.S. Air Force’ is applied in large lettering along the fuselage above Initially the budget for their operations was provided by the Central the wing to ensure that, when operating over international waters close Intelligence Agency, but in 1975 the National Security Agency assumed to nations under surveillance, there is no uncertainty that these are responsibility and reduced the number of aircraft to two: RC-135 serial American aircraft. number 63-9792 was converted to Rivet Joint con guration. Initially the RC-135s were part of Strategic Air Command and The two surviving Combat Sent aircraft have changed slightly over jets of occasionally carried its star-spangled blue ‘milky way’ banner around the subsequent 40 years. The heart of the signals acquisition suite is the fuselage, along with wing and command emblems. Following the the Precision Power Measurement System (PPMS) composed of black demise of SAC, and reassignment to Air Combat Command (ACC) on antennas installed on the nose, extreme aft fuselage and wing tips. A June 1, 1992, the ACC emblem is presented on the starboard side of rectangular housing beneath the radome contains two circular sensors, the nose with the unit badge on the port. with similar structures mounted on the wing tips and on an extension to fl own around the clock every Each version has a distinctive con guration of antennas and sensors the rear fuselage. Collectively they provide 360° coverage of emitters the world’s greatest tanker... tailored to speci c tasks. Likewise all three mission types are allocated under interrogation. a bizarre-sounding name, which has no relationship whatsoever to the Beneath the forward fuselage was a circular radome housing a large offutt task. The names are allocated for a variety of reasons, primarily for rotating antenna which has recently been replaced with a single blade familiarity between users and for budgetary purposes. aerial, similar to the Multiple Position COMINT Emitter Location System The aircraft are a component of the overall ‘Big Safari’ programme, (MUCELS) arrangement installed on Rivet Joints. Mounted on both he small  eet of RC-135s are among the most highly prized Rudimentary RC-135s rst entered service in 1961, although they established in 1951 to oversee small numbers of highly specialised types sides of the forward fuselage are Automatic Electronic Emitter Location intelligence gathering assets in the US military. Twenty- were not allocated that designation, and looked nothing like the versions that require logistics and nancial support away from the mainstream. System (AEELS) ‘cheeks’. The various antennas installed in the AEELS two are operational and all are stationed at Offutt Air Force  ying today. Currently the 22 RC-135s in service are composed of four Users can readily identify the aircraft type and mission through the have changed shape periodically during the past 40-plus years as Base, Nebraska, with the 55th Wing – although rarely are different designations performing three diverse missions, and there are programme name rather than the aircraft designation, which can be newer and re ned sensors have been devised. there more than half this number in residence at any given three trainers dedicated to aircrew conversion and pro ciency. changed periodically. Currently the names are Combat Sent (RC-135U), Combat Sent has been likened to a vacuum cleaner in being capable day of the year, and the military time. Worldwide deployments and major upgrades ensure Understandably a veil of secrecy surrounds the entire RC-135 Cobra Ball (RC-135S) and Rivet Joint (RC-135V and RC-135W). of gathering up every possible emission from the range of frequencies and more. To underline that, tthe RCs are frequently away from home base. programme and the occasional disinformation has been discreetly likely to contain known and unknown radio waves. The two aircraft The  eet of different RC-135 variants often use the radio call sign used to confuse or mask the true nature of its activities – and rightly COMBAT SENT contain sophisticated computers pre-programmed with the ‘ ngerprint’ ‘Snoop’. While this tongue in cheek soubriquet is amusing, considering so, as the lives of the aircrew and sensor operators depend upon of all known weapons systems of virtually every air arm in the world. the task the crews perform, the fact it is used at all highlights the vital con dentiality. In particular, details of the sensor suite tted to the outer Three aircraft were originally recon gured from ‘Big Team’ RC-135C Rapid automated scanning of the airwaves enables EWOs to ignore intelligence-gathering task daily played out close to the borders of fuselage of each aircraft were not made public until many years after standard to become specialised RC-135Us with the name ‘Combat those of no interest and concentrate on others that are either new or nations potentially hostile to the United States and her allies. they had rst been installed. Sent’. They completed conversion between May and December 1971 represent a known source in a relatively unknown location. Emitters

version of what – in my opinion 52 the world ’s greatest tanker and more the world ’s greatest tanker and more 53 I’ll quote the motto used – is one of the best-looking by air refuelling squadrons aircraft ever designed, the . throughout the US Air Force: “No one kicks ass Today the number of Stratotankers remaining in without tanker gas.” service around the world is still over half the number in the original Strategic Air Command fl eet. The oldest Mark Ayton of those is KC-135R 57-1419, which fi rst fl ew on May EDITOR

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the world ’s greatest tanker and more 3 contents

BOEING’S VETERAN SPEEDY LINE 06 TANKER 20 OR EXTENDED FLOW History of the KC-135 . Bob Archer Air Force Materiel Command . Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center . KC-135 Program Depot Maintenance . Chris Kjelgaard FLIGHT DECKS, 12 BOOMS AND ENGINES Systems of the KC-135 . Chris Kjelgaard SQUARE D 28 US Air Forces in Europe . 100th Air Refueling Wing . Tanker operations throughout Europe and Africa . Bob Archer, Mark Ayton and Henri-Pierre COVER Grolleau. history . variants . systems . operators . missions The front cover £5.99 shot features a

the world ’s greatest KC-135R from the tanker ... and more 100th Air Refueling Wing based at RAF STRATOTANKERS Mildenhall, England. 1 1 3 5 Matthew Clements 38 IN COMBAT Armée de l’Air . Groupe de Ravitaillement en Vol 2/91 INSETS ‘Bretagne’ . Combat tanker missions fl own over ... Left: MSgt Keith and Mali . Henri-Pierre Grolleau. Brown/US Air Force Right: MSgt William Green/US Air Force By TEAM 44 MCCONNELL kc 135 stratotanker rc 135 rivet joint - - . . Pro- fi le of the world’s biggest tanker wing . Lon Nordeen.

4 the world ’s greatest tanker and more contents 1 3 5

THE WHITE TOP JETS PASSING GAS 52 OF OFFUTT 82 IN PARADISE Air Combat Command - 55th Wing . The special mission Air National Guard . . Air National Guard RC-135s of the Fightin’ Fifty Fifth . Bob Archer, Mark . Tanker ops across the Pacifi c Ocean . Robert F Dorr. Ayton and Robert F Dorr. TWISTERS TEST TANKERS 88 Republic of Singapore Air Force . No.112 64 Air Force Materiel Command . 412th Test Squadron . History and operations of Asia’s Wing . The world’s only 135s dedicated to fi rst KC-135 operator . Chen Chuaren. fl ight test . Bob Archer and Mark Ayton. TIGER HUB CREEK PARTY, TANKER 92 Pacifi c Air Forces . 18th Wing . How 66 Kadena’s Young Tigers support the US Pacifi c TOADS AND TOTAL FORCE Command . Robert F Dorr. Air National Guard . . Air National Guard’s tanker history from KC-97s to KC-135Rs . David C Isby. ASENA 96 Türk Hava Kuvvetleri . 101 Filo . THE FIRST Worldwide tanker missions fl own by the Turkish Air Force . Arda Mevlütog˘ lu. 74 AND THE FINEST Air Force Reserve Command . . Main Image: One of three RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft, Insight into KC-135 ops from highly experienced members 61-2662/’OF’ from the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron in the of the reserve component . Scott Dworkin. Suffolk sky after taking off from RAF Mildenhall. Ryan Dorling

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 5 history

KC-135R 63-7987 and KC-135T 58-0049 of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at in February 2013, during an evaluation of the Block 45 upgrade by the 418th Flight Test Squadron. The two aircraft were upgraded as part of the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development phase of the Block 45 programme. boeing s Matthew Clements ’ veteran tan ke r

6 the world ’s greatest tanker and more history 1 3 5 boeing’s veteran tan ke r

or nearly 60 years, the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker has Interestingly, the KC-135 utilisation rate in recent years has been served the US armed forces conducting air refuelling extremely high, the type performing air refuelling for huge numbers of operations around the globe on a daily basis. Others ghter and aircraft conducting combat operations in versions of the C-135 were produced for various specialist and . Tankers are seen as the mainstay of any combat operation, tasks, the US Air Force originally ordering 808 in two basic KC-135s staging from air bases in the Middle East and central Asia. types – designated the ’A model, to denote those powered Additionally, tankers have maintained an air bridge for aircraft fby the Pratt & Whitney J57-P-59W , and the ’B deploying from the United States to the Middle East – including cells version with Pratt & Whitney TF-33-PW-102 engines. of ghters, airlifters, long-range and other support types in Most published accounts state 732 KC-135As and 15 C-135As were transit to US Central Command’s area of responsibility. built, although this does not take into account the three Fiscal Year 1960 Most cells transit through Lajes Air Base in the Azores and Moron Air KC-135As modi ed to C-135A standard while on the production line. Base, Spain – where tankers also maintain a forward operating capability. Known as KC-135A ‘falsies’, all three were delivered to the Military Air The large Middle Eastern operation is performed in addition to the regular Transport Service and served for a few months as C-135As in the airlift peacetime training schedule conducted in the United States, Europe and role. They were then converted across the Paci c region. for the specialised reconnaissance C-135 PRODUCTION role, initially designated as KC- THE KC-135 SERIES 135A-IIs and later as RC-135Ds. DESIGNATIONS None of these designations Delivery of the rst remains operational as the C-135 729 KC-135As Standard air refuelling KC-135A to the Air series has evolved through a 17 KC-135Bs Interim designation Force – serial number multitude of modi cation states, for the EC-135 series 55-3118 (c/n 17234) 18 C-135As Standard transports created through upgrades and – took place on January 30 C-135Bs Standard transports conversion programmes for 24, 1957, although the initial 4 RC-135As Cartographic a wide variety of specialised 98 aircraft are no longer mapping aircraft uses. Of the 808 built, 454 in service. The oldest 10 RC-135Bs Interim designation continue in active service for specialised surviving KC-135 is 57- today (including all allied reconnaissance 1419, which joined the operators), with all but 30 being Total 808 Air Force on June the basic KC-135 tanker version. 27, 1958 – more

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 7 history

than 56 years ago. The structural integrity of the design, combined with Collectively, the enhancements transformed the elderly 1950s KC- the utilisation rate for much of the KC-135’s early service period, which 135 into a 21st century air refuelling platform with a virtually open- involved tankers being maintained on ground standby at Strategic Air ended lifespan. Command (SAC) bases, has enabled the KC-135 to achieve a lifespan only closely matched by the B-52 Stratofortress in US military history. SUB TYPES The entire production of KC-135As was almost exclusively for SAC, where their primary duty was to support the command’s massive The Air Force currently categorises the tanker eet in  ve different bomber eet both at home and when deployed to forward operating sub-types. Most (313) are the basic KC-135R version; another 54 locations. The tankers also supported  ghter and  ghter-bomber are designated KC-135Ts, which were formerly KC-135Qs originally movements, and were increasingly involved to sustain combat modi ed with enhanced secure communications and provision to air- operations during the . refuel the SR-71 Blackbird with JP-7 fuel from separate tanks. From 1975, 746 aircraft of all versions were reworked by Boeing, The other three sub-types are standard Stratotankers but with having their lower wing surfaces replaced with an improved and a speci c enhancements. Eight KC-135Rs retain the air refuelling strengthened aluminium-alloy skin and stronger engine struts  tted. receiver receptacle above the cockpit to extend their range. They Most of the work was done at Boeing’s Wichita, Kansas, facility and are identi ed as KC-135R ARRs, their receptacles retained from an completed by 1988. earlier period when they performed specialised tasks such as airborne The underpowered Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet engines  tted to command post or strategic reconnaissance. the ’A models were noisy during take-off, creating a massive amount Twenty KC-135Rs have been modi ed with the addition of a Multi- of smoke and requiring an extremely long runway when departing Point Refueling System (MPRS), comprising two Flight Refuelling Ltd with a full fuel load. As an interim solution, the Air Force funded Mk32B hose-and-drogue assemblies linked to extendable hoses and the installation of TF-33-PW-102s turbofan engines which offered housed in two wingtip-mounted pods. The variant, known as the KC- 14% more fuel ef ciency and a 20% increase in of oad availability. 135R MPRS, enables receivers compatible with both hose-and-drogue Designated KC-135Es, more than 150 tankers (almost all for the Air and ‘ ying boom’ refuelling systems to be serviced. Force Reserve and Air National Guard) and dozens of specialised Whereas the Air Force has standardised air refuelling with the boom versions received the refurbished engines, taken from retired , for all but its special forces helicopters and tilt-rotor types, the US Navy from 1982. The modi cation was however seen as a medium-term and US Marine Corps exclusively use the ‘probe-and-drogue’ method. measure while the Air Force prepared a more ambitious programme to Prior to MPRS being introduced, the Air Force was required to attach aa double the service life of its most important air refuelling asset. aerial refuelling drogue to the end of the ying boom, which restricted All aircraft involved in the  rst engine upgrade programme were capability. Such a set-up is still  tted when the need arises, although subsequently re-engined again or have retired from service in recent the introduction of the MRPS has expanded the capability to support years. Currently only  ve aircraft powered by TF-33 engines remain allied receivers requiring this method. operational – OC-135s and WC-135s serving with Air Combat Two KC-135Rs are identi ed as test tankers (see Test Tankers, p64- Command’s 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska – having 65), and assigned to the at Edwards Air Force Base, entered service with the in either C-135B or KC-135B . KC-135R 61-0320 (c/n 18227) is primarily involved with icing con guration. trials for new and modi ed aircraft and helicopters. Its ying boom has As the  rst ’E models entered service, Boeing was formulating been modi ed to spray iced water onto an aircraft under test, which a more radical proposal to extend the life of a large number of ies in the slipstream of the tanker. When not on test duties, 61-0320 Stratotankers well into the 21st century. This involved installing the conducts conventional air refuelling duties as well as occasional in- CFM International CFM56 engine – designated in military parlance house airlift sorties. as F108-CF-100 – a high-bypass turbofan which improved take-off The second test tanker, 63-7980 (c/n 18597), referred to as ‘Speckled capability, reduced fuel consumption by 27% and drastically decreased Trout’ (see Test Tankers, p64-65), evaluates commercially available engine noise and pollution levels. Boeing completed the  rst example, avionics during routine operations – including, in recent years, a serial number 61-0293 (c/n 18200), which was designated as the KC- microwave landing system. It is also used by the US Air Force’s Chief 135R, in June 1984. of Staff for routine business trips. The forward section of the fuselage The ’R model also featured strengthened engine struts, an onboard has been upgraded with a modular VIP suite, enabling the CoS to host auxiliary power unit for self-starting at austere locations and, like meetings in ight. the KC-135E, improved brakes and an anti-skid device to enhance Speckled Trout features secure voice and e-mail communications, wet runway operations. The Air Force also funded the Pacer CRAG for the CoS and senior staff to remain in contact with Air Force (compass, radio and GPS) replacement of the old analogue cockpit Headquarters at all times. The jet has had an air refuelling receiver with a new digital ‘glass’ instrument layout linked to a GPS and a traf c receptacle installed, the only KC-135R  tted with one in recent years. collision avoidance system (TCAS). Initially Speckled Trout retained the standard KC-135 dark grey

8 the world ’s greatest tanker and more history 1 3 5

Opposite: The Fuerza Aérea de Chile is currently the only nation using former US Air Force TF-33-PW-102-powered KC-135Es. Santiago Rivas Below: The oldest surviving KC-135R is 57-1419, which joined the US Air Force on June 27, 1958. The aircraft currently serves with the Kansas Air National Guard’s , based at Forbes Field, Topeka. The aircraft is shown at RAF Mildenhall during a transit stop on November 4, 2013. Colin Johnson

external colour scheme after its conversion, but after a major overhaul it Force Materiel Command. The remainder have been transferred to the returned to service in March 2013 with a gloss white VIP paint pattern. reserves, with 163 (around 40%) operated by the Air National Guard Eight KC-135Rs, ve KC-135Ts, all eight KC-135R ARRs and one (ANG), and 63 (around 15%) with Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). of the MRPS versions are identi ed as having a ‘special operations’ Furthermore, in < 2009 TBC >, the Air Force initiated a concept capability. No details are available, although it is likely this refers to whereby four active-duty squadrons were relocated to ANG and an enhanced and secure communications function. All 22 aircraft AFRC facilities. They are administered by an active-duty parent wing have a pair of high-gain T-shaped satellite communications (SATCOM) but receive their daily tasking from the reserve unit at their operating antennas positioned atop the fuselage and are assigned to the 22nd location. None of the four operates their own aircraft, but they Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas (see Team supplement air and ground personnel aboard reserve KC-135s. McConnell, p44-51). Forty Stratotankers – 13 KC-135Rs, six KC-135R MPRS versions BLOCK UPGRADES and 21 KC-135Ts – are tted with a communications system known as ROBE (Roll-on, Beyond-Line-of-Sight Enhancement), which was To ensure the KC-135 remains an effective tanker and airlifter, the Air developed by Northrop Grumman and introduced during the early Force awarded Rockwell Collins an engineering, manufacturing and 2000s. It is a pallet-mounted suite of electronics carried aboard tanker development (EMD) contract in September 2009 to modernise the  eet to and to enhance battle eld command and control by Block 45 standard. The programme will upgrade the  ight deck with the automatically relaying line-of-sight signals and communications via latest-generation ,  ight director, radar altimeter and electronic satellite. instrument displays (see Flight Decks, Booms and Engines, p12-19). The ROBE system links to the Boeing E-3 AWACS and Northrop The EMD phase involved two aircraft from the 22nd Air Refueling Grumman E-8 Joint-STARS as well as ghter and ground attack aircraft Wing (KC-135T 60-0343 and KC-135R 63-7987) being modi ed to tted with the Link 16 datalink. The KC-135 was chosen to carry the establish the production baseline for the remainder of the  eet: both system, because the type frequently orbits close to battle eld areas and were completed by the end of 2012 and evaluated by the 412th Test can conduct the relay function in addition to its air refuelling mission. Wing at Edwards in the rst weeks of 2013. A second initiative involved the evaluation of the Northrop Grumman WEAPONS SQUADRON AND FLEET ALLOCATION Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCOM) system by the Michigan Air National Guard’s 171st Air Refueling Squadron at Selfridge The Air Force has established Weapons Schools for all combat aircraft ANG Base. Known as Guardian, it is designed to detect portable types and those in a direct support role. Some have aircraft assigned, surface-to-air missile systems and jam any threat with a laser beam. such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-15E Strike Eagle, while Following the installation of the Guardian pod to the rear fuselages others borrow equipment from operational units as required. of the two test aircraft, 58-0049 (c/n 17794) and 60-0365 (c/n 18140), Organised by Air Combat Command’s US Air Force Warfare Center ground tests were completed in March 2013 by a team from the at , Nevada, the resident is the  ying Michigan ANG and the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. Flight tests component, with around 18 Weapons Schools devoted to training were completed at Edwards in the late spring of 2013. Guardian will combat-ready aircrew. Most squadrons are based at Nellis, but some not be installed permanently, and will only be attached while operating are set up at bases operating the relevant aircraft type. In each case a from potentially hostile locations during landing and take-off stages. numbered weapons squadron conducts day-to-day operations. Most retired KC-135s along with time-expired specialised versions The unit covering the KC-135 is the 509th Weapons Squadron at have been placed in storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance , . Aircrew attend courses on And Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. a variety of topics related to air refuelling within combat theatres, To date 200 C-135s have been stored, most providing spare parts for borrowing aircraft from the resident . operational aircraft while a number have been scrapped. During the SAC era, most air refuelling squadrons were located Elsewhere seven retired continue to serve in a ground alongside one or more bomber squadrons. The end of the and training role with the at , the inactivation of SAC led to the dispersed squadrons being centralised Texas – the centre for teaching all aircraft technical trades – where they or inactivated following their transfer initially to Air Combat Command are allocated a ‘G’ pre x to indicate non-  ying status. At present four (ACC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC). Eventually all KC-135 GKC-135As and GKC-135Es are used for training apprentice technicians. squadrons were assigned to AMC which has continued to streamline its Meanwhile a former VIP KC-135E, 57-2589 (c/n 17725), serves at force, with just three bases continuing to operate active-duty KC-135s. , Texas, to train cabin crew and the Oklahoma Currently there are 397 KC-135s in operational service, with just City Air Logistics Center at uses C-135A 60- 171 (around 45%)  own by active-duty squadrons in AMC, Paci c Air 0378 (c/n 18153) and EC-135E 61-0329 (c/n 18236) as ground training Forces and US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) for air refuelling operations, aids for apprentices. training with Air Education Training Command and test support with Air Months before the maiden  ight of the Air Force’s brand new KC-

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 9 history

Test tanker, KC-135R 61-0320 of the 412th Flight Test Squadron on take-off from Edwards Air Force Base where it serves with Air Force Materiel Command’s 412th Test Wing. Matthew Clements

74th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R CURRENT C-135 UNIT ASSIGNMENTS The US Air Force operates various versions of the C-135 series within 452nd Air Mobility Wing, , California seven major commands plus the Air National Guard. 336th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R

AIR COMBAT COMMAND 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland 756th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 55th Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska 38th Reconnaissance Squadron RC-135V/W, TC-135W , Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma 45th Reconnaissance Squadron OC-135B, RC-135S/U, TC- 465th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 135W, WC-135C/W 338th CTS borrowed RC/TC-135s 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson, North Carolina 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron , Okinawa 77th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R detached RC-135s 95th Reconnaissance Squadron RAF Mildenhall, UK , MacDill Air Force Base, Florida detached RC-135s 63rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R* 95th Reconnaissance Squadron Det 1 Souda Bay Air Base, Crete detached RC-135s 931st Air Refueling Group, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas 18th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R* 57th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada 509th Weapons Squadron Fairchild KC-135Rs borrowed as required AIR MOBILITY COMMAND Air Force Base, Washington 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND 91st Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 99th Air Refueling Squadron Birmingham International Airport, Alabama 97th Air Mobility Wing, , Oklahoma KC-135R** 54th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R Daily tasking from 117th Air Refueling Wing, Alabama Air National Guard 911th Air Refueling Squadron Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina KC-135R** AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND Daily tasking from the 916th Air Refueling Wing

303rd Aeronautical Engineering Systems Wing, 22nd Air Refueling Wing, Major Field, Greenville, Texas McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas 645th AESS NC-135W 64th Air Refueling Squadron Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire KC-135R** 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, California Daily tasking from 157th Air Refueling Wing, New Hampshire Air National Guard 418th FLTS KC-135R 344th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T 445th FLTS KC-135R 349th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T 350th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T 384th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T AIR FORCE RESERVE COMMAND 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington 434th Air Refueling Wing, , Indiana 92nd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T 72nd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 93rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T

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46A Pegasus – the KC-135’s nuclear bombers. One crashed in 1972 while the remainder have been CURRENT DESIGNATIONS replacement – a small number upgraded to full KC-135R standard, but with the designation C-135FR. of ’R model Stratotankers were Three more were acquired from retired US Air Force stocks in 1997 and The Air Force currently operates the placed in storage with the 309th refurbished to full C-135FR standard. following versions of the C-135 series: AMARG. Former 22nd Air Turkey obtained seven former US Air Force KC-135As in 1997 and Type Quantity Refueling Wing KC-135R 60-0319 1998, which were upgraded to KC-135R standard (see Asena p96-98), KC-135R 313 (c/n 18094) ew there on June while four ’A models purchased by the Republic of Singapore Air Force KC-135R ARR 8 20, 2012 and is believed to have in 1998 were brought up to KC-135R MPRS standard (see Twisters KC-135R MPRS 20 been withdrawn from service due p88-91). The only KC-135E versions exported to date are three to KC-135R test 2 to excessive corrosion discovered Chile, which entered service in 2008 to replace its elderly Boeing 707 KC-135T 54 during maintenance at Tinker – an tankers. Five more KC-135s are stored with AMARG for potential NC-135W 1 unplanned retirement. purchase under the US Foreign Military Sales programme. OC-135B 2 The 97th Air Mobility Wing’s In April 2013, the US approved the sale of an unspeci ed number of RC-135S 3 KC-135R 61-0312 (c/n 18219) – KC-135s to Israel as part of a new arms deal. Israel currently operates RC-135U 2 the  rst of 15 tankers to be retired eight elderly former Boeing 707 airliners as tankers at Nevatim Air Base, RC-135V 8 as part of the Force Structure near Beer Sheva, and its primary purpose for the KC-135s is to provide RC-135W 9 Reduction authorised by the 2013 air refuelling for its strike aircraft. Although their precise number and TC-135W 3 National Defense Authorization Act the timescale have yet to be revealed, it is expected the KC-135s will WC-135C 1 – arrived at David-Monthan from undertake major overhaul before delivery. WC-135W 1 Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma on The  ve aircraft are KC-135Es, serial numbers 57-1482 (c/n 17553), February 21, 2013. Seven of the 57-1511 (c/n 17582), 58-0053 (c/n 17798), 58-0064 (c/n 17809), and jets were drawn from AMC, three from USAFE (although these will have 58-0096 (c/n 17841), and are believed to be those the US Government been replaced in European service), seven from the ANG and one from has set aside for the Israeli Air Force. the AFRC. Despite their authorisation for retirement,  ve of the active- The US Air Force KC-X programme to replace the KC-135 with duty tankers are destined to join the reserves at a future date. the KC-46A Pegasus (the Boeing KC-767) has been the subject of political wrangling for years. The cost of 179 new tankers is so EXPORT TANKERS huge that production will be spread out over many years, the  nal examples possibly not being delivered until around 2030. This Surprisingly, the KC-135 achieved little export success, with France would mean some KC-135s having to remain in operation until then, the only customer to obtain the type from new – taking on a dozen completing a service life of 70 years – the equivalent of the C-135F versions in 1963 and 1964 (see Stratotankers in Combat, World War One Sopwith Camel  ghter being operational p38-43). They were operated primarily to support Mirage IV strategic during the  rst ! Bob Archer

375th Air Mobility Wing, , Illinois , McGhee Tyson Airport, Tennessee 906th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R** 151st Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R Daily tasking from , Illinois Air National Guard 137th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma 185th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R* , Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa 116th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R* 909th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R ‘ZZ’ Det 1 Joint Regional Marianas, KC-135Rs detached from 151st Air Refueling Wing, Salt Lake City International Airport, Kadena and the continental 191st Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R United States 154th Wing, , Hawaii UNITED STATES AIR FORCES IN EUROPE 203rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R ‘HH’

100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, UK , Lincoln Municipal Airport, Nebraska 351st Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T ‘D’ 173rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R

157th Air Refueling Wing, Pease Air National Guard Base AIR NATIONAL GUARD 133rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R

101st Air Refueling Wing, Bangor International Airport, Maine 161st Air Refueling Wing, Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona 132nd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 197th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R

108th Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, 168th Air Refueling Wing, , 141st Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 168th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R ‘AK’

117th Air Refueling Wing, , Birmingham International Airport, Alabama International Airport, 106th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 146th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135T 147th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135T 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker International Airport, Ohio , Sioux City Municipal Airport, 166th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 174th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R

126th Air Refueling Wing, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 186th Air Refueling Wing, Key Field, Mississippi 108th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R 153rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R

127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan 190th Air Refueling Wing, Forbes Field, Topeka, Kansas 171st Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R/T 117th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R

128th Air Refueling Wing, General Mitchell International Airport, Wisconsin * indicates an associate unit, with reservist crews fl ying active-duty aircraft. 126th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R ** indicates an active-duty squadron whose administrative control is with an active-duty parent wing, but which is located at a reserve facility.

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12 the world ’s greatest tanker and more systems 1 3 5 flight decks, booms and engines

ne of the most important ways in which the US Air Force has been upgrading its eet of KC-135Rs and KC-135Ts, as well as its other models, is to make their ight decks compatible with the modern, highly digital, air traf c management environment. By default, this has meant the US Air Force doing oaway with the navigator’s and ight engineer’s positions on every C-135 ight deck, in order to make the aircraft fully navigable and controllable by just a two-pilot crew. It has also meant the Air Force replacing all of the eet’s 1950s-vintage analogue instruments and navigational systems with digital avionics and displays, which make it easier for the two pilots to absorb all the aircraft systems, air traf c management and navigational information required to y the aircraft ef ciently and safely while satisfying today’s complex airspace and traf c requirements. The cockpit upgrade process, which began in 1997 and includes three distinct phases, will be  nished within a few years. By the time the process is completed, every major KC-135R and KC-135T ight deck component, except the pilot’s seats and a few other minor parts, will have been replaced by a new digital electronic component, says Col Martin O’Grady, KC-135R system programme manager for the US Air Force. By then, all of the 400-plus C-135s remaining in US service should be able to continue performing their missions ef ciently and reliably in the highly digital 21st century operating environment until either the US Department of Defense mandates their replacement or until they reach the limit of their currently speci ed 39,000 ight-hour View from the fl ight deck of a lives. At current annual rates of operation, most US Air Force KC- KC-135R on fi nal approach to Hickam 135s are expected to reach that 39,000- ight-hour  gure between Air Force Base, Hawaii. Neil Dunridge 2040 and 2050.

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PACER CRAG of 8.33kHz adopted by ICAO and air traf c management organisations O’Grady says the rst of the three phases in transforming KC-135  ight to reduce congestion on voice frequencies. It also provided a traf c decks, known as Pacer CRAG, was carried out on all the aircraft in the collision avoidance system, now required on all commercial passenger C-135  eet between 1997 and 2002. Pacer CRAG involved tting each jets; an enhanced ground proximity warning system, again standard aircraft with multi-function displays and an enhanced engine indicating on commercial aircraft; and an automated position-reporting capability, and crew alerting system. the importance of which for any modern large aircraft underlined by the ‘CRAG’ stands for ‘compass, radar and Global Positioning System’, disappearance of Malaysia Airlines  ight MH370 on March 8. or GPS, the United States’ system of low-orbit navigational satellites One of GATM’s main tasks was to provide each aircraft with improved which provide precise timing signals by radio. digital capabilities within CNS/ATM, the basic framework of the satellite- Any GPS receiving system anywhere on the globe that can receive based digital air traf c management system the world’s major air timing signals from four GPS satellites simultaneously can use them navigation service providers (ANSPs) are beginning to put in place. to determine its location precisely in three dimensions on or above From the US Air Force’s point of view, an important example of the earth. Once a purely military system, GPS is now a ubiquitous such a system is the ‘NextGen’ ATM set-up, which the FAA has navigational technology and forms a core aspect of the digital CNS/ begun installing throughout the United States. Not fully functional yet, ATM (communications, navigation, surveillance/air traf c management) NextGen represents the future of US air traf c control and, in its nal environment the world’s aviation authorities now require. form, will rely on automated datalink communications rather than voice transmissions to relay instructions, acceptances and queries between THE GATM PROGRAMME controllers and aircraft. Although NextGen’s funding requirements, and the investment In 2004 the US Air Force began the second modi cation phase –known needed by aircraft operators to equip their aircraft, are controversial as the Block 40.5 upgrade or, more commonly, GATM (Global Air Traf c issues, it will, along with similar systems elsewhere in the world, Management) – which took until 2011 to complete. (One pacing factor afford pilots a high degree of autonomy in routing and  ight pro le in performing digital  ight deck upgrade work on KC-135s has been decision-making. NextGen will offer automatic position reporting, constraints in the funding available for the work.) traf c situational awareness and traf c con ict resolution through a According to O’Grady, GATM equipped each aircraft with digital radios technology known as ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance- capable of handling the reduced air traf c control channel bandwidth Broadcast), which has two components, ADS-B In and ADS-B Out. ADS-B In is the ability of an aircraft to receive transmissions from ground stations and other aircraft, ADS-B Out is the ability of an aircraft to transmit to ground stations and other aircraft. Most US operators of large aircraft reckon they can realise immediate economic bene ts from having their aircraft equipped with ADS-B In, but don’t perceive there being similar immediate bene ts from equipping their aircraft for ADS-B Out. This is one major reason why ADS-B, the GPS-based core navigational and surveillance component of CNS/ATM, is taking so long to implement worldwide. However, one day, when CNS/ATM and ADS-B are in widespread use globally, large aircraft unable to comply with these systems’ navigational and surveillance requirements – and unable to bene t from their powerful capabilities – will become dinosaurs. The US Air Force has no intention of allowing its Stratotankers, elderly though the airframes are, to face such extinction. O’Grady con rms that the GATM upgrades made the KC-135R and KC-135Ts ADS-B-compatible although, to date, a technical solution to provide the aircraft with ADS-B Out has yet to be developed. When it is, “we will incorporate it into the digital backbone” of the KC-135s’  ight deck avionics systems, he says. BLOCK 45 PROGRAMME The third, and nal, upgrade programme – Block 45 – is currently equipping the KC-135s with fully digital  ight-deck environments. Following successful in-service testing with aircraft tted with trial installations in 2012, the Air Force is starting to ramp up its Block 45 upgrade programme Above: Maintainers push a at the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base. F108-CF-100 engine across the hangar fl oor into place under the aircraft’s Like the Pacer CRAG and GATM upgrades, it makes use of a left wing. Each engine weighs around 5,000 pounds and takes several airmen proprietary digital avionics systems interface developed by Rockwell and an engine trailer to move. Airman 1st Class Preston Webb/US Air Force Collins, so any avionics boxes installed under any of the three Below: Maintainers use a crane to lift the engine ring cowl onto the number programmes go back to the company for repair and replacement if they four engine of a KC-135R following replacement of a damaged engine. Lt Christopher Mesnard/US Air Force fail, under a speci c repair contract. But while Pacer CRAG, GATM and early Block 45 installations were installed “via the contractor, our organic resources will implement Block 45 installations for us once we get into [routine] production”, says O’Grady. The Air Force is currently working on four key aspects of the Block 45 programme, according to O’Grady. First is installation of upgraded radio altimeters. Second is a digital  ight director – an overlay on the aircraft’s attitude indicator showing the proper pitch and bank angles required for an aircraft to follow the trajectory selected by the pilot in changing heading and altitude. It is also used in connection with the autopilot when the aircraft is performing autopilot-coupled autoland approaches. Third is installation of a new, all-digital autopilot and fourth is the replacement of 21 analogue engine gauges in each KC-135R and KC- 135T cockpit with digital gauges, on a one-for-one basis. IMPROVED CAPABILITIES The GATM and Block 45 programmes aim to provide all Air Force Stratotankers with improved horizontal and vertical navigation and

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A cradle is attached to the number four engine of a KC-135R to move it from the wing after it is detached. Lt Christopher Mesnard/US Air Force systems

position-locating the Air Force is working to “get down to 0.3 RNP”. For the US Air capabilities, which Force KC-135s in particular, he says, “this pays dividends at high- are required to traf c airports in an effective way”. meet new NATO Achieving the RNP 0.3 navigational standard might also and civilian enable KC-135s to perform fuel-ef cient, quiet and time-saving standards continuous descent approaches to major airports such as for reduced San Francisco International – where air traf c controllers now separation minima routinely offer such procedures to suitably equipped aircraft. (RSM) between aircraft, both vertical PERFORMING UPGRADES (known as RVSM) and horizontal (RHSM). While the US Air Force contracted out the initial Block 45 upgrades The new standards to Rockwell Collins, it’s now in the process of standing up its own are for ANSPs to safely modi cation line at Tinker to carry out the upgrades on most of accommodate more aircraft in the KC-135R and KC-135T eet. any given volume of airspace O’Grady says that initially, at least, the Block 45 – particularly busy airways such programme requires a separate overhaul line: the as those over the United States, approximate 2,500 Europe, the Middle East and the North Atlantic. For example, on North Atlantic airways where radar isn’t available and controllers and pilots must rely on procedural separation, aircraft ying in opposite

directions used to need to be separated by 2,000 feet vertically. Aircraft ‘in train’ on the same track and route had to be longitudinally separated by 50 miles and trailing aircraft had to be ying no faster than the one in front. man-hours Nowadays, the vertical of work required per separation requirement aircraft (over a period of about 30-31 ow days) to install the is 1,000 feet and, upgrades won’t be conducted on any KC-135 at the same time it is for aircraft ying in undergoing Program Depot Maintenance (PDM). One reason for this is train, the longitudinal that “the aircraft that need to be done  rst aren’t necessarily those that separation required is need PDM” in the near future. The Air Force has not yet decided whether 30 miles. to keep the Block 45 upgrade line at Tinker as a stand-alone ‘speed’ line Another or whether to try to eventually incorporate the upgrades into the general requirement is KC-135 PDM process. However, O’Grady reckons that, as more KC- to conform 135s receive their Block 45 upgrades, “then the process will open out The 452nd Air Mobility to the latest Wing’s KC-135R 57-1438 with and we may be able to do it in conjunction with PDM”. standards the fl ying boom in its lowered position That said, he admits “we would run into dif culty on aircraft that need of required and part of the telescopic ‘tube’ extended. extended repairs” – ie, aircraft that need to go into Tinker’s extended- navigation The line used to hydraulically lower and lift ow PDM line because they require a lot of overhaul work, rather than performance the boom is also shown. Scott Dworkin going into the ‘speedy’ PDM line for those not needing extensive repair. (RNP). This He adds: “We would attempt to pick the most logical place in the ow, is a type of to take advantage of the fact the avionics are already removed for PDM performance-based system that enables an aircraft to y a speci c and so we could more effectively and ef ciently install the new boxes.” path between two points in airspace that are precisely de ned in three dimensions. An important requirement for an RNP system is REFUELLING BOOM AND MAINTENANCE that it must be capable of monitoring its own positional accuracy and reliability – and alerting pilots if its performance declines. All KC-135 refuelling booms were manufactured by Boeing when it originally The latest NATO and civilian RNP standard, called RNP 0.3, can produced the KC-135 eet in the 1950s and early 1960s. Because the boom determine an aircraft’s position at any point of its ight path to within a was designed so long ago, it relies on ‘hydraulic/mechanical infrastructure’ radius of 0.3 nautical miles. A growing number of commercial aircraft, to perform its function. Nevertheless, says O’Grady, it remains “extremely however, are now able to operate three-dimensional approaches to an effective in terms of passing gas to our customers”. RNP 0.1 standard: that is, their navigational systems can determine Although the McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender’s refuelling boom three-dimensional aircraft position to within a radius of 0.1 nautical (designed in the late 1970s, more than 20 years after the KC-135’s miles at any point of the ight. This means they can operate very boom) uses a y-by-wire electronic control system and electrically precise three-dimensional instrument approaches to airports that are activated actuators, its fuel transfer rate per minute isn’t much greater either traf c-congested or are located in or near mountainous terrain. than the KC-135’s boom – the KC-10A’s can pass 1,100 gallons of fuel O’Grady says Pacer CRAG and GATM have already given the per minute against the KC-135’s 1,000 gallons per min. Stratotankers “pieces” of that capability, but with the Block 45 upgrade When a KC-135 arrives at Tinker to enter PDM, “we do an ‘inspect

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and replace’ on the boom”, says Theresa Farris, director of the KC- vastly improved their effective payload and performance, both in terms 135 Maintenance Squadron, which forms part of the 564th Aircraft of range and of take-off distance. Maintenance Squadron in Tinker’s 76th Group. Today’s KC-135Rs and KC-135Ts can of oad 50% more fuel, are Every KC-135 boom always needs some parts replaced during each 25% more fuel-ef cient and cost 25% less to operate than the original PDM visit the aircraft makes, she says, but generally these are relatively KC-135A, according to the US Air Force’s of cial KC-135 Stratotanker minor repairs and replacements of perishable parts such as seals. fact sheet. They are 96% quieter than the KC-135A in terms of sideline “For the most part we can do the [boom] repair and overhaul on the noise levels recorded at take-off. Fully laden, they can get airborne in PDM line, but we can’t do extensive repairs.” When a boom requires major 3,500 feet less than that required by the KC-135A. overhaul, her squadron sends it to the 76th Commodities Maintenance Additionally, the operational range of the KC-135R is 60% greater than Group (also at Tinker) for repair and replacement. Tinker generates its that of the KC-135E, according to the of cial speci cation. The KC-135E maintenance expertise for fault- nding and repair of the KC-135 refuelling was a KC-135A re-engined with the Pratt & Whitney TF-33-PW-102 (the US boom just as it does with every other part of the ageing aircraft: “It’s very military version of the JT3D low-bypass turbofan powering the commercial similar to the rest of the [parts of the] aircraft – historically, the engineers Boeing 707-320C). A total of 161 aircraft were converted in a modi cation look at what they might nd [maintenance-wise] in eld ops and then they programme which lasted from the late 1970s until the early 1980s. Some, look at what we nd when it comes into our possession,” says Farris. but not all, KC-135Es were later re-engined again with F108s to become Then they develop xes for the problems they nd. KC-135Rs; the last KC-135E not subsequently re-engined was retired from Ultimately, says John Sneden, KC-135 deputy system programme active-duty and sent for long-term storage and parts reclamation at Davis- manager, in terms of measuring the success of the group’s Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona in 2009. maintenance of KC-135 refuelling booms, The extra payload and range performance the KC-135R and KC-135T offered over the earlier KC-135A, KC- 135E and KC-135Q versions is because the F108, as a relatively modern- generation, high-

bypass turbofan engine, is much more fuel-ef cient. It produces more maximum than either the J-57-P-59W or the TF-33-PW-102. The F108 version used in the 135 family produces almost twice the take- “the key measure for us is having off thrust of the J-57-P-59W, even when that engine was enough available for eld operations, so we operating at maximum power. It produces more than twice as much take- can pulse aircraft through PDM”. off thrust as the J-57-P-59W, when operated at maximum dry thrust. Getting KC-135s back into service after PDM with their refuelling booms fully operational has to be Tinker’s prime aim for KC- THE F108 ENGINE 135Rs and KC-135Ts – because without them, their usefulness to the US Air Force would be enormously diminished. Chris Kjelgaard Although it is a fairly modern engine in terms of the US Air Force’s overall inventory, the F108 is actually quite an early version of an MAINTAINING AND UPGRADING THE F108 ENGINE engine design whose prototype rst ran in 1974 and rst  ew in 1977. That engine, the CFM56 in all its variants, has gone on to be the most Major engine updates and upgrades have kept the long-in-the-tooth successful commercial in history, by a very wide margin. C-135 family of aircraft relevant and capable in modern-mission To date, CFM International – which is a joint venture between US environments. It is unlikely any of the jets would still be  ying with company and French engine manufacturer Snecma the Air Force and its associated Reserve and Air National Guard units – has delivered more than 26,600 CFM56-family engines and holds without the enhancements. orders for several thousand more. The CFM56 will be the rst The re-engining of 500 aircraft with CFM International F108-CF- commercial jet engine to see more than 30,000 examples produced. 100s (the US military designation for the CFM56-2B engine) began in During the rst half of its production life the CFM56 experienced a the early 1980s and continued until the early 1990s. The programme few well-documented reliability issues and failures. However, over the dramatically increased the maximum thrust available to each re-engined course of 35 years in service the engine’s relatively simple architecture aircraft, greatly improved fuel-ef ciency and made it much less noisy. and maintenance-accessible, four-module design has gained the The 135 became much more capable and yet a quieter neighbour. CFM56 a reputation as possibly the most reliable large turbofan engine All the original KC-135s were tted with four Pratt & Whitney J-57-P-59W yet to go into operation. turbojet engines, each of which produced 10,000lb (44kN) of dry thrust, and It is based on the core of the GE Aviation F101 ghter engine approximately 13,000lb (58kN) of wet thrust. The extra wet thrust – thrust (a decision that caused tremendous political wrangling between produced using reheat – was achieved by injecting water into the engines on Washington DC and Paris and the signing of a secret agreement take-off, allowing a second set of fuel injectors to begin operating, without between the US and French governments before the export of the F101 melting the stages or exhaust nozzle. Combustion of the extra technology to France was allowed). The CFM56 is manufactured on injected fuel turned the water into super-heated steam, which passed out of two lines, one in France and one in Indiana. the exhaust nozzle at high speed, increasing the engine’s thrust. Snecma produces the fan, low-pressure (often known as the ‘booster’) and the low-pressure turbine module for the CFM56, PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS while GE Aviation manufactures its high-pressure compressor, and high-pressure turbine as one core module, as well Re-engining of 500 KC-135A, KC-135E and KC-135Qs (the KC- as the engine’s accessory gearboxes. Together the fan and booster 135Q was a KC-135A modi ed to carry the JP-7 fuel required by the represent one module, while the core represents the second. The low- Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird) to KC-135Rs and KC-135Ts, respectively, pressure turbine is the third module and the engine’s various gearboxes

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make up its fourth module. All are independently removable. Curl, propulsion support  ight chief for the 546th Propulsion Maintenance The engine’s 44-blade rst-stage fan creates most of the thrust by Squadron (which is responsible for all F108 overhaul at Tinker): “We have pushing six times as much cold bypass air past the outside of the engine not started our scheduled life-limit component shop visits; we have not casing than the amount of air which enters the core of the engine. There are done any scheduled-maintenance shop visits yet.” three additional booster stages. These feed inlet air into the nine-stage high- To date, every one of the ‘400 to 500’ F108s overhauled during the pressure compressor. By the time the inlet air exits the HPC to enter the engine’s 30-year service life with the Air Force has come to Tinker engine’s annular combustor it has been compressed by a factor of 30.5. because it has required unscheduled maintenance, according to Curl. In the combustor, the compressed inlet air is burned with fuel to create Either the engine had suffered some mishap such as a , hot, high-pressure gas. This exhausts from the back of the combustor to which damaged it to the point it required overhaul, or the engine had drive the F108’s single high-pressure turbine stage (the fact the CFM56 experienced in service a degree of degradation of ef ciency that needed family only has one HPT stage is one of the features that makes it so specialists to strip it down and rebuild. Such degradation might become reliable and easy to maintain) and then to drive the engine’s four low- evident when the engine produces, for instance, a compression ratio pressure turbine stages. The gas then exhausts through the exhaust which is below normal, or an exhaust gas temperature that is too high for nozzle, the still-hot gas mass accounting for a proportion of the engine’s continued reliable operation. overall thrust. Paul Waugh, divisional chief for the Propulsion Sustainment Division at Tinker, said a good illustration of how modern, high-bypass turbofans F108 DEPOT MAINTENANCE are changing the US Air Force’s expectations for engine maintenance is provided by an F108 Tinker received for unscheduled maintenance in All depot maintenance – known as ‘shop visits’ in civilian terminology – for 2013. It was the rst time it had been removed from the wing on which it US Air Force F108 engines is performed at Tinker Air Force Base on the was installed for 26 years and this was for unscheduled maintenance, not outskirts of Oklahoma City. Tinker’s F108 line is located in the enormous for scheduled overhaul or LLP replacement. Building 9001 on the southeast side of the base. Building 9001 also The engine had accumulated more than 20,000  ight cycles, Waugh handles the slightly more powerful, but similar, CFM56-2A version of estimated. the engine used by the US Navy’s E-6A TACAMO aircraft as well as the Thomas Leinneweber, 546th Maintenance Squadron’s chief of CFM56-2B version in the Air Force C-135  eet. General Motors suddenly production support, noted that by early 2014 the F108 holding the Air ended car production in the building in 2001. It remained unoccupied until Force record for cycle life was an engine which had accumulated some 2009 when Oklahoma County leased the vast facility to the Air Force for 22,000 cycles. Some commercial CFM56s have achieved more than 50 years so it could expand its maintenance facilities at Tinker – which was 50,000 cycles on-wing; again, this is as a result of the CFM56’s modular already the service’s largest maintenance base. design. Airlines operating 50,000-cycle engines have been able to remove The Air Force promptly moved much of Tinker’s engine maintenance LLPs by just taking a module from the engine and overhauling it, rather than detaching the entire engine from the wing. Leinneweber said that because CFM International, which makes the F108 engine and every other CFM56, is a joint venture involving Snecma in France, Tinker conferred with Snecma on aspects of F108 maintenance. Snecma also performs aspects of some F108 overhauls, particularly where repairs are needed for the engine’s titanium alloy- based rst-stage fan blades. MAINTENANCE PROCESS Curl said because all of the F108 overhauls to date had been unscheduled removals and many had come from units operating overseas, Tinker typically had “one to two weeks” notice, sometimes even more, of an engine arriving for overhaul. Engines arriving from overseas typically come to one of several locations in the United States and are trucked to Tinker. Oklahoma Air Logistics Center also started in 2013 performing a mid-life CFM Propulsion Upgrade Programme (CPUP) – series of performance work into Building 9001, giving it much more uncluttered space in which to improvements on every F108 which arrives for overhaul. Eventually, every perform the complex tasks associated with complete disassembly, repair, F108 in Air Force service will be given the CPUP upgrade. Curl said it did overhaul and re-assembly of turbofan engines. not require any additional man-hours of labour during an overhaul. New- To some degree the F108 – and other modern, high-bypass turbofan design parts are installed in place of previous-design parts when the older engine types in operation with the US Air Force, particularly on its parts are routinely removed during overhaul. The overall time required to tanker and transport aircraft – is radically different from the turbojet overhaul an engine remains the same. and low-bypass turbofan engines to which the Air Force has long been In the lean-production system adopted for F108 maintenance by the accustomed. This is particularly true when it comes to maintenance, Air Force, the overhaul process is described as a “four-gate system”, because engines such as the F108 and the F117 (the US military according to Leinneweber. This means there are four critical production designation for the PW2040 engine powering the C-17 Globemaster III and ‘gates’, or process stages, through which each engine must pass in the Boeing 757) are much more reliable than any previous ghter, bomber order for its overhaul to be completed. First is disassembly, where or transport engine. each engine is broken down into modules. Overhaul of each module is In commercial-airline operation, most modern high-bypass turbofans then broken down into further, ‘mini-gate’ tasks, each of which must be see their rst shop visit – Program Depot Maintenance (PDM), in Air Force performed within a set time. parlance – when the life-limited parts (LLPs), such as turbine blades and The second gate is kitting up the F108 maintenance crews. Today, compressor blades in engines’ cores, reach speci ed, ‘hard’ life limits said Curl, all the crews have material kit cards which provide the required and must be replaced. Typically, the rst hard-life limit for LLPs is 30,000 materials and indicate tasks for each speci c job. “Jobs are kitted for  ight cycles and, in everyday airline operation, a CFM56 engine on a their needs,” Curl said. Once each overhaul task has been performed, the single-aisle A320 or would require its rst scheduled engine is re-assembled. The engine is tested and nal preparations made shop visit after about ten to 12 years. In some cases, the CFM56’s for re-delivery. modular design allows LLP replacement without the operator needing to In adopting lean-production processes, Tinker has radically changed the remove the engine from the wing. way mechanics are trained on and perform maintenance tasks required to overhaul an F108. In the past, one crew of eight mechanics performed UNSCHEDULED every maintenance task required on an engine and each member of each eight-person crew had to learn how to perform every task needed in No F108 engine in Air Force service has yet reached its scheduled, initial overhauling it. It took 18 months to two years to fully train each mechanic LLP life limit. Typical military aircraft usage – even of transport and tanker for the job. Now, each mechanic only performs one speci c task and it aircraft whose missions don’t usually tax their engines to the utmost – is takes only one to two months to fully train each person that task. much less per year than in commercial operation. As a result, said Leinneweber said F108 engines installed on aircraft arriving at Tinker for

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Left: The tip of the telescopic boom is visible inside the housing. Scott Dworkin Opposite: Mechanics reinstall fasteners in a KC-135’s refuelling boom. The mechanic in the foreground is using a long pole with a magnetic end to carry part of a fastener down inside the boom to a colleague who secures the complete fastener to the skin. Approxi- mately 620, varying kinds of fasteners line the top of the boom. Margo Wright/US Air Force Bottom: Pilots run through pre-fl ight checklists in a KC-135 Stratotanker fi tted with the Pacer CRAG cockpit upgrade. SSgt Jerry Fleshman/US Air Force

induction into its KC-135 PDM (equivalent to an airline ‘D’ check) line were overhaul – which nowadays also involves getting the CPUP upgrade – not usually overhauled by the engine maintenance squadron, even though requires 700 man-hours of work, the enhancement does not add any each F108 on every aircraft is removed and inspected before the aircraft extra time to the process. enters the PDM process. Occasionally an arriving F108 has small defects which require repair on THE CPUP EFFORT base. “On most occasions they would just roster through into supply,” said Leinneweber. “The engine and aircraft sides [of KC-135 PDM] are pretty Most of the work Tinker now has on its F108 to-do list is the upgrades separately managed – this is mainly driven by the reliability of the F108.” involved in the CPUP effort. All engines arriving for full overhaul on an Once each engine is overhauled and re-assembled, it goes into unscheduled basis, or for maintenance requiring work on the engine’s core Tinker’s 33ft diameter test cell. It is not dedicated to the F108, despite the module, will have a variety of compressor, HPT and LPT parts replaced. increasingly high number of F108s that are arriving for overhaul and CPUP Many engines are now scheduled to arrive purely to receive the upgrades. upgrade. It is also used for testing F110, F117 and TF33 engines. Curl CPUP mainly involves replacement, with newly designed blades that said “its volume makes it seem like it’s dedicated to the F108,” noting the have three-dimensional aerofoils, of high-pressure compressor blades volume of the test cell is correlated for the CFM engine. – and seemingly also HPT and LPT blades and vanes – which have two- dimensional aerofoils. By improving the aerodynamics of the core air ow MAINTENANCE METRICS in front of the engine’s annular combustor, and the amount of compression each compressor blade creates for the air entering the combustor, these Overhauling an F108 used to require 106 ow days on average. Curl said parts will allow the F108 to become more fuel-ef cient and more reliable in once lean-production processes were adopted the average ow time maintaining its performance levels. required for each overhaul had fallen to just 55 days, plus three days of In concert with its aerodynamic compressor blade improvements, CPUP “tug time” during which the engine is towed to different locations on the also involves “improved metallurgy” in the HPT and LPT Curl said. The base for testing and  nal preparation for redelivery. In 2013, the lowest- parts – which include an improved HPT nozzle and improved HPT shrouds time overhaul Tinker achieved for an F108 was 49 days. – may allow the engine to run hotter. This appears to make sense because In 2012, Tinker averaged 72 ow days per engine and this allowed it to the higher the compression ratio of the air entering the combustor, the overhaul 117 engines during the year. The base was able to achieve ow- higher the temperature of the combusted gas exiting the combustor. At day times of 49 to 55 days for many engines during 2013 but was unable the very least, improved metallurgy will make the F108’s hot-section parts to average 55 days. Leinneweber said this was because, in introducing more durable in resisting the high temperatures of the exhaust gas. the concurrent CPUP upgrade programme to the F108 overhaul line, Overall, said Curl, CPUP will produce a 10% ef ciency gain for each there were “some supportability issues.” The supply chain for the CPUP F108 in which the upgrades are installed. The fuel burn of each engine materials kits took a while to ramp up to its full delivery rate. will be reduced by 10% over the life of the engine. Additionally, each At the 55- ow-day average rate that Tinker expects to achieve for the F108’s performance-ef ciency levels will decline at a slower rate over the F108 overhaul line, each engine moves from one of the four process gates life of the engine than they do now. For the US Air Force KC-135 to the next every 2.2 days on average, according to Curl. Every two days eet, facing an operating life extending beyond 2040, this will be on average, the 546th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron “sells one to a very important plus. Chris Kjelgaard supply” – in other words, it hands over an overhauled engine to the supply depot – for redelivery when required. Lean production doesn’t just mean quicker F108 overhaul times for Tinker. On average, it is also allowing each engine to be overhauled to a higher initial quality standard. “Our  rst-time pass rates improved by 18% to 92% by  scal 2013, both across the test cell and the quality inspection,” Curl said. The current 55- ow-day overhaul average should easily allow Tinker to achieve 120 F108s per year – the rate the Air Force has estimated the base will need to overhaul and perform concurrent CPUP upgrades for all 1,440 F108s in US Air Force service by 2025. Another reason for the 120-a-year required average is that, in addition to the Air Force’s growing desire to get aircraft with CPUP upgrades into service, unscheduled removals of F108s are gradually becoming more frequent as the engines age – even though no F108 has yet reached its  rst scheduled shop visit for LLP replacement. Not all F108s arriving at Tinker receive a CPUP upgrade. Curl said: “If we’re repairing minor defects such as bird-strike fan damage, we let the engine go out in its original con guration.” Although every full

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 19 airspeedy force materiel com mand line or ext ended flow he US Air Force performs all heavy maintenance work for its Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers in gigantic facilities at Tinker Air Force Base on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. A massive task when you consider that the active-duty Air Force, Reserve and Air National Guard units still operate more than 390 KC-135 tankers from a total of 820 C-135s, tas well as 30 special mission variants, such as the RC- 135V and RC-135W Rivet Joints. All KC-135s are elderly: by early 2014, the oldest still in service numbered 56 years, the youngest was 48 and the average age was 52, according to John Sneden, the US Air Force’s KC-135 deputy system programme manager. All the USAF KC-135Rs and KC-135Ts were re-engined between the mid-1980s and early 1990s with CFM International F108s, the F108 being the USAF’s designation for the CFM56-2 commercial engine. The F108 was offered with either 26,000lb (115.65kN) of maximum take-off thrust – in the CFM56-2A version powering the US Navy’s E-6A Mercury TACAMO aircraft – or 22,000lb (97.86kN), in the CFM56-2B powering the smaller KC-135R and KC-135T. One of the highest-production families of large-aircraft turbofan engines ever developed, the F108 represented a revolution in fuel ef ciency and engine reliability for the KC-135. (We discuss the F108 maintenance process in Flight Decks, Booms and Engines, p12-19.) The F108 helped improve the KC-135’s performance to the point where in 2003 the US Department of Defense ordered the US Air Force to keep the  eet in service for the rest of its cycle life – effectively prolonging its service life by up to 40 years. Assuming the Air Force is still operating the KC-135 by 2040, when many of them would be nearing their expected airframe life cycle limit of 39,000  ying hours, the oldest could be over 80. Today, with the majority of the USAF’s KC-135s already having celebrated their 50th birthdays, airframe corrosion has increasingly become a maintenance challenge and all are now on a xed ve-year cycle for Program Depot Maintenance (PDM), says Col Martin O’Grady, KC-135 system programme manager for the US Air Force. This means that, every 60 months, each aircraft must undergo PDM (equivalent to a full D check for a commercial jet), regardless of how many  ight cycles it might have accumulated in the previous ve years. (Sneden says the USAF typically sees more hours and  ight cycles accumulating over a 60-month period on aircraft it operates overseas, either on a permanently stationed basis or on deployment.) Tinker Air Force Base is home to a vast Air Force Sustainment Center known as the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex (OKALC) which performs all KC-135 PDM work.

BEGINNING THE KC-135R PDM PROCESS Theresa Farris, director of the KC-135 Maintenance Squadron, which forms part of the 564th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron in OKALC’s 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group, says KC-135 PDM comprises ve ‘gates’ – each a key part of the overall PDM. The KC-135s arriving for PDM go through all ve gates, however, one of these comprises two alternative

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A KC-135 undergoes Program Depot Maintenance in Building 3001 at Tinker. All images Margo Wright/US Air Force unless noted

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pathways, the choice of which is dictated by the condition of the individual aircraft; one pathway is less time-consuming than the other. The rst gate is known as pre-dock. Here, the aircraft is physically disassembled to a degree: its four F108 engines and associated equipment are removed, as are its avionics and cockpit instruments. The avionics and instruments are sent to the 76th Commodities Maintenance Group for servicing. The engines are thoroughly inspected to see if they need to be overhauled while the aircraft is undergoing PDM. Brian Johnson, branch chief for GE engine work at Tinker and the KC-135 programme of ce’s F108 equipment specialist, says that since each engine is maintained on a condition-monitored basis, and only overhauled if the inspection considers it necessary many of those removed from KC- 135s prior to PDM are sent to OKALC’s spares inventory for storage until required. However, if, upon removal from the aircraft’s wing during pre-dock and inspection, an engine is deemed to be in need of repair or overhaul it is sent to the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group on the base.

SPEEDY VERSUS EXTENDED FLOW Assessing whether an aircraft requires the extended  ow (for instance, if the NDI and visual inspections show that parts of its structure suffer from cracking and corrosion) or can go into the speedy line is one of the most important decisions on which OKALC bases its entire process for the KC-135 family. This is because Building 3001 – which contains all nine docks for the KC-135 PDM line – only has two doors capable of handling these aircraft and the line runs in a U-shape, so aircraft may enter by one door and leave by another. Aircraft requiring extended  ow PDM and which, on average, are immobilised for more than two months at a time must go into those docks farthest from the doors in order not to trap the aircraft undergoing the much less time-consuming speedy line PDM process. If the intensive inspections in the ‘eye dock’ indicate that the aircraft requires different maintenance tasks which can’t be performed concurrently, but must be performed one after the other, it enters the extended  ow process. The aircraft is jacked up in one of the four

Also removed in pre-dock are all  ight-control surfaces:  aps, slats, spoilers, elevators and (for servicing as necessary), the refuelling boom and the entire vertical stabiliser. Removal of the vertical stabiliser is necessary because the KC-135 PDM line is housed inside Building 3001 which was constructed in the days before large – its ceiling simply isn’t high enough to accommodate a KC-135 with its vertical stabiliser attached. The ceiling can’t be increased in height because 3001 is a historically listed building. Next, the PDM-bound aircraft enters the paint-strip facility where, over a period of hours, a chemical wash is applied to remove its outer coats of paint, stripping it down to bare metal. The aircraft then enters the ‘eye dock’, where it is thoroughly inspected inside and out, using non-destructive inspection (NDI) techniques and checked over visually to look for cracks and corrosion. These inspections assess whether the aircraft requires a long, ‘extended  ow’ PDM process or whether the necessary work can be accomplished using the shorter pathway, which the KC-135 maintenance personnel call the ‘speedy’ line.

This page from top: Air refuelling boom shop sheet metal mechanics reinstall fasteners in a KC-135 boom. One is seen using a long pole with a magnetic end that carries part of a fastener down inside the boom to his colleague who secures the complete fastener to the skin. Around 620 various kinds of fasteners line the top of the boom; An F108 engine core is assembled in Tinker’s Building 9001; A mechanic works on an F108 engine in the 546th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron’s assembly shop; A sheet metal mechanic installs nut plates on a moon rib of a KC-135 rudder. The KC-135 Rudder Shop is one of many production areas that the 551st Commodities Maintenance Squadron has implemented one-piece modular fl ow assembly line improvements. Dave Faytinger/US Air Force

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docks available for extended ow PDM and its landing gear units are removed. The aircraft is immobilised within a supporting rig-and-jack so that its structural integrity is not compromised, according to Farris. Aircraft destined for the speedy line keep their landing gears, so they can be moved independently of any supporting structures. THE TERMINAL FITTINGS CHALLENGE One of the most important tasks determining whether an aircraft needs to enter the extended ow PDM process or can go into the much quicker speedy line is assessing whether the left and right terminal  ttings, which respectively secure the aircraft’s left and right wings tightly to its fuselage, need to be replaced because of cracking or corrosion. “The check itself is very, very complicated,” says Sneden. “We have to tear apart a lot of major structure,” to obtain access to each terminal  tting. Sneden says that because the C-135 family’s design dates from the early 1950s and re ects the state of the art from 60 years ago, each of these  ttings has to be removed individually and can’t be replaced at

the same time. Each terminal  tting is located deep within a wing fuel tank, into which mechanics must crawl in order to remove the  tting – which is a 150lb piece of metal – and then manoeuvre it around several pieces of wing structure to get it out of the tank for replacement. “The mechanics are in the tanks pulling it around and they have got very good at it,” says Sneden. Because the C-135 family was designed in an age long before computerised precision drilling was available to drill the holes for the bolts securing the terminal  ttings to the fuselage, “there are degrees of variability of the tolerances in each  tting,” Sneden says. This means each aircraft is unique in terms of the precise locations of the fuselage bolt holes for each terminal  tting, and the positions of the holes are consequently unique in each  tting. Accordingly, any new terminal  tting must be drilled individually so its bolt holes are in exactly the right places to match those in the fuselage. Mechanics must crawl in and out of the wing tanks several times with the 150lb terminal  tting to measure the location of each bolt hole

This page from top: Painters from the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group’s service section use a lift to access the top of a Stratotanker to spray it with a chemical solution called Plane Naked, used for stripping paint off the aircraft. Meticulous preparation and masking takes place to safeguard areas not to be coated. Covering the aircraft takes less than an hour and the stripping process lasts several hours; Painters scrub loosened paint, primer and the pink paint stripper from a B-52 nose cowling (left) and use a high-powered water spray to remove similar materials from KC-135 spoilers (right); A painter pulls on gloves and protective gear before painting ruddevators – the wings of the high-speed refuelling boom – in a paint booth; A technician checks for leaks on a fuel bladder, one of 16 from the body of the aircraft. This process starts by putting ammonia in the rubber bladder which is then pressurised and covered with a specially treated cloth. Any leaks show as pink on the cloth.

to see whether the locations of the holes in each new terminal  tting match up exactly to those in the fuselage. If they don’t, the process of drilling a new terminal  tting has to start again. POST-PDM STEPS Once an aircraft leaves the PDM line, it goes to the operational check-out facility elsewhere on the base. There its vertical stabiliser is re- tted, its engines and cockpit instrumentation and avionics are re-installed and the aircraft is given a ‘10.9 cabin pressure test’. (The standard cabin air pressure in a metal-fuselage commercial or military jet transport is 10.9psi – the pressure test must show this is maintained when the air pressure outside is equivalent to that at the aircraft’s maximum cruising altitude.) The aircraft also undergoes a 24-hour fuel leak test to make sure that none of the fuel tank bladders are leaking after being removed, serviced and re-installed during the PDM process. After all remaining defects have been  xed in the operational check-out facility, a series of engine runs are performed outdoors, at different throttle

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Left: A KC-135 is prepared for refuelling on the fl ight line run by Tinker’s resident 507th Air Refueling Wing. The vehicle shown in this shot is called an R-12 and acts as a hydrant system, pumping fuel from a storage tank to refuel the aircraft faster than using several fuel trucks. Opposite top: KC-135A Stratotanker 58-0016 from 1962-1963. Courtesy photo via US Air Force Below from left: The KC-135 has 10 squibs, miniature explosive devices that instigate release of fi re retardant in the event of an engine fi re. Here a mechanic removes squibs from a KC-135’s No.3 strut before the aircraft is moved into a hangar for PDM work; A technician monitors a turret lathe while machining a raw billet of metal into a hinge shaft for a KC-135 horizontal stabiliser. When an aircraft needs a part that can’t be found, or is cost prohibitive, or when the threat of a fl eet-grounding looms, the Manufacture Machining Section can usually provide a solution; A mechanic from the 551st Commodities Maintenance Squadron reinstalls the electrical and hydraulic lines in a refuelling boom nozzle. The nozzle protects the boom; The 551st Commodities Maintenance Squadron uses a ‘wash and strip’ shop for stripping paint and washing, in this shot a right-hand outboard fl ap; A jet engine mechanic assembles an F108 engine; A sheet metal mechanic inspects the fl oors of a KC-135 in the inspection dock. Once all of the fabric in the fuselage and fl oors of the aircraft is completely removed, the aircraft is thoroughly sprayed with a corrosion preventative compound – a process that takes approximately three days. Kelly White/US Air Force

settings. With this done the aircraft will either be repainted in Tinker’s paint the aircraft, says Farris. It often involves replacing the leading-edge shop or can perform its functional check ight before going for re-painting. spar on each wing, with up to 55ft (16.76m) replaced per wing. The functional check ight – with only the two pilots on board – lasts The process also often involves replacing both forward fuselage about three hours and tests the aircraft’s performance in different areas skins, which have become increasingly prone to corrosion over the of the ight envelope. During the check ight, the pilots also perform years. In addition, cables, pulleys, bearings and other parts are approaches and monitor the aircraft’s avionics and autopilot function. replaced if inspection shows they require it. Each aircraft’s refuelling Other checks are also carried out, including ying the refuelling boom to boom is inspected and OKALC always  nds some parts – particularly ensure it is functioning properly. cables – require replacement or repair. “For the most part, we can do Sneden says that if the aircraft performs its functional check ight [boom] repairs and overhauls on the PDM line,” says Farris, but those before it is repainted, the aircraft is weighed before the ight in order requiring extensive repairs are sent to the 76th Commodities Repair for its weight and balance to be provided to the pilots. However, if it Group, elsewhere on the base. is repainted before the functional check ight – the paint adds 420lb Farris estimates that approximately 1,000 direct material parts – to 500lb to the overall weight – OKALC uses a very accurate way structural or other major parts – are involved during the PDM of every (developed in-house) of calculating weight and balance  gures for KC-135, on average, along with “thousands of indirect material parts the aircraft without needing to actually weigh it. Development of this – nuts, bolts and washers etc.” The KC-135 line mechanics work from calculation has saved OKALC three PDM ‘ ow days’ per aircraft, on approximately 1,700 work-control planning documents, so every aircraft average. (PDM duration, measured in ow days, is the period for which on the PDM line has a scheduler assigned to control and distribute the any given aircraft is involved in the PDM process, from entering the pre- documents as needed. Scheduling is also required for delivery and check dock to being passed as fully functional for return to its unit). assignment of repair materials to the aircraft. Of 1,400 people in the KC-135 Maintenance Squadron, 1,200 are PDM TASKS AND SUPPORT mechanics and 200 support staff. In addition to this staff complement, the squadron can also call upon the planning and technical resources The PDM for a KC-135 – particularly for an aircraft requiring extended of the KC-135 System Program Of ce (for technical guidance on any ow PDM – represents, “basically, a complete physical tear-down,” of unusual maintenance challenges during PDM) as well as a maintenance

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“Over the last ten years we’ve seen a very steady state, in the average amount of work required on each aircraft during each PDM visit. We’re still seeing it steady at 28,000-30,000 hours per aircraft. Moving forward, we anticipate we will stay roughly in that range.” John Sneden, KC-135 Deputy System Programme Manager, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex

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procedures and analysis of ce on the base. Below: Emblems of (top to bottom) the , the Oklahoma City Farris’s squadron can also count on the resources Air Logistics Center and the Air Force Sustainment Center. of a dedicated ‘Constraint Buster Core Team’. This US Air Force special team can rapidly ease any bottleneck Opposite top: A 10th Flight Test Squadron crew work with Air Logistics Center maintenance engineers during a pre-fl ight affecting PDM on the line, from a missing part to inspection on a jet fresh from the depot. The pre-fl ight modi cation of a maintenance procedure. The may take up to three hours before the aircraft is fl own on team includes staff from the System Program its functional check fl ight to ensure its airworthiness. Of ce, the parts supply-chain organisation, the Opposite middle left: A mechanic watches a KC-135 refuel- logistics organisation and the maintenance planners. ling boom side skin being pressed into shape on a 300-ton stretch draw press in the sheet metal manufacturing All of the members of this team are located shop at Tinker. in one of ce. “Their number one task is to Opposite middle right: This shot shows an aircraft identify and solve any constraints that come toolmaker working in the main landing gear up on a day-to-day basis, and also to trunnion area under the point where the wing look at long-term strategic xes for these bolts onto the fuselage. The toolmaker is in the process of designing a tool planeside that helps problems,” says Sneden. remove corrosion. Opposite bottom left: A work leader and a material PDM PERFORMANCE METRICS expeditor look through a KC-135 super kit in the inspection dock. The kit is a time-saving solution that The entire ve-gate PDM process – from induction cuts days from the production process and improves mechanics’ work fl ow by having parts ready and waiting for of a KC-135 into pre-dock until it leaves Tinker for its the aircraft’s arrival. unit after a successful functional check  ight – averages 122 Opposite bottom right: Uncrating a KC-135 fl ap in the ‘wash and strip’ shop.  ow days and approximately 28,000 man-hours of work per aircraft, according to Sneden. That amount of work can rise to around 30,000 PDM CHALLENGES man-hours if an aircraft requires special inspections. This 122-day average represents a “100-day improvement over Providing PDM for elderly KC-135s has both its satisfactions and its ve years ago,” says Farris. It allows OKALC to complete PDM for an occasionally onerous challenges. Farris says the best aspect of the job average of 65 KC-135s a year, though Farris says the Maintenance her squadron does is that its workforce, along with its counterparts in the Squadron achieved 68 completed PDMs in 12 months programme of ces, is very highly motivated to do a superb recently – a rate required for the next year or two. job, because her people are keenly aware of just how old OKALC is achieving the 122- ow-day rate with an the aircraft are on which they are working. average of 20 to 21 aircraft on station at any time The squadron’s workers are also highly and every ve days, a different KC-135 arrives at experienced, because most of them are long-term the complex. employees. Also, because each aircraft in the US Air Farris says it is a “dramatic” improvement on the Force’s  eets of KC-135s are visiting OKALC for PDM rate Tinker was achieving in 2000. In that year, 50 every ve years, they are also very familiar with many aircraft were awaiting PDM on station, but the of the individual aircraft in the  eets, “because they facility was only able to complete 38 aircraft have seen them so often,” notes Farris. on an average of more than 400 days. At that However, the growing dif culty in sourcing point – and even just ve years ago – the original or manufacturer-produced parts is need for KC-135 PDM involved so many becoming very obvious. “It’s not so much aircraft that the US Air Force contracted having to engineer our own parts, as having out half of the work to Boeing at its huge to nd suitable existing parts [that is creating maintenance facility in San Antonio. challenges],” says Sneden. “With diminishing Now, all KC-135 PDM is handled manufacturer support available, we have to “organically” at OKALC, according to Farris. This engineer new repairs to keep the aircraft safe. We’re was made possible by OKALC’s continuous process using technology as it becomes available – for instance, improvement programme, she says, noting that further we’re using different, more durable types of aluminium alloy performance improvements are in the pipeline. “Contingent to replace that of the 1950s [originally present in the aircraft]. It on how many aircraft [the USAF has] in inventory, from a System takes a very concerted effort between the programme of ce and the Program Of ce perspective, we will eventually get to a steady-state maintenance organisation. This is pushing us into uncharted territory – output of 75 a year,” said Farris. we’re really re-setting the life of this aircraft [type] every PDM cycle.” Much of the credit for the huge improvement in OKALC’s average This challenge requires the programme of ce to collect and ve-gate PDM performance improvement must go to the KC-135 assimilate all KC-135 maintenance and operating information available Maintenance Squadron and its planning and technical-support groups. from the eld organisations (the squadrons and stations operating Together they have improved an aircraft’s average extended the aircraft). The of ce combines this information  ow PDM from 120 days ve years ago to a typical 65 with the maintenance data produced by the depot- days now – although some may spend as much as 82 maintenance organisation, to develop a complete days or as few as 45 in extended  ow PDM. understanding of the issues affecting the already- The average time spent by aircraft on the speedy elderly KC-135  eet. “It’s a job this particular line in Building 3001 is “a very steady-state” 35 team is very good at and has a great amount days, according to Farris. “It really takes 35 days for of success with, in keeping [KC-135 operations] most aircraft, sometimes 34,” she says. happening on a daily basis.” To meet its 68-aircraft annual target, the KC-135 Fleet maintenance needs are changing as Maintenance Squadron needs ten aircraft in the aircraft and their systems age and the PDM at all times and needs to achieve a Department of Defense sanctions new 47-day average between the speedy and modi cation and upgrade programmes for extended  ow gates. The requirement is the aircraft. “In a series of years [during a being achieved. particular PDM cycle], we might be doing Farris says that, historically, 60% of the a lot of rewiring or  ight controls,” says KC-135s visiting OKALC for PDM go to the Sneden. “There is some ebb and  ow in the speedy line and the balance to the extended type of work which needs to be performed  ow line. “We have been able to model that,” during PDM. However, over the last ten years she says. “But what we can’t control are the we’ve seen a very steady state, in the average  ows of the different kinds of aircraft we get one after amount of work required on each aircraft during each another. OKALC sometimes receives four or ve extended PDM visit. We’re still seeing it steady at 28,000-  ow aircraft in a row – but it can also see even more aircraft 30,000 hours per aircraft. Moving forward, we anticipate consecutively going to the speedy line. we will stay roughly in that range.” Chris Kjelgaard

26 the world ’s greatest tanker and more air force materiel com mand 1 3 5

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 27 united states air forc es in europe square

he Boeing KC-135 has had a long association with RAF Mildenhall. The initial unit was Detachment 1, 98th Strategic Wing (SW), which relocated from RAF Upper Heyford in January 1970 – its headquarters being located at Torrejon Air Base, Spain. The detachment’s role was primarily to support rotational RC-135 operations in Europe. t The 98th SW inactivated when replaced by the 306th SW on August 15, 1976, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany – although no aircraft were located there. Instead, the KC-135s were based at Mildenhall, which increased complement signi cantly when the rotation to Torrejon ceased. The 306th SW relocated to Mildenhall on July 1, 1978, thereby returning a complete, ‘numbered’ Strategic Air Command (SAC) organisation to the Suffolk base. The change brought responsibility for organising the European Tanker Task Force to the UK and at the same time consolidated air refuelling at one location. Around 16 KC-135s rotated to Mildenhall on temporary duty from the United States at any one time, including aircraft from SAC units, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. Despite being dedicated to the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), control was retained by SAC. While this operational organisation was adequate, there was a requirement for a dedicated USAFE air refuelling squadron with aircraft wholly committed to the requirements of the European theatre. To satisfy the need, the 100th Air Refueling Wing was activated at Mildenhall on February 1, 1992 with 15 KC-135Rs assigned to the 351st Air Refueling Squadron. The unit operates 24 hours a day, every united states air forc es in europe 1 3 5 Matthew Clements

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 29 speed is around 160 knots, depending on the speed is around airborne in 7,000-8,000 feet of runway. Rotation airborne in 7,000-8,000 feet of runway. Air refuelling areas (ARAs) are located throughout located throughout (ARAs) are areas Air refuelling Departure is quite sprightly, with the KC-135 is quite sprightly, Departure enabling the aircraft to reach cruising altitude quickly, quickly, cruising altitude to reach enabling the aircraft is also respectable, at around 3,000 feet per minute, 3,000 feet per at around is also respectable, weight of the aircraft. Likewise, the climb to altitude weight of the aircraft. the UK’s  ight information region, most positioned ight information region,  the UK’s saving considerable fuel. over the sea. Before arriving in the assigned ARA, the arriving in the assigned ARA, over the sea. Before runway. parking area, slowly taxiing to the end of the active parking area, Lying in a prone position, he or she conducts a test in a prone Lying the brakes and applies power to move the aircraft from the from the brakes and applies power to move the aircraft boomer moves to the boom pod at the rear of the aircraft and of the aircraft boomer moves to the boom pod at the rear raises the covers over the windows. Missions usually begin three hours before departure when the three when the three departure hours before three Missions usually begin all commander ensures the aircraft ng, ight brie During the pre- chief and met by the crew driven to the aircraft The pilots and boomer are every through the pilots methodically read ight checklists, Using pre- engine is powered the number three Once engine start is approved commander releases the aircraft Flight deck checks continue before The boomer must maintain contact with each receiver, The boomer must maintain contact with each receiver, number of factors, including the duty roster, leave, the requirement leave, the requirement roster, including the duty number of factors, usually checks. The latter can ciency training and pro for personnel with or training sorties, during either operational be accomplished accompanying or boom operator by a senior pilot evaluation conducted New of the mission. and overseeing all aspects ight crew the  before operational be declared at Mildenhall must personnel arriving their own right. ying sorties in  all aspects the 351st ARS building to review meet in crewmembers passenger/cargo, ight. The types of mission – air refuelling, of the  at little of operations – differ another theatre or transit to aeromedical guration of the than determining the con the planning stage, other to then reviewed to airmen) are (notices NOTAMs The day’s aircraft. ight. the  might affect check information that explained to the co-pilot and boomer who are aspects of the mission , sections of the brief (see In Flight with Quid 62 their own both present be such that weather must British climate are p31). The vagaries of the period of the mission and alternative diversion for the entire considered elds briefed. air ciently suf are ed or recti to discuss any maintenance issues that have been all about providing are missions the mission. Air refuelling minor not to affect cient for the tanker, fuel load (suf – so the KC-135’s aircraft fuel to receiver Ensuring the is of paramount importance. and a reserve) the receivers is the most ten tanks evenly between the KC-135’s fuel payload is spread discussed Fuel details are balance. important factor in maintaining a proper ed the aircraft is satis commander chief, and once the aircraft with the crew the jet. board he or she and the crew is airworthy, begin with a call Radio transmissions item, interacting with each other. tower and the base command post. to the control one and, by four, power unit, followed into life with the aid of a ground two. nally, manoeuvre with the boom, in accordance with a checklist, to ensure the ensure to with a checklist, accordance in boom, with the manoeuvre the usually approach system is fully functioning. Single heavy aircraft ghters join on the left side. behind while cells of tanker from while skilfully guiding the telescopic end of communicating directions Once connected, the boom is buffeted the boom into the receptacle.

Henri-Pierre Grolleau ’ the world s tanker greatest and more All  ying requests are submitted to the 603rd and then devolved to submitted to the 603rd are ying requests All  andes the 351st ARS the 100th OG noti Once the schedule is received, The 603rd Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) at RamsteinThe 603rd A much-reduced US ghter presence in Europe means the 100th in Europe presence ghter US A much-reduced practise air refuelling ghter aircraft In addition, allies’ than 3,000 personnel with more The 100th ARW, FLIGHT CREWS AND MISSION PRE-FLIGHT co-pilot and commander, consist of a pilot/aircraft Flight crews scheduling is based on a or ‘boomer’. Aircrew boom operator, co-ordinates all requests for aviation activity within Europe and Africa, the for aviation activity within Europe all requests co-ordinates unit of its kind that supports two combatant commands. only Air Force (ARCT) which, manned by experienced Team the Air Refueling Control tours, can prioritise missions for training and serving ground aircrew schedules them into theoperations. The ARCT plans the requests, the schedule to the 100th OG. and then forwards monthly programme colloquially and collectively known as the ‘horse blanket’,Flight requests, The request passengers or cargo. – air refuelling, cover all requirements although planning takes system is divided into four quarters each year, beyond those periods. place for operations and exercises (OSS) units. The 100th Operations Support Squadron other subordinate combatight scheduling, intelligence, support activities including  provides eld operations, air air communications, survival training, weather, crew management and ight records life support supervision,  c control, traf Groupight data analysis. It is supported by the 100th Maintenance  l to ful cient fully operational aircraft suf are there (MXG) which ensures special inspections, servicing, the schedule including launch, recovery, and component replacement. troubleshooting DAY-TO-DAY TASKING has For day-to-day operations, the 100th ARW units. devolved tasking to a number of subordinate (OG) has responsibility The 100th Operations Group of missions, aircraft of the 351st ARS, and administers control ying tasks. maintenance, and a host of non- day of the year, although where possible missions are restricted during restricted possible missions are although where day of the year, US and some UK public holidays. to US heavy air refuelling provide KC-135s can routinely ARW’s and strategic airlift intelligence, reconnaissance, bombers, electronic in other theatres, the continent for operations deploying across aircraft especially the Middle East. with the wing during training missions. for administering the assigned, is responsible Mildenhall base and supporting the 352nd Special areas. and other Europe throughout Operations Group

30 united states air forc es in europe in es forc air states united united states air forc es in europe 1 3 5

Left: Six KC-135 Stratotankers move down the taxiway as part of a training exercise to validate the 100th Maintenance Group’s ability to generate full mission capable aircraft. SSgt Jeanette Copeland/US Air Force Opposite inset: Nose art applied to a 100th Air Refueling Wing tanker commemorating the legacy of the B-17 Flying Fortress-equipped 100th Bomb Group, which was based at Station 139, Thorpe Abbots, Suffolk, England from June 8, 1943. Henri-Pierre Grolleau Opposite bottom: A maintainer from the 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron inspects com- ponents on an F108-CF-100 engine. Henri-Pierre Grolleau Matthew Clements

up and down by turbulence as the two aircraft are in such close often requires a tug to complete parking because aircraft are frequently proximity to one another. Pilots of some types are able to watch the parked tail-to-tail on the same apron. With wheel chocks in place and procedure unfold, but those ying the F-22, F-35 and B-2 cannot ground crew in position, the engines are shut down. Post- ight checks because the receptacles on these types are positioned so far out their are completed before the aircraft is of cially returned to the squadron. cockpits are directly beneath the rear of the tanker. The ight crew then board a bus for the short journey back to the Boomers’ thorough training and experience ensures that multi-million squadron building and a post- ight brie ng. dollar aircraft (or billion-dollar in the case of the B-2) routinely refuel safely. Maintenance personnel assigned to the 100th Aircraft Maintenance Lying in the prone position, they diligently monitor activities while adeptly Squadron then descend on the aircraft to check and replenish engine handling the control stick which manoeuvres the boom hydraulically. oil and rectify any faults, known as ‘write-ups’, listed by the crew While receivers are replenishing their tanks, the aircraft commander during the sortie. Bob Archer and co-pilot remain busy maintaining the tanker within the ARA at a steady altitude. It is imperative it avoids turbulence as much as IN FLIGHT WITH QUID 62 possible. The pilots also monitor the ow of fuel from each tank, ensuring they do not run dry, and that equilibrium is maintained to Captain Micah Vander Veen, aircraft commander, announced: “Good prevent an imbalance to the centre of gravity. morning. Our mission today: refuel US Air Force and Hellenic Air Force In the case of multiple receivers, the cell remains in formation with the F-16s taking part in the Tactical Leadership Programme exercise, in tanker while each aircraft is refuelled. Disconnection is usually called by Spain.” The three other crew members, 1st Lieutenant Brian Sump, the receiver who throttles back and descends slightly to clear the boom. the co-pilot; and Staff Sergeant Jonathan Brown and Master Sergeant Larger aircraft such as the B-2 Spirit and C-5 Galaxy can create a Walter Markwas, two boom operators, all listen intently. ‘bow wave’ effect pushing air between the two aircraft which actually “Our call sign: Quid 62. Take-off time: 11.45Z. Landing time: 17.35Z. forces them apart. We have been allocated the W3 track over the Mediterranean, in French While air refuelling requires total concentration by all involved, connecting airspace. Two other tankers, Quid 61 and Merlin 63, a French C-135FR with the larger types of aircraft can be extremely taxing, because they from Istres, will also take part in the mission. We will refuel at FL270. often remain in formation for much longer periods than smaller types. The two others will be stacked below, Quid 61 at FL230, and Merlin 63 Furthermore, larger types often undertake multiple contacts or hook-ups. at FL190. We will use the air-to-air TACAN for the rendezvous. Brian, On completion of the refuelling sequence, the boomer raises the you will check the frequency before leaving. The F-16s will be refuelled boom to the stowed position and returns the window cover to its place. at 315/335 knots, with one pump. Transit back to Mildenhall is normally own direct to enable the tanker “We will be carrying 129,800 pounds of fuel. The two Aviano-based to arrive back without delay. Quite often suf cient fuel remains for the F-16s have each requested 6,000lbs of fuel and the two Hellenic Air Force crew to practise touch-and-go landings within the pattern at Mildenhall. F-16s 6,000lbs. Bingo will be 44,000lbs, and we will land with 23,000lbs of The aircraft will land at between 140 and 170 knots indicated air fuel remaining. Any question? No? Let’s go to the bus then.” speed, depending on its weight and aps setting, and roll to the end of The author was privileged to join the crew of Quid 62. the runway before taxiing back to a parking spot. Walter Markwas, a very experienced boom operator had travelled Ground crews marshal the huge tanker into position, although it from Ramstein, Germany, where he is part of the Staneval (standards

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 31 united states air forc es in europe

and evaluation) team at the United States Air Forces in Europe HQ. He and 45° when using a wheel on the port side of the cockpit. At the was ying for a currency renewal and his instructor, Jonathan Brown, holding point, the  nal checks were rapidly performed. When ready, closely monitored his performance. we lined up on runway 11. The throttles were pushed to maximum When everything was ready, the  ve of us walked to the air-conditioned power, and we rapidly climbed away with Quid 61 following us ten bus which drove us to the ight line. Our allocated aircraft, KC-135R 58- minutes later. After a standard departure from Mildenhall, we transited 0100, the wing commander’s agship, adorned special markings. round London under London Military air traf c control before crossing Accompanied by the crew chief, the captain immediately began the the channel and contacted French civilian air-controllers for the usual pre- ight check while the rest of the crew climbed the vertical long ight south. On the way, we cruised at Mach 0.75 in excellent ladder leading straight to the ight deck. weather conditions. Refuelling operations are conducted in speci c areas because COMPLEX PROCEDURES of the large volume of airspace required. Now ying at 27,000 feet, we approached the anchor point of the W3 air-to-air refuelling Comprehensive checks are always required for such a large tanker and track, south of Montpellier and west of Perpignan, high over the the crew spent about 30 minutes going through check lists and double Mediterranean. The racetrack orbit was own on 023/203 headings, checking weights and balance, airbrakes, aileron and controls trims, the turning left, at 315 knots IAS (indicated air speed). The angle of rudder controls, tabs and trim and the elevator controls and trim. bank at each end of the racetrack orbit is determined by the wind. Aircraft commander: “Quid 62, radio check.” Fighters can accept angles of bank of anything up to 30°, but larger Tower: “62, loud and clear.” aircraft such as the C-130H Hercules or the B-1B Lancer are limited to Aircraft commander: “Quid 62, request start up.” 15°. We had to turn tighter at the northern side of the track due to a Tower: “Quid 62, you are cleared to start up.” westerly wind.

KC-135R 58-0100 shortly after taking off from RAF Mildenhall in July 2012 – the aircraft was subsequently given special tail markings for the 100th Air Refueling Wing commander. Ryan Dorling

KC-135R engines are usually started in the order three (inner right), FIGHTER RENDEZVOUS four (outer right), one (outer left) and two (inner left). In case of a problem, the engines can be manually started by the crew chief using a handle on Unfortunately, the two US F-16Cs cancelled their sortie. Fog at Aviano the right side of the reactor. For safety reasons, the engine to the right prevented all ights from taking off. Their slot was taken by the two should be kept quiet hence the three, four, one, two order so that the Hellenic Air Force Fighting Falcons which showed up early. mechanic cannot be accidentally sucked in by the turning engine. F-16 pilot: “Quid 62, good afternoon, this is Ouzo ight for Aircraft commander: “Ground, ready?” rendezvous.” Crew chief: “Ready.” Boom: “Ouzo ight, rendezvous approved ight level 270.” Thanks to special headsets, the crew chief is in direct contact with The rendezvous procedure was devised to ensure quick and the captain. He monitors the engine and remains ready to react to safe rejoin. To minimise the risk of collision, receivers normally join any  re. The KC-135’s CFM International F108-CF-100 turbofans are from below and from the left and must maintain a 1,000 feet height extremely reliable and such a problem is highly unlikely. separation initially until visual contact and positive identi cation have Aircraft commander: “OK, starting three...light is on, stays on. Fan been made. The cockpit view from the receiver is usually much better rotation on three. Fuel on three.” looking upward and forward, and a join from below allows  ghters Crew chief: “Ready for four.” greater freedom for manoeuvre with less risk of losing visual contact One after the other, the four high bypass-ratio engines come to life with the tanker. and we are soon ready to taxi. There was no problem because the visibility was nearly unlimited over the Mediterranean and Ouzo 24 and 25, a two-seat F-16D and a single- DEPARTURE seat F-16C, were soon ying in left echelon formation. With everything set, the tanker crew was ready to of oad fuel to the  rst  ghter. Aircraft commander: “Quid 62, request taxi.” Now lying on his belly in the rear compartment of the Stratotanker, Tower: “Roger, Quid 62, taxi runway 11 via taxiway Bravo.” Walter Markwas lowered the refuelling boom, a high-tech piece of With everything up and running, we taxied from the vast parking equipment designed to ‘ y’ in the airstream. It is ‘ own’ by the operator area towards the runway. Taxiing the KC-135R is straightforward, with thanks to two controls: he positions the boom in elevation and in eight degrees of lateral control with the rudder for nosewheel steering, azimuth with his right hand, and extends or retracts the telescopic part

32 the world ’s greatest tanker and more united states air forc es in europe 1 3 5

of the boom with his left hand. my left - that is to the right hand side of the tanker – to leave room for the The pilot of the rst Hellenic Air Force F-16 had opened the refuelling ghter. When he is stable, I will start moving the boom.” receptacle on the back of his aircraft ready to proceed. Using the leading line painted on the back of the F-16, Mark  ew the F-16 pilot: “Ouzo 24, request astern.” boom into the receptacle. With a muf ed ‘klonk’, the probe plugged Boom: “Ouzo 24, cleared astern.” into the ghter and fuel soon  owed. The ideal contact position permits Slowly, the F-16D moved from the left echelon position to the about 5ft of forward and aft movement. Once in contact, the pilot must observation point, about 60 feet behind the probe. look at the reference markings painted under the belly of the KC-135R Boom: “Ouzo 24, please con rm tail number.” to maintain accurate position. F-16 pilot: “082” We were now approaching the northern limit of the orbit and a Boom: “082, roger.” left turn was initiated. After turning 180°, the two aircraft rolled out F-16 pilot: “Quid 62, Ouzo 24, can you ll up our tanks?” simultaneously. Boom: “Stand by.” The Pacer CRAG As prescribed by NATO procedures, the leader gave his fuel upgrade equipped requirement. He required more fuel than planned, but that was not the KC-135 with a problem because the two US F-16s had cancelled. Fuel and the a TCAS which pumps are managed by the co-pilot in the cockpit to keep the aircraft proves extremely within balance limits. He con rmed we had more than enough to give useful for  ight away to the two Hellenic Air Force ghters. safety: the system Boom: “Ouzo 24, you are cleared contact for ll to full.” tells the pilots who is F-16 pilot: “Roger.” who, who is coming to

With great care, the ghter moved forward to the required position. join them and from where. The bright weather was a clear advantage for the F-16 pilots. In bad By this time, the F-16D fuel tanks were totally full, and the ghter weather, there is considerable potential for receiver pilot disorientation, disconnected and moved to the right echelon position. especially when the horizon is ill-de ned or invisible. This might be exacerbated by the wing anhedral/dihedral of some tanker types which EMERGENCY CLIMB can give false horizontal clues. Ideally, all contacts and disconnects should be made in straight, level  ight although, by day, experienced The F-16C moved into the pre-contact position ready to refuel. Fitted pilots may make contacts/disconnects in steady turns, climbs or with three massive fuel tanks: one under each wing and the third under descents, provided the formation is clear of clouds. the centreline station, the F-16C still looked incredibly agile: it changed formation very quickly and, with smooth control inputs and small power CONTACT changes, slowly approached the required position. Suddenly, the grey ghter moved much too close for comfort and Comfortably lying on his special couch, the boom operator acted as the slid forward, its cockpit disappeared under our fuselage, leaving its tail eyes of the KC-135R aircraft commander and kept the rest of the crew dangerously close. informed of events at the boom. Under us, the F-16D slowly inched Boom: “Ouzo, break away, break away, BREAK AWAY! Climb, Climb, forward, with the two pilots clearly visible under the large canopy. On Climb,” ordered MSgt Markwas in a very calm voice. He immediately his rst try, the Hellenic Air Force F-16D carefully closed on the KC- asked Captain Vander Veen to accelerate and climb away from the 135 but experienced dif culty maintaining the required position. The F-16. The four throttles were immediately pushed to their stop and Fighting Falcon moved back to the observation position as the pilot the KC-135R surged forward. Ouzo 25 dived down and stabilised in a tried to relax before moving forward again. position well clear of the tanker. Once safely separated, the two aircraft With the boom stable and about three feet above the ghter, MSgt slowly returned to their allocated altitudes, with the F-16 back astern. Markwas extended the telescopic boom using the control in his left hand. Once more, Ouzo 25 slowly moved forward, came too close, and “The boom has to go round the F-16’s TACAN antenna on the back of urgently slid backwards to start again. Another attempt brought the the ghter,” he said. “If the boom nozzle hits the antenna, it could break same result. it. You always have to go round the canopy too. I always  y the boom to Again, the grey ghter started manoeuvring:

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Boom: “Ten metres... ve metres...contact.” by the 100th Air Refueling Wing within NATO: a US aircraft, operating At last, contact was made. from a UK air base, refuelling Greek ghters in French airspace. SSgt Jonathan Brown said: “When the F-16 is tted with external Henri-Pierre Grolleau fuel tanks under the wing, we can only use one pump unless we have a pressure disconnect. That means we can transfer fuel at only 1,000lb/ SCHEDULER min. On larger aircraft, up to four pumps are activated, giving a fuel  ow of 6,800 lb/min on the C-17 or 8,000lb/min on the E-4B.” It is easy to take for granted the amount of work involved in getting 50-57 Fully fuelled-up, the F-16C joined his leader in echelon on our right wing. year-old tankers into the air when watching a KC-135R Stratotanker of Boom: “Ouzo  ight, you are cleared to leave.” the 100th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) take-off from its home station at RAF F-16 pilot: “Ouzo, cleared to leave. Thank you very much.” Mildenhall in England. The work starts with schedulers assigned to the 100th The two F-16s departed ready to start their mini-war and to escort Operational Support Squadron (OSS), such as in- ight refuelling specialist strike ghters at very low-level during a high-speed air interdiction Tech Sgt Roger Vula who explained the process to AIR International during mission, in Spain. a visit to the wing. He said: “We follow a two-week cycle. In the rst week, In total, Quid 62 transferred 10,600lb of fuel: 5,100lb to Ouzo 24 and known as the build week, we build a mission schedule comprising multiple 5,500lb to Ouzo 25.  ying sorties for the follow-on execution week.” Once con rmation was received from the air traf c control agency A scheduler starts the planning by dealing with requests for air that no other receivers needed fuel, we headed home with 45,000 refuelling made to the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) at pounds of fuel remaining, and landed on Mildenhall’s runway 11 at the Ramstein Air Base, Germany; the primary point of contact for allied and end of a 4 hour 55 minutes sortie. US ghter squadrons based around Europe. The mission was a good example of the international role performed The requests and details are entered into a Global Decision Support System or GDSS. They are distributed to all of the squadrons at Mildenhall and to the Air Mobility Command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, by the base Air Terminal Operations Center run by the 727th Air Mobility Squadron. TSgt Vula pointed out the schedule is built to accommodate as many requests from allies as possible to build and strengthen partnerships. “The more we work with them, the greater the understanding of each other for future missions,” he said. Representatives from both the 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) and the 351st Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) attend a meeting in build week to discuss the proposed schedule and con rm how many tails (aircraft) and aircrew are available. The commanders of the 100th Maintenance Group (MXG) and 100th Operations Group (OG) both sign off the proposed schedule. However, missions do not get con rmed until the Friday of build week when the wing commander signs them into a  ight schedule. TSgt Vula and his colleagues are limited to an 80% tasking of the KC-135s Mark Ayton assigned to the 100th ARW. “As long as we don’t exceed that percentage, we can do the mission. It accounts for aircraft that are off station also, whether they are deployed to the US Central Command area of responsibility or at any other base in the European and Africa theatres,” he said. There are many aspects to be considered for scheduling a mission and various units each play an important part in the process. Aircrew require their life-support equipment. Maintenance must ensure an aircraft is available and the supply squadron has to ensure enough fuel is on base to be loaded. The person who builds the schedule also owns the execution and remains with it throughout the two-week period. TSgt Vula explained that in build week the scheduler just builds and during the execution week reacts to any changes. “It could be that the receivers want to change the timing or go to a different area. We are the point of contact for the mission and they will usually call us the day prior, which allows us to pass the revised details to the relevant units as it’s given to us. Everyone involved will respond so we can ensure that everything holds together to make the mission go.” Once the aircrew show up at the aircraft, the mission command post becomes the point of contact and channels any issues to the scheduler, via the base command post. The scheduler monitors the mission from Mark Ayton take-off to landing. “If we require a waiver for anything that’s out of the ordinary we to talk to the 100th OG or for some missions the 603rd AOC at Ramstein,” explained Vula. The 100th ARW is often tasked with a high-priority mission that MULTI POINT REFUELLING SYSTEM POD comes from high headquarters. Examples are the deployment of - ghters from the United States down to the combat theatre or to refuel The MPRS pod has a soft as opposed to a hard basket, and a 60ft an aircraft with a distinguished visitor on board. “In both cases there hose extended from, and retracted onto, a reel. A RAT (RAM air is no training involved, we just give them the gas and they are on their turbine) generator installed in the front of the pod powers the fuel way, that’s what high priority is,” said the sergeant. pump, its variable blades pitching at different angles to meet pump The wing also  ies missions involving different types of receivers. and fuel pressure requirements. The system is all powered by fuel. Vula explained: “We regularly refuel US receivers, let’s say F-15s and The basket is tted with small lights powered by air-driven generators then go refuel a C-17 that belongs to the Heavy Airlift Wing out of Papa, tted in the front. The boom operator is responsible for the two pods Hungary, which we refuel three or four times a month at a minimum. and uses a control panel to extend and retract the hoses. If the timing is close we will try and combine the missions together Pre- ight checks for each MPRS pod take about 30 minutes. It’s a because it’s a better use of our resources.” lengthy process, pushing buttons, waiting for a response from the Whether the mission is high priority, training or to support an computer and checking to ensure the RAT blades pitch the right exercise, it is planned and forms part of the schedule. way. The maintenance crew spin them to make sure the required The 100th ARW has a civilian planner who manages all the long-term output is being generated. requirements. “By the time it gets to your build week he’s already done the legwork and I put the nishing touches to it. But he coordinates

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A French Air Force Rafale fi ghter refuels from a Mildenhall-based KC-135R over Mali. The probe-equipped fi ghter is shown using an aerial refuelling drogue. Lt Christopher Mesnard/US Air Force

AERIAL REFUELLING DROGUE The aerial refuelling drogue is a hard basket with internal rollers to ease the receiver aircraft’s probe in and out; and a rubber cover to soften any contact with the receiver’s fuselage. The drogue –  xed to a hose –  ts to the end of the boom. The boom’s nozzle is undone and the hose is screwed into place, secured with two C clips and a lock washer. It takes 45 minutes to install.

everything with the receiver beforehand,” TSgt Vula said. service the hydraulic system. Otherwise servicing is pretty much based When the scheduler builds a mission, he or she allocates a number on what the crew call write-ups. Once servicing and all the walk around and informs the maintenance squadron they need to assign an aircraft inspections are completed and any discrepencies  xed the aircraft is to the ight, with the appropriate number of personnel. Some require a ready for the next ight. bigger crew than the regular three. The crew chiefs start the walk around at the nose inspecting the Summarising the role, TSgt Vula told AIR International: “Our job is exterior of the aircraft including the boom looking for leaks and also to make sure all the requirements for that mission are met, including conduct a DOP (dropped object prevention) inspection looking for the necessary aircraft con guration to allow the maintenance folks to panels that are not correctly  xed. Everything that’s discovered on the generate the aircraft for the ight.” walk around must be detailed on the maintenance forms. If the next mission requires a drogue, they install one, which involves CREW CHIEF taking the whole nozzle off, screwing an adaptor on and then attaching the hose and drogue clamps. Two crew chiefs from the 100th AMXS meet a tanker when it recovers If the aircraft is equipped with multi-point refuelling system (MPRS) to Mildenhall at its assigned parking spot. Tech Sgt James Wells said: pods they too are checked. This involves a built in test and prime “Typically we get a call when the aircraft is about 30 minutes out. We check, running the whole pod through its paces, looking for any issues gather our tools and equipment and go out to the spot. One crew chief with fuel control or the system’s software. prepares to hook up the communication line to the aircraft and talk to the A production supervisor completes a  nal walk around to make sure pilots before they shut down engines. The second marshals the aircraft everything is in accordance with the forms and the aircraft is ready to go. on to the spot. That’s the  rst procedure for receiving or catching the jet. The amount of fuel that’s required for the next mission can range “Once the comms are on, we put the chocks in and talk to the crew between 50,000 and 180,000 pounds, and usually takes less than two to see how much gas they landed with, get full clari cation of the ‘write- hours to re-fuel the aircraft no matter what the quantity. ups’ including any additional issues, before the engines are shut down. We have 30 minutes from shut down to check and get oil service back MAINTENANCE CYCLE up on all four engines. We’ve got to move pretty quick to get that done because the oil drains down to the bottom of the engine. If that The maintenance procedures described above are called a through happens we can’t get an accurate oil level reading, which is important ight. If an aircraft passes that check it can continue to y provided because we could end up putting too much in. that the previous pre- ight check also met requirements. A pre- ight “At that point we get the refuelling under way because it takes quite a check is carried out every 72 hours. while, particularly if we are going up to a high fuel load.” A more in depth inspection, known as an HBO (hourly post ight), After a mission much of the crew chiefs’ time is spent at the fuel is carried out every 60 days. A more thorough check, called an ISO panel located in the right-hand side wheel. “That’s where the refuelling (isochronal) inspection, takes place every two years and involves many hose connects to and how we control where the gas goes,” said TSgt components being stripped from the aircraft. The only other periodic Wells. “This is the only input on a KC-135R, KC-135Ts have two, one in maintenance is Program Depot Maintenance which occurs every  ve each wheel well.” years at the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base The crew chiefs also check oxygen, tyres, the struts [landing gear] and (see Speedy Line or Extended Flow, p20-27).

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 35 Henri-Pierre Grolleau ’ the world s tanker greatest and more

36 united states air forc es in europe in es forc air states united united states air forc es in europe 1 3 5

Other checks based on ight-hour intervals involve the F108 engines, picking up passengers and cargo. which undergo inspection every 60 and 120 hours. Each inspection is “Anything pretty much aft of the ight deck is the boom operator’s different. The maintainers complete either the 60-hour check or both responsibility, whether it’s personnel, cargo, maintenance and of course at the same time depending on the aircraft hours. “Every 60 hours we air refuelling. We have plenty of instructions we need to be familiar with. pull the engine oil chip detectors to look for pieces of metal, and The boomer has to make decisions about the carriage of unplanned also inspect the fuel  lters, starters, and oil,” said TSgt Wells. cargo and whether it’s going to jeopardise crew safety.” “As the boom operator you need to plan ahead, especially with CHALLENGES OF AGE  ghters because once you’re back in the pod you have control of the radios and must provide air traf c control to as many as ten different The KC-135’s age means maintainers are confronted with issues to aircraft including the tanker.” parts that have not previously caused problems. Brackets are one One huge responsibility of planning the mission is choosing where example. TSgt Wells explained: “Sometimes we have to use the to position the jets when they rendezvous with the tanker. The boomer blueprints and get a replacement made but that takes a while. We also has to avoid collision and be effective at giving them gas as quickly and utilise the bone-yard at Davis-Monthan as a last resort. safely as possible. A lot of effort goes into the brie ng and every detail “We also use NDI [non-destructive inspection] to look at cracks in of the boomer’s plan is discussed with the pilots for their point of view. components that are being monitored to see if they grow. Areas of “Once in the boom pod, I go through a checklist to ensure the systems corrosion, as highlighted by the depot, differ from aircraft to aircraft.” are still in the green [a reference to the serviceability of the boom]. Trying to dig out old grease to  nd hidden corrosion in little nooks Sometimes I encounter little gremlins in the system, usually because and crannies in the backs of the wings is one challenge. Getting it something tweaked once airborne, and I have to get it back onto green. repaired is another, and depends on how deep the corrosion is. “We “I lower the boom to make sure it can y the positions and limits for the call our specialists in the sheet metal shop, and they can quickly repair inbound receivers. Each type has limits: some aircraft have a lower upper or replace parts to  x any corrosion issue,” Wells said. limit and I must know what they are. The F-16 is one example – the higher The sheet metal specialists are also kept busy dealing with rivets, the jet climbs while connected, the closer the canopy is to the boom”. which have started to pull through the skin. “The skins are holding Heavy aircraft create a bow wave: the bigger the aircraft the bigger together quite well for their age,” he added, “but are starting to show the the wave. As a large aircraft comes into the contact position the wave age of the airframe.” starts to kick in 30 to 50 feet out. This requires the operator to hold the boom down. Once the wave gets within 20 feet the effect starts to neutralise and, thanks to the boomer’s induced trim, it becomes easier to make an effective contact. TSgt Marshal said experienced boom operators have their own procedures for going back to the pod prior to contact time. He allows 15 minutes to get settled in and play with the boom to ensure it’s functioning correctly – and at night this allows his eyes to adjust, because depth perception is key. Throughout all air refuelling the boomer ies the boom using the ruddevator control stick positioned off to his lower right. Ruddevators are the little wings on the boom; they are hydraulically powered and as their name suggests, work just like and elevators to move it up and down, left and right. Known as the ‘tube’, the telescopic part of the boom extends and retracts under the boomer’s control using a telescope lever on his or her left side. It has an emergency breakaway switch to signal the receiver A tanker parked pilot to get out of the way. Next to the lever is a handle to lower and in the main hangar at RAF retract the boom on a hydraulic cable. Different booms vary in function. Mildenhall prior to an isochronal inspection. TSgt Marshal explained that with the oldest jets, the telescope lever The procedure starts with all access panels being reacts differently to the ruddevator control stick. removed to check fl ight controls. Henri-Pierre Grolleau Once the boom makes contact with the receiver’s receptacle, lights come on in the boom pad and on the tanker’s ight deck, cueing the co-pilot to switch on the pumps to of oad the fuel. The number of BOOM OPERATOR pumps used depends on the type of receiver. have Air refuelling just 30 feet apart, ying at 315 knots, and at night, makes small fuel pipes and only require a single pump. Heavy aircraft like the the boom operator’s job one to be respected. “It’s a little scarier at night, B-52H Stratofortress and the C-17A Globemaster III have bigger pipes just because you don’t have the depth perception, and the aircraft are for large of oads and may require three or more pumps. grey and only illuminated by a few lights: that’s all you get to see while Some tankers are  tted with MPRS pods (see panel). The boomer uses trying to air refuel. It’s a little bit complicated,” said Tech Sgt Augie a control box positioned at the lower mid-section immediately below their Marshall, an Evaluator Boom, with the 351st Air Refueling Squadron. bench to trail, of oad fuel, rewind and, if necessary, jettison the hose in an During a recent visit to the 100th ARW at Mildenhall, the author emergency. Ground-based tests can also be run from the control box. spoke to TSgt Marshal about the boom operator’s job and his role in a An important aspect of the boomer’s job is simply to know left from right. standard three-man crew of a KC-135R. Facing in the opposite direction to the receiver aircraft, he or she must be He spoke about the pre- ight inspection of the aircraft: “As the pro cient at calling left right, and right left. In the case of the MPRS control boomer, you must apply particular attention to all of the systems box, the controls for the left pod are on the right side of the box and those required for the air refuelling mission. This involves checking the APU for the right hand pod are on the left. According to TSgt Marshal the set- [the auxiliary power unit, which provides electrical power – essential for up is logical to the boomer. engine start and sometimes after landing] and the boom. Is it a high- The tanker’s fuel state is managed by the co-pilot who monitors speed or a standard boom, and can we y that speed or not? ‘bingo’ (the amount required to get back to base with a reserve for “There’s high-speed and standard speed, which each lower and diversion to another base) before giveaway fuel is of oaded. retract the boom at different speeds. It’s a co-ordinated item and the Tankers continue to support the NATO operation in Afghanistan, details, including unique specialties, are all in the forms.” providing fuel around the clock for various types. Some missions require TSgt Marshall explained the importance of computing the aircraft’s centre air refuelling to be conducted in radio silence, presenting the boomer with of gravity prior to take-off. “The main thing [for the boomer] is getting our another challenge. “Safety is always the main priority,” said TSgt Marshal. format for our weight balance for the aircraft. I’ve had fuel loads from 40,000 “We have procedures, we’re familiar with them. We have a game plan and pounds all the way up to 180,000lb, a lot of weight for a jet that’s 50-plus we state that game plan all the way through the AR unless changes occur. years old. Computing the centre of gravity position for the aircraft is a big If something pops up that’s in the way, we just adapt and make it work.” responsibility especially if you’re carrying passengers or palletised cargo. We And make it work they do. As of mid-August, eleven months into can hold up to six pallets, each weighing up to 6,000lb, and 30 people.” FY2014, the 100th ARW had own 7,183 hours on 1,356 Those calculations may have to be done again and again on a sorties and of oaded 48.1 million pounds of fuel to 4,659 contingency mission that involves multiple stops, dropping off and receivers. Mark Ayton

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 37 arme´e de l’air stratotanke rs in combat

FIRST MISSIONS he C-135FR and KC-135R tankers of Groupe de Ravitaillement en Vol 2/91 ‘Bretagne’ have played a key GRV 2/91 was involved in combat operations over Libya from the very role during combat operations in Afghanistan, Libya and beginning. “We knew something was brewing and we stopped all training Mali, logging thousands of ight hours and delivering activity two days prior to our  rst combat missions,” continued Paquot. thousands of tonnes of fuel to thirsty receivers. “This gave us enough time to carry out all essential preventive maintenance GRV 2/91 (Flight Refuelling Group 2/91) is the only to make sure we would have enough tankers available to sustain combat tdedicated in- ight refuelling unit within the Armée de l’Air operations for an extended period of time. In all, seven of our aircraft were (French Air Force). Some of the Armée de l’Air’s Transall NG tactical airlifters engaged on the very  rst day, when France and the UK were alone in the are also capable of refuelling  ghters and other probe-equipped Transall  ght. This may seem a limited number, but it should not be forgotten that NGs, but their range, speed and fuel capabilities are much more limited. we have only 11 C-135FR and three KC-135R tankers in the inventory. “Our tankers provide strategic reach and tactical exibility to the “Out of these 14 aircraft, one was deployed to Al Dhafra, in the United  ghters,” explained Lieutenant Laurent Paquot, GRV 2/91’s Arab Emirates, and another one in N’Djamena, in Chad, leaving 12 commanding of cer during the con ict in Libya. “This is a crucial role as, airframes in France. Another one was on loan to the Direction Générale without dedicated tanker support, modern combat operations would not de l’Armement, the French armament procurement agency, for ight be possible at all. Recent con icts, from the Gulf War to Kosovo and from testing of new equipment, and a further two were undergoing third-line, Afghanistan to Libya, have con rmed that tankers are ‘force-multipliers’. depot-level maintenance. This meant we had only nine aircraft left, seven “The engagement in Libya was a typical example, with very long of which were engaged, which is not a bad percentage at all.” distances own to and from the target areas from bases in France, The  rst sweep, strike and reconnaissance missions by Rafale, Italy and even the UK. French and allied tankers provided round- Mirage 2000-5F and Mirage 2000D  ghters were launched from the-clock support so that  ghters could operate at will over hostile BA113 Saint-Dizier, BA102 Dijon and BA133 Nancy, all in the east territory, enforcing the no- y zone, maintaining a constant surveillance of France, meaning they had very long transits to and from the on all ground and naval movements and protecting civilian populations operating area. “In the beginning there was a lot of pressure on against pro-Gadda forces.” the tankers,” admitted the Colonel. “Transits would not have been

38 the world ’s greatest tanker and more All images Henri-Pierre Grolleau 39 1 3 5 1 3 ’ the world s tanker greatest and more The operation in Libya proved perfect for increasing tanker crews’ tanker crews’ perfect for increasing The operation in Libya proved our English, an excellent opportunity to improve “This also proved PROBE AND DROGUE AND RIGID BOOM of the aircraft, tted to the rear rigid boom As well as the standard equipped with underwing Flight Refuelling C-135FRs are French allied ghters. Then, from April 1, CAOC No.5, in Poggio Renatico, Italy, April 1, CAOC No.5, in Poggio Renatico, Italy, ghters. Then, from allied allied receivers.” refuelled after which we regularly took over, eld of multinational operations. “Some of expertise in the demanding Paquot. “They had limited combat experience,” revealed our aircrews although doing here, own in Afghanistan but what we were might have  in terms of was different in essence very similar to the Afghan theatre, complex, the number of receivers scale: the airspace was much more the was considerably higher and, as a result, and tankers around was higher too. on the aircrews pressure and with vastly array of countries a large talking to aviators from for the following day the ATO we received accents. Every day, different we had been allocated, 18.00. By 20.00, we knew which area at around going to get and how much fuel we would we were how many receivers rst thing to do was calculate our needs in The need to give away. to the anticipated time on terms of fuel and plan the missions according way of operating for NATO.” standard station. This was a pretty “Thankfully our ghters soon started operating from [BA126] Solenzara, in ghters soon started operating from “Thankfully our a Solenzara to Sigonella, in Sicily, The Rafales later moved from STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES do not 2/91 aircrews With their extensive combat experience, GRV participating in complex operations. “Initially, face any problems concerned, French the operation, as far as we were was an entirely said Lt Col Paquot. “Our aircraft,” only French and we refuelled affair National des the Centre from came directly (ATO) air tasking order in Lyon national air operations centre, Opérations Aériennes, the French from was an interim period, there took over, When NATO Mont-Verdun. (CAOC) 23, 2011, when the US Combined Air Operations Centre March for all missions planning, and was responsible in Ramstein, Germany, At that stage, we started refuelling there. from the ATO we received Corsica, and from Souda Bay, Crete. That signi cantly reduced transits and cantly reduced That signi Crete. Souda Bay, Corsica, and from and the number of tanker sorties dedicated to Opérationfuel requirements, Operating out of SolenzaraHarmattan immediately started to decrease. Libya was ight-time to and from fast jet  instead of Saint-Dizier and Nancy, cut down by two hours. Souda Bay is only about 30 minutes away from Libya in 90 minutes.” ying out of Solenzara could reach ghters  Libya and move that further cut down the need for tanker support. feasible without continuous tanker support. feasible without continuous tanker support. air ’ e de l de e ´ stratotanke rs stratotanke combat in arme arme´e de l’air Right: The cockpit of the KC-135 Far right: A fl ight engineer calculates the amount of fuel available for offl oad during the mission to Libya. Main image: Mirage 2000N 337/’116-BF’ from EC 2/4 ‘La Fayette’ during a train- ing fl ight from BA116 Luxeuil-Saint Sauveur in 2009. The Mirage squadron moved to BA125 Istres, the home station of ERV 2/91, in 2011.

Ltd (now Cobham) Mk32 refuelling pods, which help reduce tanking a C-135FR with two pods and a rigid probe can refuel the whole time and boost combat cohesion: two fast jets can be refuelled spectrum of receivers. On the other hand, a KC-135 might be able to simultaneously, dramatically reducing the time necessary for a four-ship remain on station longer or be able to transfer more fuel.” and enabling each ghter in a pair to have about the same amount of Activity in the refuelling areas was usually hectic, with a constant fuel available when leaving the tanker.  ow of receivers  ying to and from the various tankers: RAF VC- “Our three KC-135Rs, which were bought second-hand from the US 10s, Spanish Boeing 707s, Canadian CC-150 Polaris and CC-130 Air Force, are not equipped with the Mk32 pods and therefore prove Hercules, US Air Force KC-10s and KC-135Rs, Italian KC-767s and far less  exible,” stressed Paquot. “They are, however, ve to six a KC-130. “We were cleared to refuel any aircraft in the theatre,” tonnes lighter than the C-135FR and can give away more fuel. Apart said Paquot. from the pods themselves, the main reason for this difference in empty “Refuelling trials had not been completed for every type, however, weight comes from the fact that the C-135FR is tted with a very strong and there were some restrictions. For instance, the Euro ghter metallic cargo  oor in the main cabin instead of the traditional wooden Typhoon was not yet quali ed to take fuel from our centreline boom-  oor of the KC-135R. drogue adaptor. As a result, it could only be refuelled by C-135FRs “We had to look carefully at the ATO before deciding which variant equipped with underwing pods, and not by KC-135s. This type was going to  y the sortie, and in which con guration. Obviously, of problem had to be taken into account during mission planning,

40 the world ’s greatest tanker and more arme´e de l’air 1 3 5

which is why we had a liaison of cer at Poggio Renatico who ironed bound for Libya in June 2011, it took off at an extremely heavy weight out any potential issue. for the type: 306,000lb (138,924kg) – including 175,000lb (79,450kg) “We refuelled a large array of ghters: Belgian, Danish, Dutch of fuel, of which 72,000lb (32,688kg) was to give away to ghters. and Norwegian F-16s, Swedish Gripens, French Mirage F1CRs, Eventually, 79,295lb (36,000kg) was transferred – to six Dutch and Mirage 2000D/N/-5Fs, Rafales and Super Étendard Modernisés Danish F-16s, two Super Étendard Modernisés, two Rafales and two and British Typhoons and Tornados. There was absolutely no Swedish Gripens – after the crew was asked by the AWACS (on station ‘national priority’ and we refuelled foreign ghters while, for at the time) whether, well into the sortie, they could accommodate two example, a US tanker served French Rafales. more receivers (Danish F-16s) than planned; some calculation was “On the way back from the theatre we also ‘refuelled’ Italian required to make sure it was possible. F-16s which took advantage of our transits for a few dry contacts Missions to Libya from Istres typically lasted between six and seven en route to maintain currency. We noticed that foreign pilots  ying hours, with a transit via Corsica and Italy, talking to Rome military air ghters equipped with a probe always preferred to refuel from our traf c control. On average it took two hours to  y to Tripoli and 2.5 pods and some of them didn’t seem at ease when using the boom- hours to Benghazi. The tankers usually switched to ‘tactical’ mode drogue adaptor.” somewhere south of or south of Italy, depending on the route Fuel was a key parameter. When the author  ew in a C-135FR chosen and the refuelling area: in the east or west of the theatre.

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 41 arme´e de l’air

Above: An F-16AM of the Royal Netherlands Air Force in the pre-contact position during a mission fl own in support of Operation Unifi ed Protector. The fi ghter is carrying four live missiles: three AIM-120 AMRAAMs and one AIM-9 Sidewinder. Opposite top: Fully armed Swedish Air Force JAS 39C Gripen, 39274, refuelling from an MPRS pod carried on the wingtip of the left wing. Opposite bottom: One of 14 Stratotankers in service with the Armée de l’Air, C-135FR 474, on the fl ight line at BA125 Istres.

SUSTAINED OPERATIONS day, sometimes two. We didn’t have such problems with the other crewmembers, who could  y any mission.” When Opération Harmattan was launched on March 19, 2011, nobody The arrival at Istres of six US Air Forces in Europe KC-135R really expected Libyan leader Muammar Gadda to stay in power Stratotankers from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall more than a couple of weeks, but that was not the case and the helped alleviate the initial pressure on the French tankers. On average, French Air Force, like its allies, was engaged in a long-term operation the American tankers  ew ve or six operational sorties each day from with hundreds of close air support, air superiority, reconnaissance, Istres in support of Operation Uni ed Protector, effectively transforming surveillance and in- ight refuelling sorties  own each month until the the French station into the largest tanker base in Europe. NATO operation nished in October. “During the rst few days we  ew six or seven refuelling missions AIR SUPREMACY daily, but this was progressively reduced to two to three sorties,” explained Lt Col Paquot. “We were asked by the French Air Force to Throughout the entire con ict in Libya, the in- ight refuelling areas provide no fewer than 15 tanker sorties per week, seven days a week, remained more or less identical. “The joint operation area was the same, day and night. The Escadron de Soutien Technique Spécialisé, the but the airspace progressively became more complicated, with additional specialised maintenance squadron which supports all our tankers, had areas for the tankers,” said Paquot. “Each area was divided into various to reorganise its teams to handle the additional workload and alter its sectors – low, medium and high – each of which could accommodate engineers’ work shifts to be able to handle the nocturnal activity. one tanker. As a result, you could nd up to three tankers  ying one “In terms of number of sorties per day, our engagement level was above the other, and I can assure you that the AWACS and the Hawkeyes pretty similar to what we did in Kosovo, in 1999, and I should stress that were kept busy directing ghters towards the respective tanker orbits, we had no problem at all sustaining the effort.” especially when the tanker plan was changed due to unserviceability or With only 14 tankers in service, the  eet was kept extremely busy to the evolving tactical situation. We  ew with no defensive aids, but the during Opération Harmattan and everything was done to ensure air-to-air threat was assessed as very low. as many aircraft as possible remained operational. Lt Col Paquot “During the Gulf War, the C-135FR was tted with a Sherlock radar explained: “All tanking training activity in France was stopped for a warning system and with chaff and  are dispensers to improve its couple of days but, once the number of planned tanker sorties for Libya self-defence capabilities. The Sherlock horn-antenna mounted on began to diminish, we soon started to  y sorties again for the various the cockpit roof produced such a loud noise due to the aerodynamic Mirage F1, Mirage 2000 and Rafale units, either for conversion training air ow over the forward fuselage that it was a real nuisance for  ight or for continuation training. safety, and was removed after the con ict. In any case, there was “Our manning level is held at two complete crews per aircraft: that’s always an AWACS or an E-2C Hawkeye around, keeping a sharp look 28 four-man crews available for the whole squadron. This meant we on all airborne activity in the area, including us, and there were enough had 28 boom operators within the unit, but only ten of them were fully ghters armed with high-tech air-to-air missiles to quickly intercept and quali ed in the use of the rigid boom to refuel AWACS, and seven of shoot down any hostile jet. This was total air supremacy and we had them trained for ghters. As a result, we had to carefully select each absolutely no second thoughts when  ying into the theatre.” boomer depending on the precise t of each tanker and on the ATO. Air supremacy was such that the tankers and receivers’ radio Normally we launched at least one tanker tted with a rigid probe per communications were not encrypted, which demonstrates how high

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the con dence within NATO really was. It was also a good way of are nearly always  own with 2,000-litre external drop tanks, in- ight showing Muammar Gadda that allied ghters and support aircraft were refuellings are required to extend the range of the ghters. there in large numbers with an obvious deterrent effect: should a last Fuel was the key requirement for the operations over Mali as pilots ditch action be envisaged by pro-Gadda forces, it would have faced a need ‘playtime’ on station: they have to rely on tanker support and fuel signi cant number of heavily armed interceptors. was provided by an assortment of French and allied assets. Typically, Rafale and Mirage 2000 missions from N’Djamena lasted anything from PROVEN CONCEPT, PROVEN AIRCRAFT 5.5 hours to slightly more than nine hours. In some ways, the engagement demonstrated that the French TOWARDS THE MRTT deterrence concept, with conventional or nuclear weapons, works perfectly. “The engagement of the French Air Force tankers was According to the latest information published by the French Ministry of immediate,” con rmed Paquot. “We have proved, in combat, that Defence, the future tanker for the French Air Force – widely expected a unit belonging to the Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, the French to be the A330 MRTT, although nothing has been rmly decided as Air Force’s strategic air command, was fully capable of launching its yet – will be ordered in 2014 with the rst two aircraft due to enter aircraft for a long-range mission with nearly no prior warning. This service in 2019. The new aircraft will have a huge impact on the GRV’s clearly shows how robust the organisation of the Armée de l’Air really way of operating. For instance, the boomer will ‘ y the boom’ from a is. It also proves that we could have launched a strategic strike with workstation in the cockpit, using digital cameras, instead of lying  at on nuclear weapons in similar conditions, with very little reaction time.” his belly with a direct ‘visual’ on the receiver. The C-135FR/KC-135R Stratotanker is a faithful but ageing aircraft The tanker will be  own by a crew of three, without a navigator, although that is still demonstrating its worth in action. The Armée de l’Air will, in for some complex missions a operator might be carried the not too distant future, have to make a crucial decision regarding its to handle the extra systems and workload. New operating procedures successor. “Opération Harmattan did not reveal any further issue with will have to be carefully evaluated in order to maintain combat ef ciency the Stratotanker,” said Lt Col Paquot. “We did not experience any major at current levels and new tactics might have to be devised to take into maintainability and availability problems. The aircraft as it was, with its account the introduction of new systems such as datalinks. current avionics t and its powerful engines, was certainly up to the job. With its extremely long range and huge load-carrying/passenger- “I nevertheless think a Link 16 datalink would be a welcome addition carrying capabilities, the MRTT is also expected to replace ageing for enhanced tactical  exibility and ef ciency. The Armée de l’Air is Airbus A310s. currently evaluating the feasibility of adopting a standalone Link 16 Whatever happens with the MRTT programme, it is now more than receiver/transmitter for the C-135FR  eet and such a move would clearly likely the Stratotanker will remain in French service until 2020 or facilitate the daily routine for both the AWACS and tanker aircrews. 2025, quite an achievement for the faithful workhorse. It would also signi cantly minimise the number of required radio Henri-Pierre Grolleau communications and reduce vulnerability to jamming and deception.” OPERATIONS IN MALI The Armée de l’Air was still analysing the operations in Libya when the crisis in Mali erupted in early 2013 and the aircrews of GRV 2/91 found themselves engaged in yet another con ict. Speed of action was a key factor to reinforce French assets in Africa and the GRV supported the longest raid ever  own by French ghters when, on January 13, 2013, four Rafales departed BA113 Saint-Dizier in eastern France to attack enemy support infrastructure in northern Mali. Six air-to-air refuellings were required for the missions and the four ghters landed in N’Djamena, in Chad, after spending 9 hours and 35 minutes in the air. In all, 21 targets were struck, including training camps, ammunition dumps and command centres. A second long-range raid was launched from BA118 Mont-de-Marsan a couple of days later. Over the next few days, the number of ghters at the N’Djamena forward operating base expanded progressively. The distance between the Chadian capital and the ops area is about 1,400km one way, or 2,800km for a round trip and, although Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 43 air mobility command team mcconnell

44 the world ’s greatest tanker and more Matthew Clements 45 1 3 5 1 3 ’ the world s tanker greatest and more As the host unit at McConnell, it has four groups assigned: 22nd assigned: four groups unit at McConnell, it has As the host an Air which is Group the 931st Air Refueling The wing includes air tasked with providing of the 18th Air Force, is part The 22nd ARW commander told Operations Group the 22nd Col Jennifer Uptmor, The commanding of cer is Colonel Joel Jackson. cer is Colonel Joel of The commanding and Group 22nd Support Group, 22nd Logistics Group, Operations Group. 22nd Medical Air associate unit assigned to the 4th reserve Reserve Command Force located at Pease Air Force Refueling Squadron and the 64th Air Force, Base in New Hampshire. support to US and allied operations around and transportation refuelling assigned. It has 62 KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft the world as required. and global power. global reach AIR International: “Our job is to provide needed when fuel and airlift anywhere For us, that means delivering

ir refuelling tankers, especially the proli c KC-135 especially the proli tankers, ir refuelling aircraftmade the ongoing tactical have Stratotanker, Afghanistan, plus other and airlifts to and from deployments have also Tankers possible. and exercises, combat efforts include epic missions, air operations that sustained worldwide KC-135Rs fromown in September 2013 when such as that  fuel to two B-2 provided (ARW) the 22nd Air Refueling Wing

DUCEMUS based at McConnell Air Force Carry’, or ‘We ‘Ducemus’ The 22nd ARW super tanker wings in the US Air Force. three Base, Kansas is one of

Spirit stealth bombers that  ew practice sorties from their home station,sorties from ew practice  Spirit stealth bombers that in to the Middle East and back. Base Whiteman Air Force a command mobility air air mobility command

Above: McConnell Air Force Base is home to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing: the world’s largest such wing equipped with 62 KC-135 Stratotankers. SHELL 77 Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier/US Air Force Opposite top left: A crew chief with the 22nd Maintenance Squadron changes The danger of refuelling operations was brought home on May 3, 2013 a hydraulic line clamp on a KC-135 during periodic inspection. Stratotankers when US Air Force KC-135R serial number 63-8877 crashed on a routine are routinely scheduled to spend ten days in the inspection dock; a three-day inspection period and seven days for fi xing any problems found. mission fl ying from Manas International Airport near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Senior Airman Laura Valentine/US Air Force to Afghanistan. The aircraft was from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing based Opposite top right: Pilots with the 350th Air Refueling Squadron review check- at McConnell and temporarily assigned to the 22nd Expeditionary Air lists for pre-fl ight inspections on a KC-135. SSgt Jess Lockoski/US Air Force Refueling Squadron, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing. The crew were all Opposite middle left: Pilots with the McConnell-based 350th Air Refueling members of the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, 92nd Air Refueling Wing Squadron fl y a KC-135 during an air refuelling mission over the US mid-west. SSgt Jess Lockoski/US Air Force based at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The aircraft’s mission Opposite middle right: Boom operators from the 384th Air Refueling Squadron was to refuel coalition aircraft in Afghanistan and then return to Manas, use a KC-135 Boom Operator Weapon System Trainer (BOWST) to simulate referred to by the US Air Force as the Transit Center. The crew of three, in-fl ight refuelling. An eight-hour tanker sortie fl own to qualify trainee boom perished in the mishap. operators and practise emergency procedures costs approximately $49,000, the BOWST cuts that to $700. SSgt Jess Lockoski/US Air Force Approximately nine minutes into the fl ight, the aircraft experienced a Opposite bottom: Airmen of the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron install a series of increasing yaw and roll oscillations known as a dutch roll. The window in the back of a KC-135. Airman 1st Class Jose Leon/US Air Force aircraft yawed between three degrees left and right, and banked between fi ve degrees left and right. called on to do so. My squadrons (see Air Refueling Squadrons of the Approximately 11 minutes into the fl ight, the pilot made a right rudder 22nd ARW, p50) can perform a wide range of missions from tanker input to roll out of a turn, further exacerbating the dutch roll condition. operations, to support for a natural emergency like a ood or tsunami, Ten seconds later, the cumulative effects of the malfunctioning series yaw to deploying forward to a combat zone. Whatever you need, you’ll damper, coupled with autopilot use and rudder movements, generated need to put a tanker out in front.” dutch roll forces that exceeded the aircraft’s structural design limit load The wing’s aircraft and personnel have been constantly deployed since the early 1990s and have supported the no- y zones over Iraq factors. This overload caused the tail section to fail and separate in imposed under Operations Northern and Southern Watch, Operation several pieces. The aircraft pitched down sharply and entered a high- Restore Hope – the US intervention in , Operation Joint speed dive. Endeavour – the NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia The last point captured on the fl ight data recorder (FDR) was a nose-down and , – the air defence of the United attitude of 82° at 21,760ft. Around 10,000ft, the aircraft exploded into States following 9-11, Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan, three main sections and impacted the terrain approximately 1.5 miles Operation Iraqi Freedom and against Libya, southwest of where the tail section was found. The three main sections and many others. included the cockpit, the centre fuselage and the aft section. “I was involved in the deployment of tankers in support of operations The Accident Investigation Board led by Brig Gen over Libya for Uni ed Protector. This was a good example of global Steve Arquiette found “by a preponderance of evidence, that the Dutch reach and global power. It was also a super example of co-operative roll was instigated by the aircraft’s Flight Control Augmentation System coalition operations, as tankers from many other nations were also malfunctioning causing directional instability or rudder hunting, which involved. The same can be said for the ongoing tanker support for substantially contributed to this mishap. Other substantial contributing coalition efforts over Afghanistan where requirements for air refuelling might be  lled by a USAF KC-135R and, later in the day, a French Air factors included insuffi cient organisational training programmes, crew Force KC-135R. Elements of my wing are deployed around the world in composition and cumbersome procedural guidance.” support of assignments, as directed by the US Air Force, ranging from “The crew encountered a condition that they had not realistically experienced a few people sent to perform air traf c control to a major deployment of in training, and when coupled with decisions based on their relatively low tankers,” enthused Col Uptmor. recent experience levels, were presented with an unrecognised hazardous Discussing the ongoing operational tempo of the 22nd ARW the and diffi cult situation to overcome,” the general said. Operations Group commander told AIR International: “It’s funny how The three airmen who perished were: TSgt Herman Mackey (30) of we always say resources are constrained but it has always been that Bakersfi eld, California; Capt Victoria Ann Pinckney (27) of Colorado way. Look back to when the KC-135A was  rst developed, General Springs, Colorado, and Capt Mark Tyler Voss (27) of Boerne, Texas. Curtis Lemay wanted a jet tanker quickly and more than 400 of these aircraft came into service within a few years to allow SAC [Strategic

46 the world ’s greatest tanker and more air mobility command 1 3 5

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 47 air mobility command

Air Command] to meet its goals. We make it happen! As Gen Mark greater responsibilities,” she said. Welsh, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force said, it is innovation powered The then commander of the 22nd Operations Support Squadron Lt by determination powered by airmen. Yes our tankers are getting older Col Martin Daack described his unit’s role: “We provide all of the support but the airmen that support this eet are well trained, experienced and functions that enable the air refueling squadrons to operate effectively. hard working. This includes air eld management, air traf c control, intelligence, combat “The core of our support team is a large group of skilled and crew communications, weather forecasting, mission scheduling, planning knowledgeable NCOs who have many years working on KC-135s. Part and combat tactics. We are here to do what the Air Force tasks us to of their mission is that they teach their peers and the next generation do. That can range from delivering fuel to  ghters to ying half way the insights and lessons they have learned. Our job as leaders  rst is around the world to rescue families after a tsunami. Our portfolio of to ful l the many goals assigned by the USAF. In addition we have a missions includes support to strategic force projection, mobility, special mandate to train and prepare the team to move forward and assume operations, tactical air operations and humanitarian assistance.

48 the world ’s greatest tanker and more air mobility command 1 3 5

“Sometimes we deploy an entire package: airplane, aircrew, and of hours. You can get anywhere in the world and we are prepared to do support functions, and sometimes we deploy folks in a much broader that at the drop of the hat.” way. For example, I may need an air traf c controller in one location ‘Team McConnell’, including the 22nd OSS, won the prestigious and a life support professional in another location. Each requirement Verne Orr award in 2013: recognition of its achievements and use of is determined at high level and we provide the support, whether a personnel – both active-duty and reserve – to their full potential to group of planes or a single aircraft and a crew, for both long-term accomplish the mission. deployments or for a short amount of time. We are a very  exible force and remain ready to provide what’s required,” he said. MARAUDERS TO STRATOTANKERS Lt Col Daack also provided insight into the concept of a rapid global force: “It takes a long time to get anywhere, but when you add a tanker Today’s 22nd ARW can trace its history back to December 22, 1939 force, you turn weeks into days, and often you turn days into a number when the 22nd Bombardment Group was activated at Mitchel Field,

Above left: An F108-100 engine awaits transportation from McConnell to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma to be refurbished by the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group. After 26 years of service, this particular example, serial number 711107, was the last original F108 engine to undergo refurbishment. Senior Airman Abigail Klein/US Air Force Above right: A mechanic inspects an F108-100 engine before it is lowered from the aircraft. Senior Airman Abigail Klein/US Air Force Opposite left: Airmen from the 22nd Maintenance Squadron lower the tail of a KC-135. This procedure takes place every fi ve to six years and is a critical step in the replacement of the aircraft’s rudder. Airman 1st Class Victor Caputo/US Air Force Opposite right: A 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief removes the chocks from around the front wheels of a KC-135 prior to take-off. Airman 1st Class Jose Leon/US Air Force Below: Airmen from the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron spray de-icing fl uid onto a KC-135 at McConnell Air Force Base. This is essential to ensure that the aircraft is ice-free and mission-ready after snowfall. Airman 1st Class Victor Caputo/US Air Force

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 49 air mobility command

AIR REFUELING SQUADRONS OF THE 22ND ARW

344th Air Refueling Squadron squadron in the US Air Force. During 2010 and U-3, Cessna O-2, Cessna A-37 Dragonfl y and ‘Anywhere, Anytime’ 2011 it fl ew 2,777 sorties and delivered 35 million from 1978 the KC-135A Stratotanker. It was This squadron started as a B-24 Liberator unit in pounds of fuel. deactivated in 1987 as a reserve unit at Grissom World War Two and later transitioned to the B-29 Air Force Base, Indiana and reactivated as the Superfortress but was inactivated after the war. 350th Air Refueling Squadron 931st Air Refueling Group (ARG) in January 1995 Reactivated, the squadron fl ew B-29s as a part of ‘Red Falcons’ as the fi rst reserve associate tanker unit. It has Strategic Air Command, fl ew in the and Formed as a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber unit, operated the KC-135R since May 1995. then moved to Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska the squadron fl ew in the European theatre of There are more than 400 personnel within the where it transitioned to the B-47E Stratojet until the operations during and after World War Two. 931st ARG comprising maintainers and aircrew unit was shut down again in 1966. Between 1956 and 1966 the unit fl ew DC-130 who use the 62 KC-135R Stratotankers at In 1986 the unit was reactivated as an air refueling Hercules aircraft to launch AQM-34 Firebee McConnell. Members of the 931st ARG won squadron, and fl ew the KC-10A Extender from drones for strategic reconnaissance missions. the 1997 Kansas Award for Excellence and have Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. Later (between 1966 and 1976) it fl ew the KC- participated in Operation Desert Fox, Operation In 1992 it became the 344th Air Refueling 135Q version of the Stratotanker to support SR-71 Southern Watch, Silver Flag, the Iceland Tanker Squadron, moved to McConnell and equipped Blackbird missions. In July 1994 the squadron Task Force, Operations Deny Flight, Deliberate with the KC-135R Stratotanker. The squadron was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base fl ying Guard, Northern Watch, Allied Force, Noble Eagle, has been heavily tasked to support consecutive the KC-135Q and KC-135R variants. It has been Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. operations including Operations Iraqi Freedom, heavily tasked to support Operations Enduring Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Odyssey Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Odyssey Dawn. 18th Air Refueling Squadron - Dawn (Libya). Air Force Reserve Command associate On average the pilots and airmen of the squadron 384th Air Refueling Squadron unit within the 931st ARG spend 180 days on the road per year supporting ‘Squarepatchers’ This unit was originally activated as a transport operations. This squadron was formed as a medium bomber squadron in 1940 and fl ew a variety of types unit and fl ew the B-26 Marauder and A-26 Invader ranging from the C-47 Dakota to the C-130 349th Air Refueling Squadron ‘Bandits’ over Europe during World War Two. Between Hercules until 1995 when it was redesignated This squadron was established as an operational 1955 and 1963 it operated the KC-97 Stratotanker, an air refueling squadron operating the KC-135 training unit fl ying B-17 Flying Fortress bombers followed by the KC-135A Stratotanker between Stratotanker. in 1942, was sent to England and saw intensive 1973 and 1977, and later the KC-135R as a part action during World War Two. It was shut down of the 22nd ARW. The 384th ARS won the 2012 64th Air Refueling Squadron after the war but reactivated as a B-47 Stratojet General Carl A Spaatz Trophy for the outstanding Operationally assigned to the 157th Air Refueling unit between 1956 and 1966. Equipped with air refuelling squadron in the Air Force. The unit Wing, New Hampshire Air National Guard at Pease the KC-135Q variant of the Stratotanker, the earned the award for its operational performance Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire squadron fl ew a special air-refuelling mission the previous year when it fl ew more than 2,000 The 64th Squadron served in World War Two, in support of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird sorties, logged 46,300 hours and delivered 84 Korea and Vietnam as a transport squadron. between 1976 and 1990 – its aircraft modifi ed for million pounds of fuel to more than 5,500 receivers During that period the unit fl ew C-47 Dakotas carriage and offl oad of JP-8 grade aviation fuel including aircraft participating in Operation to C-130 Hercules. It was deactivated in 1997. used by that type. Odyssey Dawn. In 2009 the unit was reactivated at Pease as In 1994 the squadron was relocated from March to a component of the 22nd ARW and also New McConnell as part of the 22nd ARW equipped with 931st Air Refueling Group - Air Force Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air the KC-135Q and KC-135R variants. The 349th Reserve Command associate unit Refuelling Wing. It is scheduled to be one of the ARS has been a multiple winner of the General This unit’s heritage goes back to 1963 when fi rst ANG squadrons to transition to the KC-46A Carl A Spaatz Trophy for the best air refuelling it fl ew C-119 Flying Boxcars, followed by the Pegasus after 2018.

50 the world ’s greatest tanker and more air mobility command 1 3 5

Above: A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing moves into the contact position to refuel from another McConnell-based tanker. Airman 1st Class Maurice Hodges/US Air Force Opposite: Twelve KC-135 Stratotankers demonstrate an ‘elephant walk’ formation as they taxi down a runway during a Nuclear Operational Response Inspection at McConnell on March 31, 2010. Airman 1st Class Justin Shelton/US Air Force Below right: “Answering the call... so others may prevail” encompasses the unspoken ethos that forms the core principle of what it means to be an Air Mobility Command airman. Senior Airman Armando Schwier-Morales/US Air Force New York. In 1942 B-26 Marauder bombers ew the 22nd’s  rst strike All of the 22nd ARW’s KC-135R and KC-135T aircraft are 50 or more missions from Australia. Later in the war the unit ew B-24 Liberators years old and despite many visits to the depot at Tinker Air Force Base and transitioned to the B-29 Superfortress after the con ict. in Oklahoma for overhaul and updates, they are showing their age from With the Cold War, the 22nd Bombardment Wing moved back to the hard years of operations. The current US Air Force plan has KC-135Rs United States but did participate in the Korean War. In 1952 the unit and KC-135Ts soldiering on for at least another two decades . The Air added the KC-97 Stratotanker to its inventory. The B-29 was replaced Force is phasing in aircraft upgraded to Block 45 standard which includes by B-47 Stratojet bombers. Later the 22nd Wing converted to a mix digital avionics and additional life extension modi cations (see Flight of KC-135A Stratotankers and B-52 Stratofortress bombers. The KC- Decks, Booms and Engines, p12-19). In addition they are being  tted 135As ew in support of operations over Vietnam, as well as Strategic with an upgrade to the F108-CF-100 turbofan engines to improve SFC Air Command and operations worldwide. and reliability under the Propulsion Upgrade Program. Later the wing transferred its B-52s to other units and took on the air After an extensive evaluation of multiple sites, McConnell and its refuelling role with KC-135As. In 1982 the 22nd ARW was the second 22nd ARW was selected in mid-2013 as the one of the  rst locations US Air Force unit to receive the KC-10 Extender based at March Air to receive the new KC-46A Pegasus tanker starting as early Force Base, California. as 2016. The base is currently due to operate 36 KC-46s. McConnell had been a major SAC air refuelling hub since 1972 when Lon Nordeen the 384th Air Refueling Wing was based there. After the  rst Gulf War, SAC and TAC were disbanded and the 22nd ARW was assigned to Air Mobility Command on June 1, 1992. As part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommendations the 22nd ARW moved from March to McConnell in 1994 and became the host unit at the Kansas super base. By the end of 1994 the 22nd ARW had four KC-135 squadrons assigned: the 344th, 349th and 350th ARS all based at McConnell and the 384th ARS at , Georgia equipped with 48 aircraft. McConnell took on training Republic of Republic of Singapore Air Force KC-135 aircrew and support personnel starting in June 1998. Today the 22nd ARW operates KC-135R and KC-135Ts which are supported by more than 2,900 active-duty Air Force and 500 civilian personnel at McConnell. The economic bene t to the nearby city of Wichita is reported to be more than $560 million per year.

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the white jets of offutt

he small eet of RC-135s are among the most highly prized Rudimentary RC-135s  rst entered service in 1961, although they intelligence gathering assets in the US military. Twenty- were not allocated that designation, and looked nothing like the versions two are operational and all are stationed at Offutt Air Force ying today. Currently the 22 RC-135s in service are composed of four Base, Nebraska, with the 55th Wing – although rarely are different designations performing three diverse missions, and there are there more than half this number in residence at any given three trainers dedicated to aircrew conversion and pro ciency. time. Worldwide deployments and major upgrades ensure Understandably a veil of secrecy surrounds the entire RC-135 tthe RCs are frequently away from home base. programme and the occasional disinformation has been discreetly The eet of different RC-135 variants often use the radio call sign used to confuse or mask the true nature of its activities – and rightly ‘Snoop’. While this tongue in cheek soubriquet is amusing, considering so, as the lives of the aircrew and sensor operators depend upon the task the crews perform, the fact it is used at all highlights the vital con dentiality. In particular, details of the sensor suite  tted to the outer intelligence-gathering task daily played out close to the borders of fuselage of each aircraft were not made public until many years after nations potentially hostile to the United States and her allies. they had  rst been installed.

52 the world ’s greatest tanker and more air combat command 1 3 5 Jim Haseltine

Initially the RC-135s were operated in natural metal nish, with full and their role has been described as ‘scienti c and technical’, a simplistic colour national insignia displayed on the rear fuselage and beneath the way of saying their task is to identify new and revised known emitters. wings, and ‘U.S. Air Force’ applied to the forward fuselage. However, Combat Sent can call on a vast computerised library of weapons the US decided to adopt a more high-pro le approach, as losses to systems and communications centres and the frequencies they use enemy action during the 1950s were aircraft deemed to be little different to conduct their operations. Electronic warfare operators (EWOs) the white from all other US military aircraft. Now they are similarly marked monitor automated sensors that scan a bewildering array of frequencies externally, nished with a gloss mid-grey lower fuselage and a white to determine every facet of a potential enemy’s military posture and upper surface and tail. The n displays the United States  ag in full governmental composition. Primarily these are foreign military airborne, colour as well as the ‘OF’ tail code signifying Offutt Air Force Base. land and seaborne radar signals. ‘U.S. Air Force’ is applied in large lettering along the fuselage above Initially the budget for their operations was provided by the Central the wing to ensure that, when operating over international waters close Intelligence Agency, but in 1975 the National Security Agency assumed to nations under surveillance, there is no uncertainty that these are responsibility and reduced the number of aircraft to two: RC-135 serial American aircraft. number 63-9792 was converted to Rivet Joint con guration. Initially the RC-135s were part of Strategic Air Command and The two surviving Combat Sent aircraft have changed slightly over jets of occasionally carried its star-spangled blue ‘milky way’ banner around the subsequent 40 years. The heart of the signals acquisition suite is the fuselage, along with wing and command emblems. Following the the Precision Power Measurement System (PPMS) composed of black demise of SAC, and reassignment to Air Combat Command (ACC) on antennas installed on the nose, extreme aft fuselage and wing tips. A June 1, 1992, the ACC emblem is presented on the starboard side of rectangular housing beneath the radome contains two circular sensors, the nose with the unit badge on the port. with similar structures mounted on the wing tips and on an extension to Each version has a distinctive con guration of antennas and sensors the rear fuselage. Collectively they provide 360° coverage of emitters tailored to speci c tasks. Likewise all three mission types are allocated under interrogation. a bizarre-sounding name, which has no relationship whatsoever to the Beneath the forward fuselage was a circular radome housing a large offutt task. The names are allocated for a variety of reasons, primarily for rotating antenna which has recently been replaced with a single blade familiarity between users and for budgetary purposes. aerial, similar to the Multiple Position COMINT Emitter Location System The aircraft are a component of the overall ‘Big Safari’ programme, (MUCELS) arrangement installed on Rivet Joints. Mounted on both established in 1951 to oversee small numbers of highly specialised types sides of the forward fuselage are Automatic Electronic Emitter Location that require logistics and nancial support away from the mainstream. System (AEELS) ‘cheeks’. The various antennas installed in the AEELS Users can readily identify the aircraft type and mission through the have changed shape periodically during the past 40-plus years as programme name rather than the aircraft designation, which can be newer and re ned sensors have been devised. changed periodically. Currently the names are Combat Sent (RC-135U), Combat Sent has been likened to a vacuum cleaner in being capable Cobra Ball (RC-135S) and Rivet Joint (RC-135V and RC-135W). of gathering up every possible emission from the range of frequencies likely to contain known and unknown radio waves. The two aircraft COMBAT SENT contain sophisticated computers pre-programmed with the ‘ ngerprint’ of all known weapons systems of virtually every air arm in the world. Three aircraft were originally recon gured from ‘Big Team’ RC-135C Rapid automated scanning of the airwaves enables EWOs to ignore standard to become specialised RC-135Us with the name ‘Combat those of no interest and concentrate on others that are either new or Sent’. They completed conversion between May and December 1971 represent a known source in a relatively unknown location. Emitters

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can be all manner of weaponry, defence , communications systems or any other signals transmitted across the airwaves. The database installed in Combat Sent scans millions of frequencies at incredible speed, ignoring those which are unimportant, but automatically homes in on those of interest. The advent of broadband communications initially resulted in certain frequency bands remaining undiscovered or badly intercepted. The Air Force has since taken steps to rectify the shortcoming. Crew composition includes two pilots, a navigator, two airborne systems engineers and a minimum of ten EWOs, or ‘Ravens’, along with six or more electronic, technical and area specialists. Although the ight crew stations are similarly con gured, the actual reconnaissance equipment is unique within each airframe. Combat Sent aircraft were usually deployed to Europe each spring and autumn where they would y lengthy missions towards the traditional adversary, the . It is believed Soviet exercises and troop rotations offered a golden opportunity to update the database and ascertain the locations of new or improved weapons systems. Despite the break-up of the Soviet Union, there has been an element of mistrust on both sides since, with the 55th Wing required to monitor events to enable the US Department of Defense to maintain its target folders. RIVET JOINT Ten RC-135C ‘Big Team’ aircraft were delivered to Offutt, beginning in February 1967, following the installation of specialist sensor suites by the Martin Aircraft Company in Baltimore, Maryland. Sensors were relatively simplistic at the time, but were superior to those installed in the claustrophobic bomb bays of RB-47 variants of the Stratojet, which they replaced. E-Systems of Greenville, Texas, one of the major contractors of intelligence-gathering systems, began to specialise in designing equipment and sensor integration for the RC-135s. During the early 1970s the seven RC-135Cs (excluding the three converted to RC- 135U standard) began to receive sophisticated sensors produced by E-Systems and other electronics specialists  rms. On completion, they were designated RC-135Vs. The name Rivet Joint (RJ) was adopted around the time the  rst RC-135V was completed in August 1973. An eighth aircraft, the surplus Combat Sent 63-9792, was also converted. The number of RJ airframes increased signi cantly when six Combat Apple RC-135Ms were returned to the United States once their involvement in the Vietnam War came to an end – their sensor suite had been tailored to the needs of the Southeast Asia theatre and was unsuited to operations elsewhere. All six Combat Apple jets were cycled through E-Systems’ facility at Greenville for conversion to RC-135W con guration. The  rst aircraft joined the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing in November 1980, differing marginally from the RC-135Vs by featuring a revised air refuelling receptacle and having no engine thrust reversers. E-Systems, which evolved through various name changes to become L-3 Communications, has continued to develop and install miniaturised sensors linked to highly sophisticated computers. The speed and capabilities of the latest technology could only be dreamt of when these aircraft  rst entered service and the sensors are fully automated, enabling airwaves to be scanned at very high speed. Mounted on both sides of the forward fuselage are the AEELS. ‘cheeks’. The Rivet Joint’s Automatic Electronic Emitter Location System (AEELS) ‘cheeks’ have evolved in the same way as those installed in Combat Sent. Initially the AEELS fairing was manufactured by Martin, but later replaced by a slightly larger version, produced by E-Systems, which extended over the crew access door. Beneath the fuselage is the Multiple Position COMINT Emitter Location System (MUCELS) antenna array or ‘antenna farm’.

Left from top: Electronic warfare specialists route test signals from a maintenance station aboard an RC-135 Rivet Joint. MSgt Scott Wagers/ US Air Force; Cryptologic operators onboard a Rivet Joint monitor the aircraft’s systems that detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. The mission crew can link information in a variety of formats to a wide range of consumers via the Rivet Joint’s extensive communications suite. MSgt Scott Wagers/US Air Force; Electronic warfare offi cers, also known as ‘Ravens’, are part of the standard 34-member Rivet Joint mission crew. MSgt Scott Wagers/US Air Force; Three work stations in the aft cabin of a Rivet Joint. Jim Haseltine; Electronic warfare specialists troubleshoot a radio frequency line aboard an RC-135 Rivet Joint. On average, it takes close to two years for a technician to become fully qualifi ed to perform the 146 core tasks required to maintain the interior reconnaissance area. MSgt Scott Wagers/US Air Force air combat command 1 3 5 Ryan Dorling

MUCELS has gradually grown in size and its number of antennas. without any detrimental effect, so a similar set-up was installed in a For more than two decades, the system featured four inverted black Rivet Joint in January 2009. Soon afterwards small cracks began to T-shaped aerials beneath the centre of the fuselage adjacent to the appear on one of the antennas. In November 2009, one aerial, known wing root. During the mid-2000s these were replaced by a similar as UHF 3, broke away, severing a high-frequency long wire mast and number of black blade antennas, supplemented by almost three dozen cable and causing dents to the upper rear fuselage. Investigation small aerials under the aft fuselage. revealed problems with the air ow around UHF 3, which was disturbed The upper fuselage meanwhile hosts some two dozen antennas for by the installation of so many other external features. Tests were satellite communication links and ultra high frequency (UHF) and very carried out, although in many cases the positioning of antennas was high frequency connections. dictated by radio frequency requirements. While no problems had Mounted within a small circular fairing on the top of the n is the occurred with Combat Sent, testing revealed they might occur in the Airborne Information Transfer system which provides all types of data future. Regular inspections are now conducted to prevent a recurrence in near real-time for other NATO aircraft, ships and ground stations of the problem. to enhance situational awareness. Adjacent is the Joint Tactical Rivet Joint is the primary strategic reconnaissance aircraft performing Information Distribution System antenna. peripheral signals intelligence (SIGINT) gathering. SIGINT is split between The Rivet Joint aircraft has an elongated black nose cone housing two distinct areas – electronic intelligence (ELINT), transmitted by an enhanced radar system – a traditional forward-pointing dish and two weapons and other mechanical communications; and communications others mounted 90° to each side. These enhance positional awareness, intelligence (COMINT), transmitted by people. Missions on the periphery enabling extremely accurate navigation, especially on missions close to of nations such as the Russia or hostile Middle East countries often the edge of the territorial waters of nations under surveillance. required linguists to  y aboard RJs. Their duties are primarily to monitor Because Rivet Joint aircraft have so many external modi cations, communications and they have been known to intercept communications antennas and aerials, a capable cooling system had to be tted. and even pretend to be an enemy’s headquarters and broadcast spurious Combat Sent used a liquid cooling system installed in the late 1990s instructions to hapless troops in the eld.

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RJs often determine usage patterns from known locations of (FISINT) mainly to monitor non-human communication signals – communications centres, and xed weapons systems, to establish including telemetry, tracking systems and video datalinks – from methodology and form of their operation and use. a variety of weapons, but in particular ballistic missile tests. Another primary duty is to verify an electronic order of battle – the Measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) gathering, which geographic location of military centres, positions of weapons, their monitors electromagnetic and infrared signatures, is another role range, characteristics and role. performed by the jets. Rivet Joint is the foremost intelligence gathering asset in the western Cobra Ball and Rivet Joint have evolved from being assets strictly world. It added a true tactical element to the coalition’s combat dedicated to strategic reconnaissance to use in tactical scenarios. With capability during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. This has since been Cobra Ball, for example, sensors have been used to identify and locate exploited to enable EWOs to provide combat forces, in the air and on mobile weapons, such as Russian-made Scud tactical ballistic missiles. the ground, with timely updates, particularly of immediate threats. An equally important mission performed for the RJs can accommodate more than 30 people, including the  ight deck is to collect optical and electronic data on ballistic missile sites to verify crew, EWOs, intelligence operators and in- ight maintenance technicians. compliance with arms treaties, and to enable the development of US strategic and theatre missile defences. COBRA BALL Initially Cobra Ball had the necessary sensor package, for the Joint Chiefs of Staff tasking, installed on the starboard side only. Cameras The oldest of the RC-135 versions is the Cobra Ball series. Other RC- and optical tracking devices were located behind large, optically-ground 135s pre-date Cobra Ball, but none remains in service. windows while various sensors were positioned on the forward fuselage. Reconnaissance-dedicated KC-135s were converted and used to To keep track of evolving missile technology, the exterior sensors monitor Soviet nuclear tests in 1961. Eventually these rudimentary changed periodically. Meanwhile the miniaturisation of tracking systems modi ed air refuelling tankers were tted with the most advanced revolutionised the internal equipment’s capabilities and eventually (for the time) equipment designed to capture suf cient data to enable enabled the large windows to be replaced with smaller versions. technicians in the US to determine yields and other nuclear information. The names and precise nature of the external sensors have never The treaty banning nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, signed been of cially released but details of internal equipment includes two –

by the governments of the USSR, the United States and the United known as a ballistic framing camera system and a medium-resolution Kingdom on August 5, 1963, coincided with the need to monitor camera. It is believed that both remain installed to this day, although their ballistic missile tests, and the rst Cobra Ball, serial number 59-1491 capabilities have been re ned and the equipment probably miniaturised. (c/n 17979), was delivered to the Air Force in October 1963. But it was Other integrated systems includes a large-aperture tracking system, a lost in a landing accident at Air Force Base, Alaska, in January multiple object discriminator system and a real-time optical system. 1969, leaving the US Air Force without a dedicated ballistic missile The aircraft’s panoramic scanning equipment is part of its Textron- tracking system until aircraft 61-2663 (c/n 18333) was completed as an developed Medium-wave InfraRed Array (MIRA) optical surveillance RC-135S in October 1969. sensor system, which comprises two electro-optical devices to provide This aircraft remains in Cobra Ball con guration. Others joined it, panoramic surveillance of illuminations in the medium infrared spectrum; including 61-2664 (c/n 18340), which was then also lost in a landing the six cameras in each are aligned in such a way that their overall eld accident in March 1981. It was replaced by 61-2662 (c/n 18292) of regard captures images in an azimuth surveillance sector of about which completed conversion in November 1983. A third Cobra Ball, 180°. A second system, which includes a telescope with a focal length of 62-4128 (c/n 18468), was converted in July 1999. The increase to three 305mm, is for detection and discrimination of small targets. airframes underlined the importance of the Cobra Ball mission. The latest Cobra Ball system has an improved MIRA arrangement Cobra Ball conducts foreign instrumentation signals intelligence designed by the Lincoln Laboratories and the Massachusetts Institute

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COMBAT SENT MISSION hardware and software. “Its current con guration allows RC-135U COMBAT SENT The RC-135U Combat for both manual and automatic Sent is used for scienti c analysis of electronic signals. 38th Reconnaissance and technical electronics By combining manual systems Squadron, 55th Wing (back- intelligence collection. Visually, with the Automatic Electronic cabin crew: 343rd Reconnaissance the aircraft has distinctive Emitter Locating System, Squadron, 97th Intelligence antenna arrays on the ‘chin’ Ravens and intelligence Squadron) and wing tips, large cheek specialists can simultaneously The RC-135U Combat Sent  eet fairings and an extended tail. locate, identify and analyse comprises two aircraft. Each Crew composition includes multiple electronic signals. is designed to collect technical two pilots, two navigators, two “Combat Sent records these intelligence on adversary radar airborne systems engineers and signals for future reference emitter systems. Both are powered a minimum of ten electronic or for extensive analysis by by F108-CF-201 (CFM56) engines. warfare of cers, or Ravens, electronic systems theorists. and six or more electronic, Any information garnered RC-135U Combat Sent (2) technical and geographical area from the data will help 64-14847 (c/n 18787) specialists. determine detailed operating 64-14849 (c/n 18789) According to the Pentagon, characteristics and capabilities Combat Sent comprises a of foreign systems. Evasion will detect, warn of or defeat wide variety of commercial techniques and equipment these electronic systems.” off-the-shelf and proprietary developed from this knowledge Robert F Dorr RC-135U Combat Sent 64-14849/’OF’. Jim Haseltine

of Technology laboratory It provides a simultaneous panoramic view, in The host of external fairings and equipment tted to Cobra Ball have three sectors, of the infrared spectrum, determining an object’s location, gradually been miniaturised, and are now installed internally. Earlier, the temperature, brightness and illumination bandwidth. aircraft had all manner of unusual sensor housings positioned on the Glare from the sun re ecting on the optical windows created a problem forward starboard side of the nose. These included dipole antennas and for the original MIRA system. The solution was to paint the starboard various other sensors housed in elongated tube-type covers. side wing and engine matt black so that the sensors were not The heart of the Cobra Ball system since 1963 has been the optical affected by re ected sun. The current and improved MIRA arrangement cameras and sensors located behind windows on the starboard side. The is not impeded by re ections but the black wing format has been retained original con guration of ten large windows was gradually reduced to four, to continue the Cobra Ball mystique. much smaller ones. Meanwhile the third Cobra Ball, 62-4128, was the rst Located on either side of the aft fuselage, just forward of the horizontal to feature windows on both sides. This was an interim con guration, but stabiliser, is a teardrop-shaped fairing containing a high-band search the jet was subsequently upgraded to full con guration. antenna – one of the few external sensors that were part of the RC-135M AEELS cheeks are installed on all three aircraft, enabling the RC- Combat Apple’s con guration (which also included low-band search 135S to conduct SIGINT. Crew composition includes a minimum of two antennas tted in the extended nose). On Rivet Joint, both sensors now pilots, a navigator, three EWOs, two airborne systems engineers and form part of the AEELS cheeks. two or more airborne mission specialists.

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 57 air combat command TC-135 STRATOLIFTER UPGRADES The increased number of RC-135s, and the proliferation of their TC-135S/TC-135W All 25 aircraft in the RC-135 and involvement in training exercises and operations, created a problem STRATOLIFTER TC-135  eet have received a with aircrew conversion, training and pro ciency because there were cockpit upgrade featuring the most insuf cient aircraft to satisfy all the demands. Simulators could only 45th Reconnaissance up-to-date technology under the meet part of the need. This was particularly the case with Cobra Ball Squadron, 55th Wing Pacer CRAG (compass, radar and training as invariably one aircraft was receiving upgrades, reducing the The TC-135W  eet comprises GPS) modernisation programme, three aircraft. They are used for  eet of two by half. The delivery of the third Cobra Ball helped, but the compatible with the latest air traf c training aircrew on the respective need remained. requirement; and all have been RC-135S and RC-135W variants. The answer was to convert a former EC-135B 62-4133 (c/n 18473) tted with CFM International F108- All three are powered by F108- to TC-135S standard in July 1985 – the ‘T’ designating trainer and the CF-201 engines. CF-201 (CFM56) engines. ‘S’ denoting the Cobra Ball major design series. The TC-135S features Every three years or so, each an elongated radar nose, but no other sensors, and sports the black TC-135W RC-135 is cycled through the wing and engine nacelles of the Cobra Ball despite having no optical 62-4127 (c/n 18467) L-3 Communications facility at equipment installed. 62-4129 (c/n 18469) Greenville for major overhaul, when The success of the Cobra Ball trainer led the 55th Strategic 62-4133 (c/n 18473) the latest sensor and equipment Reconnaissance Wing (later 55th Wing) to consider a dedicated upgrades are installed. The goal is Rivet Joint trainer, and C-135B 62-4129 (c/n 18469) was selected for to have all aircraft of each variant modi cation by E-Systems, starting in February 1987. The aircraft identically con gured. But the pace of technology, and the need to was designated a TC-135W – the ‘W’ denoting the Rivet Joint major respond to the countermeasures used by potential adversaries, is such design series. It is almost identical in appearance to a de nitive RJ that the chance of having a harmonised  eet is unlikely. Bob Archer but without the MUCELS antenna farm. Dummy AEELS ‘cheeks’ were tted – made of wood and bre glass and with no sensors installed – OPEN SKIES and crews report the aircraft’s handling qualities to be very similar to an operational aircraft. A second C-135B, 62-4127 (c/n 18467), was The Open Skies Treaty of cially came into being on March converted to TC-135W standard in 2012. 24, 1992, with 34 signatory nations. The Treaty enables a Despite the trainers being invaluable assets, questions were predetermined number of over- ights by the signatory nations asked about the feasibility of operating two versions of the TC-135. to verify conventional arms and ensure compliance with various To overcome this seemingly annoying interference, the Air Force agreements. The United States converted three former weather redesignated the TC-135S as a TC-135W thereby overcoming this monitoring WC-135Bs with various panoramic and framing anomaly: the aircraft also lost the black paint applied to the wing cameras, using either conventional wet lm or video. Two aircraft soon afterwards. are in use with the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron at Offutt Air

RC-135V Rivet Joint 62-4126/’OF’. Jim Haseltine

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RIVET JOINT MISSION back-cabin operators attempt members on the RC-135 Rivet to “detect, identify and RC-135V AND Joint,” said Senior Master Sgt The RC-135V/W is the standard geolocate signals throughout RC-135W RIVET JOINT Leo Chang, a Spanish language airborne signals intelligence the electromagnetic spectrum”, airborne cryptologic linguist platform of the US Air Force. says the Pentagon. “The 38th Reconnaissance with more than 5,000 ight They are sometimes called mission crew can then forward Squadron ‘Hellcats’, 55th hours, quoted in a US Air Force ‘hogs’ because of the extended information gathered in a variety Wing (back-cabin crew: 343rd press release. Many back- nose and cheek radomes which of formats to a wide range of Reconnaissance Squadron) cabin linguists, including the house their internal antennas consumers via Rivet Joint’s The RC-135V/RC-135W eet author and Chang, studied a and collection sensors. Over extensive communications comprises 17 aircraft and is the language in an intensive course the years, differences between suite.” Originally, this mission USAF’s standard airborne SIGINT at the Presidio of Monterey, the two models have all but was entirely passive – simply platform. All 17 are powered by California – described by disappeared and the only real monitoring radio traf c. After F108-CF-201 (CFM56) engines. the Pentagon as “one of the distinctions today between internal, back-cabin changes longest, most dif cult training a ’V and a ’W is the shape of in recent years, the mission RC-135V Rivet Joint (8) pipelines in Air Education and the engine struts and minor now includes the interception, 63-9792 (c/n 18706) Training Command” – typically differences in the air-refuelling alteration and reinsertion of 64-14841 (c/n 18782) lasting nine to 18 months. receptacle. every kind of electronic message 64-14842 (c/n 18783) Of cials won’t say much On a typical Rivet Joint and continues to grow as 64-14843 (c/n 18784) about how signals intelligence reconnaissance ight, an command and control systems 64-14844 (c/n 18785) is collected, analysed, shared RC-135V or RC-135W carries become ever more complex. 64-14845 (c/n 18786) and used. But they don’t an augmented ight crew of Among the back-cabin 64-14846 (c/n 18787) hesitate to praise Rivet Joint for three pilots and two navigators airmen are enlisted troops 64-14848 (c/n 18789) doing the SIGINT job. “We’re – plus a ‘mission crew’ in the called ‘cryptologic linguists’. relevant,” Capt Mark Cramer, back with a minimum of three This is the RC-135 career  eld RC-135W Rivet Joint (9) a navigator with the 45th electronic warfare of cers, 14 most familiar to the author 62-4125 (c/n 18465) Reconnaissance Squadron at 62-4126 (c/n 18466) intelligence operators and four of this article, who was a Offutt, told AIR International. 62-4130 (c/n 18470) in- ight/airborne maintenance Korean-language cryptologic “This is not the Cold War 62-4131 (c/n 18471) technicians. The job of the linguist in the back cabin Rivet Joint. This is something 62-4132 (c/n 18472) technicians is to maintain of a highly sophisticated new that everybody wants. 62-4134 (c/n 18473) Every theatre commander the radios, radars and other reconnaissance aircraft called 62-4135 (c/n 18474) electronic gear used to carry a C-47 Skytrain in Korea in 62-4138 (c/n 18477) and combatant commander out the mission. 1958. The US Air Force won’t 62-4139 (c/n 18478) is always asking for Rivet And what is the mission? describe the linguist’s duties Joint. The platform has been Whether deployed to Kadena in detail, but they typically continuously deployed to Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, monitor a potential adversary’s the communications of an SWA [Southwest Asia] since to patrol the Chinese coast forces’ radio communications. armoured division on the move. 1990. We’re able to evolve looking inland or ying from Al That could mean listening to “Nearly 95% of all airborne and leverage new technologies Udeid Air Base, Qatar, peering MiGs scrambling on an air cryptologic linguists will rapidly onto the airplane.” down at the Arab world, the defence mission or following begin their careers as aircrew Robert F Dorr

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Force Base, Nebraska, with the ground) and a KA-91C panoramic camera, which scans from side to third in yable storage with the OC-135B OPEN SKIES side to provide a wide sweep for each picture (used for high altitude 309th Aerospace Maintenance photography at around 35,000 feet). And Regeneration Group at 45th Reconnaissance Known as DARMS, the OC-135B’s data annotation and recording Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Squadron, 55th Wing system processes navigational, altitude, time and camera signals to in Arizona. The aircraft are white The OC-135B eet comprises two identify each picture with correct position, altitude, time, roll angle overall, with a pale blue tail stripe aircraft which support the Open and other information. Bob Archer and Robert F Dorr containing the legend Skies Treaty by ying unarmed ‘Open Skies.’ observation ights over countries CONSTANT PHOENIX AND THE ATOM The majority of inspection participating in the treaty. Both are sorties have been completed powered by TF33-P-5 engines. The WC-135C/WC-135W over the 34 nations: Russia and Constant Phoenix atmospheric WC-135C/WC-135W Ukraine remain as the only nations OC-135B Open Skies collection aircraft, says the CONSTANT PHOENIX that are routinely over own, the 61-2670 (c/n 18346) Pentagon, “supports national 61-2672 (c/n 18348) sorties for which can only take level consumers by collecting 45th Reconnaissance place between the spring and particulate and gaseous ef uents Squadron, 55th Wing (back- autumn due to adverse weather in the winter months. and debris from accessible cabin crew: 343rd Reconnaissance The TF-33-powered OC-135B has extensive modi cations regions of the atmosphere in Squadron). centring around four cameras installed in the rear of the aircraft support of the Limited Nuclear The WC-135W eet comprises two for its unclassi ed and very public purpose of supporting an Test Ban Treaty of 1963”. A quick aircraft. Each is used to gather international agreement. word about the term ‘national radioactive samples in the air to The OC-135B performs its work on behalf of the Pentagon’s consumers’: it’s applicable to the evaluate nuclear tests or leakage. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Several other nations y entire RC-135 family and it means Open Skies observation airplanes, including Russia with a Tupolev that the mission is too important WC-135C Constant Phoenix (1) Tu-154-ON Careless, and Bulgaria, Romania and Russia with the to fall under regional combatant Power plants: TF33-P-9 engines Antonov An-30 Clank. commanders. without thrust reversers The Open Skies arrangement is unique: a mission that would have The 1963 treaty ended most 61-2667 (c/n 18343) been a highly classi ed ‘black’ programme during the Cold War above-ground testing of atomic – looking down on another nation with cameras – is now publicly warheads and Constant Phoenix WC-135W Constant Phoenix (1) endorsed and completely open. crews stay on the prowl to make Power plants: TF33-P-5 engines Since the OC-135B’s primary purpose is to take pictures, most of certain no rogue nation detonates with thrust reversers the installed equipment and systems provide direct support to the a nuke in the atmosphere. 62-3582 (c/n 18565) cameras and their operator. The interior seats 35 people, including Ironically, Constant Phoenix gets the cockpit crew, aircraft maintenance crew, foreign country press ink only when performing a more peaceful mission. For representatives and of cials from the DTRA. example, in March 2011, one such aircraft sampled radioactive Equipment includes one vertical and two oblique KS-87E framing emissions from the earthquake-ravaged Fukushima-Dai Ichi nuclear cameras for low-altitude photography (around 3,000 feet above the plants near Sendai, Japan. Shortly after the March 11 magnitude

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COBRA BALL MISSION of cers; 14 intelligence operators acquisition. LATS serves as an RC-135S COBRA BALL (linguists among them); and four adjunct tracker. Due to its large The RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft airborne systems engineers. aperture, it has signi cantly carries infrared telescopes to 45th Reconnaissance Distinctive features of the greater sensitivity and resolving track ballistic missile ights at Squadron, 55th Wing RC-135S Cobra Ball include power than the RTOS, but is long range. They also carry (back-cabin crew: 343rd circular optical ports, specialised otherwise similar.” linguists who monitor voice Reconnaissance Squadron) antennas and a distinctive matt Capt Michael Curphey, a communications. The RC-135S Cobra Ball eet black wing on the right side. The navigator on Cobra Ball, told AIR Back in the 1960s, Cobra Ball comprises three aircraft. Each aircraft can also receive in- ight International: “We’re not exactly aircraft were originally assigned uses infrared telescopes for refuelling. ying point-to-point like Delta to Shemya Air Force Base in the tracking ballistic-missile tests; its Cobra Ball functions as a Air Lines. The dynamics of our Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and mission is dubbed measurement component of a measurement ight pattern change constantly. used to observe ballistic missile and signal intelligence (MASINT) and signals intelligence We y in very sensitive areas tests on Russia’s Kamchatka of adversary ballistic missile (MASINT) system, co-operating where our position matters. The peninsula. Two were converted operations. All three aircraft with ground- and navigator brings to the  ght a for Cobra Ball in 1969 and, are powered by F108-CF-201 Cobra Judy sea-based radar second set of eyes and a second following the loss of an aircraft (CFM56) engines. units. It has electro-optical brain. In Cobra Ball we collect in 1981, another was converted MASINT sensors which, foreign ballistics. You have to be RC-135S Cobra Ball (3) in 1983. The sole RC-135X was according to the Pentagon, in the right place and you have to 61-2662 (c/n 18292) also converted into an RC-135S are “two linked electro-optical do it right.” 61-2663 (c/n 18333) in the late 1990s to supplement sensors – the Real Time Optics Although there are fewer 62-4128 (c/n 18468) the others. System (RTOS) and the Large Cobra Ball airframes than Rivet The ight crew consists of two Aperture Tracker System (LATS). Joints, the US Air Force says pilots and a navigator. The back- on mission requirements. A RTOS consists of an array of they ew 70% of the 45th cabin crew on Cobra Ball number typical crew includes a minimum staring sensors encompassing Reconnaissance Squadron’s between 21 and 27, depending of three electronic warfare a wide  eld of regard for target missions in 2009. Robert F Dorr

9.0 earthquake and tsunami, a Constant Phoenix aircraft and team we get to go out and help someone, so we’re all pumped up and headed by Col John Hansen deployed to Eielson Air Force Base, ready to go.” Helping, however, introduced an immediate problem: Alaska, to begin operations over Japan. Satellites in orbit couldn’t from the beginning of ight operations, Constant Phoenix detected detect the radioactive plume from Fukushima’s reactors but the higher levels of radiation than Japanese of cials were announcing WC-135 had no dif culty monitoring and measuring the potentially – causing a minor rift between public relations acks in the two lethal output. countries. In a TV interview before departing Offutt, Hansen said: “We’re Constant Phoenix was also used in 1986 following the Chernobyl out there on the front lines  ghting wars, but this is a case where nuclear power plant explosion in the Soviet Union. Robert F Dorr

RC-135S Cobra Ball 61-2663/’OF’. Jim Haseltine

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 61 air combat command air 62 missions are completelyunclassi ed andwide opentopublicscrutiny. military functionwhichislawfulunder therulesofwar. A fewoftheir spattered alleywayatmidnight,the aircraft crews carryoutalegitimate in fact,intelligence-gatherers. Unlikeasecret agentinsomedark, rain- seem obvioustoamilitaryexpertbutnotthecitizenonstreet. a distinctionbetweenlegalandillegalinformation-gatheringthatmay spies. “Whatwedoisintelligence,notspying!”huffed thechief,drawing chief ofstaff didn’t likethepin,whichhethoughtimpliedairmen were cloak anddaggerItwaspopularwiththe55thWingonce,butarecent  ight suit,ablacklapelpinintheshapeofsinister, masked gure with two yearsearlier, hadlittletoaddwhenwereturnedinJanuary2014. The 55thWing,whichhadgrantedextensiveaccesstothismagazine or feelanRC-135onahigh-stakesferret missionnearhostileterritory. defend mycountry.” a difference forournationandallies.Ilovethefactthatgetto reduced totellingusthingslike:“Everydayweguysdeploy, theymake con composition ortheinternal guration oftheRC-135,sohewas for aninterview. Thewingwouldn’t allowhimtotalkaboutcrew the 55thWingatOffutt AirForce Base,Nebraska,wouldmakeavailable added thatitcangetdiceywhenhostile ghters showup. reconnaissance aircraft isacomfortableplacetowork.Hemighthave Squadron, lastJanuarytheRC-135RivetJoint toldAIRInternational down neartheground gettingmybodybeatup.” B-52 Stratofortress ortheB-1BLancerbecauseIdon’t wanttobe “As anelectronic warfare of cer, Iprefer theRC-135missionto OLD SNOOPY undergo routine cleaning as Above inset:AnRC-135VRivetJointgetshoseddownintheBennieDavisMaintenanceFacilityatOffuttAirForceBase.aircraftundergoroutinecleaningas MSgt William Green/US Air Force Their overall function nowadays is more commonly called intelligence, Their overallfunctionnowadaysismore commonlycalledintelligence, The BoeingRC-135andthecloselyrelated OC-135andWC-135are, Babcock wouldn’tonhis‘green evensaywhetherhe’deverworn, bag’ That’s great stuff, butitdoesn’t helpthereader tosee,hear, smell Babcock wastheonlyRC-135crewmember thathisparent out t, Lt ColLisleBabcock,commanderofthe38thReconnaissance the world s greatest tanker and more and greatesttanker world s the part ofaminorcorrosionandcontrolinspection,whichisfollowedbyfulllubricationtheentireaircraftoncecleaned.JoshPlueger/USAirForce ’ mud-moving F-15EStrikeEagle,to theseeminglymore prosaic ’135. regrets ofanykind”abouttransferring from hisprevious platform,the 45th ReconnaissanceSquadron, hehas“no toldAIRInternational Capt KarlDuerk,anRC-135V/WRivet JointpilotwiththeOmahawing’s ON THEFLIGHTDECK being incommandofacrew. RobertFDorr have alwaysdone:savouringthejoyof ight andtheresponsibility of has aface,andthatfaceisthepilotofanRC-135,doingwhatpilots during the‘ColdWar’ andwere re ned fortoday’s con icts. Thejob surveillance andeavesdropping tasks–allpartofISRwhichbegan aircraft designations.Theterminologycoversabroad swatheof aerial the worldofRC-135withitsmixture ofprogramme namesand often deployedawayfrom homebaseforasmuch200daysa year. are justapartofthewing’s story, buttheyare thebusiestofbusy, Midwest America.ThepeopleandmachinesoftheRC-135community Omaha, aone-timecattletownlookingoutatthegreat plainsof they performintheirbigfour-jet aircraft. be close-mouthedaboutdetailsofdeployments,locationsandactions matter howlegal,canbeveryhighlyclassi ed, so55thairmentendto for readers lookingfortalesofintrigueandderring-do,mostISR,no retired astheUSAirForce’s topintelligenceof cer. Unfortunately, crucial toourISRcapabilities,”saysLtGenDavidDeptula,whorecently an apparent bargain sinceanF-16FightingFalconcosts$38,000. Gen JohnShanahan.Theaircraft costabout$4,000perhourtooperate, station isOffutt AirForce Base,Omaha,Nebraska,commandedbyBrig rolled outofBoeing’s Seattlefactorybetween1956and1964.Theirhome the familiarKC-135Stratotankerair-refuelling aircraft, some808ofwhich surveillance andreconnaissance (ISR).Theirplatformisaderivativeof The panelsonpages57,59and61provide handyprimersfor The 55thWingisalongstanding xture atthesprawlingbasenear “These aircraft [theRC-135family]andthemissiontheyperformare air combat command 1 3 5

When he’s in the left front seat of his 173,000lb aircraft with its four the sergeant called “Constant Phoenix constant headaches” for 21,600lb thrust CFM International F108-CF-201 (CFM56) high-bypass maintainers. The failure of the US Air Force to re-engine this quartet turbofan engines, he’s occupying a new cockpit in an old aircraft and comes close to qualifying as a disgrace. faces as many airmanship challenges as any pilot who ever went aloft. One observer of the military aviation scene argued that RC-135 “We begin mission planning a full day before a ight,” Duerk said. “We operations are “risk free, as the aircraft y beyond the range of machine talk about weather, fuel loads, and the mission. The airplane has a glass gun or shoulder- red anti-aircraft missiles”. The comment overlooks the cockpit and CFM56 engines which are really reliable, a great improvement high-speed, long reach of modern warfare and highlights a signi cant over the small motors the ’135s were built with. I’ve seen two large hawks problem that RC-135 operators will need to consider in the future: at go down the intakes of those engines without any damage. They’re very some point, modern air forces will have to untie themselves from the slow, resistant to bird damage. The high bypass ingests them and spits them defenceless platforms on which the West relies so heavily today – E-3 out rather than taking them into the core of the engine. Sentry Airborne Warning and Control (AWACS), E-8C Joint Surveillance “This is a heavy aircraft and you never forget it, especially on take-off Target Attack Radar System (J-STARS), the RC-135 family and, yes, even roll. I haven’t piloted modern aircraft like the Boeing 737-800 or the the big, slow, high-pro le KC-135R and KC-10A Extender tankers. C-17A Globemaster III. Our ight controls are unique. They operate “Typically, we don’t make ourselves vulnerable to threats,” navigator/ with trim tabs using aerodynamic forces. Because of the amount of EWO Preisman told AIR International. “We don’t take on unnecessary pressure required and the amount of play in the controls, it’s like driving risks. We do weigh the risks as we go along.” But that also means, of a Mack Truck. They’re hydraulic controls. It takes muscle. You have course, that an RC-135 cannot venture close to a foe’s air defences. hydraulic assist on the rudder and spoilers. We have two ailerons Former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said changes in (inboard and outboard) and an elevator, so we need trim tabs. They’re technology will enable faster, more nimble aircraft like the F-35 used to assist the motion of the controls. Remember, this aircraft was Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to take over some ISR missions, designed using a slide rule in the 1950s.” Robert F Dorr but the proposition is dubious. We are far from the point where a pilot in a  ghter-type warplane can do the job now performed by 30 or more FLYING THE 135 aboard a transport-style platform. Many in the RC-135 community regret the 2007 cancellation of the The 55th Wing’s three TC-135 Stratolifter trainer aircraft, also called Northrop Grumman E-10A, a military version of the Boeing 767-400ER Road Warriors, are used for instruction and pro ciency checking of that would have replaced AWACS, J-STARS and the RC-135 family. ight deck and back-cabin crew. The reason for the ‘Road Warrior’ The big E-10A proved unaffordable – and putting all its capabilities into appellation is simple enough: the aircraft deploy regularly to familiar a single-seat JSF would be even more so. RC-135 bases like Mildenhall, Al Udeid, Kadena and Eielson to help And what about duty in the 55th Wing, where all airmen are ‘high-value/ maintain crew ef ciency, so they’re always ‘on the road’. low-density’ and deploy frequently – up to 200 days per year – leaving Although ight deck crews tend to stay with a particular version of families behind? “Offutt is a one-of-a-kind operation,” said Preisman. the ‘one-thirty- ve’ family, some of their comments about piloting and “Some guys make a career staying at Offutt. It’s a great place to live. It’s a navigating the big aircraft apply to all models. In his exclusive interview secret that guys love it here. When I moved here, my realtor said with AIR International, pilot Duerk – he’s the one who transitioned from ‘people don’t want you to say that you love it here’ because too Strike Eagle to Rivet Joint – offered the following: many others will  nd out. But I do.” Robert F Dorr “We spend a day preparing for a mission. We get the ight deck and back-cabin crews together to go over our plans. We then have separate brie ngs: the pilot and navigator talk about the weather, the route of ight, the NOTAMs [notices to airmen], the fuel loads and the ight plan. The back-cabin crew has a separate brie ng on its tasking for the day. “With regard to aircraft, I think we’re pretty lucky. In terms of ATC [air traf c control] systems we can y anywhere. We meet FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] and ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organisation] standards without a waiver. “The navigator operates the aircraft’s radar and all of the navigation system. The co-pilot runs checklists and is responsible for the performance calculations, take-off data and so on. The aircraft commander is the overall decision-maker for the ight. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the shape of our wing, so we need 8,000 feet of runway.” Duerk said his grandfather was a navigator on a lot of different Above: OC-135B 61-2672/’OF’ shown landing at RAF Mildenhall in the aircraft, including the B-24 Liberator and B-36 Peacemaker bomber. UK is one of two such aircraft operated by the 45th Reconnaissance “Talking to him helped to motivate me. Squadron based at Offutt Air Force Base. Matthew Clements Major David Preisman, a navigator/electronic warfare of cer (EWO) Below: TC-135W Stratolifter 62-4127/’OF’ is one of three trainer on RC-135s, belongs to the all-important 170th Group, Nebraska Air aircraft fl own by the 55th Wing. Matthew Clements National Guard, which integrates its Guardsmen into the 55th Wing. He told AIR International: “I’ve been on Boeing aircraft all my career. They’re very logical, very sound. There’s a lot of common sense and redundancy in the system. “Our airplane is modi ed new every four years. It’s a ’57 Chevy chassis but every four years it comes out of our depot with the newest baseline upgrades. The aircraft has a ‘Rivet Glass’ cockpit with two digital FMSs [ ight management systems] – but we have a ‘legacy’ tanker radar and we need a colour radar. “The new engines helped a lot with our maintenance problems. The The WC-135W Constant Phoenix fl eet comprises two aircraft has no structural issues that are technically and legally unsafe. aircraft. Each is used to gather radioactive samples in the The older engines were responsible for a lot of false alarms and real air to evaluate nuclear tests or leakage. Bob Archer problems. If it’s not a false alarm I want to bring it down to the ground as much as the next guy.” Robert F Dorr AFTER RIVET JOINT The US Air Force has 30 aircraft in the RC-135 family and 393 KC-135 tankers. Among the 423 airframes, only four – the Open Skies and Constant Phoenix aircraft – are being asked to chug along on ancient TF33 engines which one staff sergeant told AIR International “are the hardest to maintain in the air force”. The two Constant Phoenix airframes don’t even have the same type of TF33s, causing what

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 63 air force materiel com mand

here are two KC-135Rs assigned to Air Force Materiel Command’s 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. KC-135R 61-0320 (c/n 18227) and KC- 135RT 63-7980 (c/n 18597) are known as Test Tanker I and II respectively. Their primary role is to carry out air refuelling certi cation of new types. t Both tankers are modi ed with cameras to lm the receiver aircraft on the boom and are instrumented to capture stresses, strains and loads induced on the boom nozzle during the

Above: On March 28, 2013, KC-135R 63-7980 offi cially known as ‘Speckled Trout’ arrived at RAF Mildenhall in the UK on its fi rst fl ight outside of the United States since its most recent overhaul. This highly modifi ed KC-135R recently returned home to Edwards Air Force Base, after a year-long maintenance period with L3 Communications at Greenville, Texas. Speckled Trout received a partial interior and a complete exterior refurbishment during Program Depot Maintenance. The major change was the new white and grey paint scheme. Before arriving at Mildenhall it routed Edwards-Andrews-Ramstein-Aviano-Mildenhall and is seen departing the Suffolk base for Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Matthew Clements test tan kers Above: Test Tanker I, KC-135R 61-0320 on roll-out from landing on runway 22 at Edwards, after an air refuelling mission with F-35A AF-02. Paul Ridgway Opposite Inset: The offi cial Project Speckled Trout crest. Paul Ridgway Main Image: The unique NC-135W features Automatic ELINT Emitter Location System (AEELS) cheeks fi tted to both sides of the forward fuselage, and the extended ‘hog’ nose, which houses a revised radar system. Ryan Dorling

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trial: an essential capability for testing the aircraft’s full envelope on and how its ingestion affects the engines. Icing is one of the last the boom. The most recent type to undergo such testing was the events undertaken in an aircraft’s ight test programme – the F-35 F-35 Lightning II. Lightning II is likely to be next in the schedule. Aircrew assigned to two of the resident squadrons y the tanker. An array is attached to the boom and water is sprayed in front The 445th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) conducts most of the air of the receiver to create a small cloud of ice which collects on its refuelling work, and the 418th FLTS specialises in testing new systems surfaces, and by moving the boom around, the boomer can build-up integrated as part of upgrade programmes, latterly involving Block 45. an ice formation. Edwards-based tankers are also used in trials that aim to discover Supporting ight test programmes at Edwards requires the tanker how ice forms on the wing and other control surfaces of the receiver, pilots to operate the KC-135 on the edge of its ight envelope, its maximum or minimum airspeed or at the highest or lowest altitudes. KC-135R 61-0320 was own at both high speed and high altitude when it supported the F-35 test programme during the summer of 2013. Another Edwards-based unit, the US Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS) also uses the KC-135R but in a very different way. Each TPS class has what’s called a large aircraft curriculum that requires all students to conduct test events using the KC-135. An instructor pilot will y with each student while he or she tests ying qualities, works through engine-out procedures and ies with a multi-instrument ight deck. test SPECKLED TROUT Test Tanker II is a unique aeroplane with the unusual project name ‘Speckled Trout’. The project was originally established in 1957 by General Curtis LeMay, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, to make an aircraft available for him at , Maryland that had worldwide air transportation capability. Over the decades, Speckled Trout’s role has evolved from solely supporting the chief of staff to also providing a test capability for communication and navigation systems used by the special air mission eet operated by the based at Andrews. The aircraft has internet, telecommunication and satellite tan kers connectivity and can comfortably transport 20 people from Andrews to anywhere in the world. What’s more it can be air-refuelled, so there is nowhere in the world that the Trout can’t reach in one hop, the only constraint is the crew duty day, which with three pilots on board is up to 24 hours. As well as the three pilots, there’s a ight engineer, a navigator (who also acts as mission commander and has direct liaison with the DV onboard) and a ight engineer. The crew also includes a communication system operator and two ight attendants. TRIPLE SIX One of the most important US Air Force programmes during the past four decades has been the continuing development of sensors for the small eet of RC-135s operated by Strategic Air Command and latterly Air Combat Command. Upgrading the highly effective sensor suite for the various divisions of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) gathering, ahead of operational  elding, has been vested with L3 Communications (formerly E-Systems Inc). With a limited number of operational aircraft available, L3 utilises test-bed aircraft NC-135W 61-2666 (c/n 18342) for all development work on Rivet Joint, Combat Sent and Cobra Ball. The aircraft is stationed at the company’s Majors Field facility, in Greenville Texas, where the 645th Aeronautical Systems Squadron is the primary Air Force liaison unit linking the military directly with the contractor through the Big Safari Of ce. Big Safari overseas all highly classi ed programmes involving small numbers of specialised aircraft, whose upgrade and operational capabilities are too important for the usual, lengthy sustainment process. The NC-135W retains the TF33 engines and will not receive replacements. The unique NC-135W, colloquially called ‘Triple Six’, features the Automatic ELINT Emitter Location System (AEELS) cheeks  tted to both sides of the forward fuselage, while the extended ‘hog’ nose houses a revised radar system. Installed on both sides of the aft fuselage is a teardrop antenna fairing, identical to that  tted as a standard feature on Cobra Ball. The NC-135W is essentially similar in appearance to the RC-135 eet that it supports, with the exception of a dark blue and yellow  n stripe containing ‘AFMC’ the of cial abbreviation for Air Force Materiel Command. Bob Archer

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 65 air national guard

KC-135R 61-0264 of the 121st Air Refueling Wing based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base on fi nal approach to Morón Air Base, Spain. Antonio Zaragüeta

creek party tanker toads and total force

ts polished silver aluminium ashing through the grey cloud layers and early 1970s, of KC-97L tankers with their characteristic ‘double of a European sky, the big Boeing KC-97L Stratotanker needed all bubble’ fuselage design – the lower bubble containing 9,000 gallons six of its engines – four immense 3,300-horsepower radial piston of jet fuel – and pugnacious chin-mounted weather radars. They engines and two underwing J47 – throttled up to refuelling were a common sight in the skies of Europe and on the airbases of power as the AN/APX-29A rendezvous radar in its dorsal radome Germany and England during the  rst three decades of the ‘Cold War’. searched to distinguish the transponders of the  ghters it was to Starting in 1964 – when the ’s (ANG’s) 160th Irefuel. Air Refueling Group (ARG) at Lockbourne Air Force Base at Columbus, Despite the power of the tanker’s engines,  ghters would have to Ohio, enabled the  rst ReadyGo transatlantic deployment of  ghters – slow down almost to stalling speed before they would approach the and lasting until the KC-97Ls were  nally retired in 1976, Creek Party refuelling boom deftly lowered from below the KC-97’s tail. rotations, comprising six aircraft operating in Europe for two weeks, Refuelling US Air Force  ghters was the mission, in the late 1960s were a major mission for ANG tanker units from many states.

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creek party tanker toads and total force

The Ohio ANG had received its KC-97s in the early 1960s when a changing force posture as the con ict in Southeast Asia ended, the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the US Air Force’s Cold War nuclear ANG, along with the Air Force Reserve (AFRES), changed. No longer deterrent, no longer needed them, having converted to four-jet Boeing a strategic reserve for a new world war, they would be operationally KC-135As. The ANG was only considered adequate for the secondary integrated with active units in a concept known as ‘total force’ – which mission of refuelling ghters outside the warzone in Southeast Asia. Ohio ANG tankers were among the leaders in implementing. While most ANG units were not activated for that war, they trained one weekend a month at their home bases and deployed for two weeks a THE RISE OF THE TOTAL FORCE year, leaving the US perhaps one year in every ve. Silver Ohio KC-97Ls over Europe were something new: operationally KC-97L Creek Party deployments were approaching their end when, engaged ANG aircraft deployed on a regular basis and integrated with on April 18, 1975, the 160th ARG’s 145th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) US Air Force operations beyond the continental United States. Facing received the rst-ever KC-135A jet tanker delivered to the ANG. With

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 67 air national guard

A KC-135R Stratotanker from the 121st Air Refueling Wing refuels a B-2 Spirit bomber over the Pacifi c Ocean during a mission from , Guam during exercise Koa Lightening 2007. Senior Airman Brian Kimball/121st Air Refueling Wing

the new equipment came a new mission. Air National Guard tanker they had on board before gliding to a dead-stick landing somewhere units would be integrated with the active force structure with the same over the polar ice cap. types of aircraft and trained to the same standards. Tankers assigned Under the total force concept, if they were to  y the same missions, to the Ohio ANG became the rst unit to become an operational ANG units would be held to the same standards and undergo the same part of SAC. In previous decades it was assumed that no ANG or inspections as the active-duty force. In July 1976, the 160th ARG AFRES  ying unit could meet SAC’s exacting standards for its nuclear passed a thorough SAC Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI). Now deterrence mission. it could be tasked interchangeably with SAC’s active-duty units. The Ohio ANG trained hard and on July 1, 1976 became the rst of In the years that followed, in addition to training with bombers the Guard’s tankers to start standing alert. In doing so they became and standing alert, Ohio ANG tankers frequently deployed as part SAC ‘Tanker TOADs’, an acronym for ‘take off and die’ – a succinct of SAC Tanker Task Force (TTF) on operations based in the Paci c summary of their mission in a nuclear war with the Soviet Union when (at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam), Alaska (Eielson Air Force Base) they would be tasked with refuelling bombers with every drop of fuel and, in particular, to the UK (RAF Mildenhall and RAF Fairford). They

68 the world ’s greatest tanker and more air national guard 1 3 5

“Right before we took off on the fi rst night of the air war they told us we had a 25% chance of being shot down,” Chief Master Sergeant Robert Reffi tt, Boom Operator, 145th ARS, Ohio Air National Guard

also took part in ‘ ghter drags’ known as Coronet (the rst word of the aircraft to carry 20,000 to 30,000lbs of additional fuel. a two-word code name for each deployment) missions when each The Ohio ANG was  ying KC-135Es in 1990 when the Iraqi tanker would lead a  ight of ghters across an ocean, refuelling invasion of Kuwait led to its deployment to US Central Command’s each repeatedly en route while carrying ground crews and support (CENTCOM’s) area of responsibility (AOR), sending detachments to be equipment in the cargo compartment. part of three ANG KC-135E-equipped provisional Air Refueling Wings The total force concept envisaged the ANG and AFRES  ying the concentrated at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudia Arabia with same aircraft as the active-duty force, but while the latter re-equipped the 1709th ARW (Provisional), Al Bateen Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United with KC-135Rs re-engined with CFM International (a joint venture Arab Emirates with the 1712th ARW (Provisional) and the 1713th ARW between French company SNECMA and General Electric) CFM56 (Provisional). turbofans, the Ohio ANG’s KC-135As were re-engined with TF-33- When Operation Desert Storm started on January 17, 1991, no one PW-102 turbofans and redesignated as KC-135Es in the early 1980s. knew what to expect on the rst combat missions. The KC-135Es were The US Air Force of cially designated the CFM56 as the F108- all heavily tasked and their crews were told by intelligence of cers that CF-100, which provided 10,000lbs more thrust than the original KC- the Iraqis might well use their ghter force in a mass attack on high- 135A powerplant, the Pratt & Whitney J-57-P-59W turbojet and enabled value assets – such as tankers.

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 69 air national guard Antonio Zaragüeta

Chief Master Sgt Robert Ref tt, then  ying with the 145th ARS, ANG personnel from pilots to newly-enlisted airmen were trained by the recalled: “Right before we took off on the rst night of the air war they active-duty force to one standard. told us we had a 25% chance of being shot down. That certainly woke As part of the post-Cold War force consolidation in October 1993, us up and made us pay attention to every aspect of each mission.” Ohio ANG’s 160th ARG merged with the state’s former LTV A-7D No tankers were lost and for the remainder of the con ict Ohio Corsair II-equipped 121st Tactical Fighter Wing (121st FW after May 31, ANG KC-135Es supported the air bridge to and from the United 1992) and redesignated the 121st Air Refueling Wing. It remained at States, refuelling transports en route, and  ew orbits up to the limits the 160th ARG’s base – now renamed Rickenbacker Air National Guard of Iraq’s defended airspace to refuel strike aircraft  ying into or out Base (ANGB) – and enlarged to two squadrons, the 145th ARS and of the country. 161st ARS, and re-equipped with 18 KC-135Rs to become one of the Some Ohio ANG KC-135Es had their refuelling booms modi ed with largest tanker units in the US Air Force. Now  ying the same tankers as ‘Iron Maiden’ drogues. US Navy Lieutenant Sherman Baldwin,  ying the active force, the wing was truly a total force unit. Grumman EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft off the carrier USS Midway The 1990s brought an increased operational tempo and Ohio ANG (CV-41), said “tanking off it was a cruel form of torture that had already KC-135Rs were constantly deployed on detachments overseas or broken dozens of our air wing’s refuelling probes”. supporting training in the US, with as many as eight tankers deployed But loaded with JP-5 fuel and  ying 20 x 20 nautical mile orbit to a single base. Deployments could be for as little as two weeks patterns above the carriers up and down the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, or up to two months; or for the duration of a con ict. The wing’s Iron Maiden-equipped tankers made combat operations possible for tankers would ‘chop’ command from AMC to theatre command on the carrier-based US Navy aircraft, all of which were equipped with the arrival, where the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) could probe-and-drogue refuelling system. interchangeably task active-duty, Air Force Reserve Command and ANG KC-135s. NEW TANKERS The 121st ARW deployed KC-135Rs in October 1993 to support the air bridge between the US and Somalia in Operation Restore The end of the Cold War in 1991 meant tankers and bombers would no Hope. During over Bosnia in 1994, the wing longer routinely be kept on nuclear alert. SAC was disbanded on May was part of the ANG tanker task force operating from Base Aérienne 31, 1992 and its tanker aircraft were transferred to both Air Combat 125 Istres in France and Pisa Air Base in Italy. Its tankers also took Command (ACC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC), although those part in Operations Northern Watch (ONW) and Southern Watch assigned to ACC were later transferred to AMC. (OSW) over Iraq – and Desert Fox, the four-day air campaign against Air Mobility Command’s KC-135 schoolhouse, established at Altus the country in 1998. Air Force Base, Oklahoma, ensured total force tanker operators all But the 121st’s biggest operational commitment in the 1990s was spoke the same language, used the same tactics, techniques and providing some of the 73 tankers from the ANG and Air Force Reserve procedures and met the same quali cations. Altus’ cadre of ex-SAC Command that took part in Operation Allied Force, the 1999 NATO air tanker TOADs kept alive the memory of their glory days by maintaining campaign against Serbia and Kosovo. Missions lasted up to 15 hours high standards and, as part of the total force commitment, all incoming and Ohio ANG crews remained in theatre without rotation until the 78- day campaign ended. NEW CONFLICTS An Ohio ANG tanker was among the rst in the air to refuel ghters scrambled in response to the terrorist air attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. Brigadier General Harry Feucht commanded the 121st ARW at the time. In 2004 he described the events of ‘9/11’: “The very rst morning we  ew a mission over Chicago and refuelled two F-16s out of Toledo ANGB. In the afternoon, two 121st ARW tankers refuelled ghters defending Washington DC against a feared follow-up terrorist attack. In the days to come, the majority of our missions were  own over DC. We did a few to New York and a few to Chicago.” In the following months, Ohio ANG KC-135Rs joined large numbers of aircraft participating in Operation Noble Eagle, mainly  ying pre- planned missions refuelling standing patrols of ghters. General Feucht explained: “We just thought, for our people, it was better to do pre- plans instead of sitting alert. We did sit some alert but when it was our choice of ‘okay here’s some missions available, what do you want to

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Above: Airmen prepare to launch four KC-135R Stratotankers during an inspection at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base on March 21, 2014. MSgt Ralph Branson/121st Air Refueling Wing Opposite bottom: Air National Guardsmen from the 121st Air Refueling Wing load a KC-135R Stratotanker with equipment for relief operations in Mississippi and Lou- isiana following . Four KC-135Rs from the 121st Air Refueling Wing transported 300 members of the Ohio Army National Guard to Camp Shelby in Mississippi to support relief operations. SSgt Douglas Nicodemus/121st Air Refueling Wing Below: Former Ohio Air National Guard Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter 52-2630 is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. US Air Force do?’ we usually picked the pre-plans.” OIF opened, provide the main refuelling support for the northern air The 121st ew more Noble Eagle missions than any other tanker offensive against Iraq. But quick replanning was required after the wing. But they came at a cost: “All training ights were pretty much Turkish parliament refused to allow offensive operations to be launched cancelled. We weren’t refuelling C-17s. We weren’t refuelling F-16s out against Iraq from its territory. of Spring eld [another Ohio ANG unit] on a regular scheduled basis,” With ONW ending in March 2003, the 121st redeployed to Morón said Feucht. Air Base in Spain to provide tanker support for aircraft based in In the years since, the 121st has retained a major homeland the Mediterranean operating against Iraq during OIF or ying the security mission and the Ohio ANG is part of the  rst validated transatlantic air bridge. General Feucht said: “We’d go up over the Homeland Response Force in the nation, one of only ten in the United central Med, pick up A-10s and go to the eastern Med – and pick them States. The wing has also back lled for tanker units throughout the up and bring them out. We were also refuelling C-5s coming in and out United States, providing homeland defence alert tankers when other of Kuwait over the middle of the Med.” units are tasked overseas. In August 2003, the 121st was the  rst US tanker unit to y back into At the same time the 121st was ying Noble Eagle missions, it had Incirlik, the  rst of many deployments to support operations in Iraq. a commitment to deploy a large component to in Meanwhile the wing still carried out extensive training and homeland Turkey to support ONW. As part of the build-up preceding Operation security commitments in the US. In 2005, it was the only ANG tanker Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in 2002-2003, the wing’s detachment at Incirlik unit to participate in AMC’s annual Rodeo competition, the  rst time the was supposed to be reinforced to maximum strength and, when event had been held since 1998. After New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, seven of the 121st’s KC-135Rs were used in the ‘Title 32’ role enabling the ANG to operate under state rather than federal government control) as part of Operation Buckeye. Ordered by the Governor of Ohio to y transport missions, the KC-135Rs ew relief supplies and National Guard personnel to the affected areas. “KC-135s from the 121st proved vital to the success of the operation,” said Feucht. The following year, 121st KC-135Rs were deployed to Incirlik on 30-day rotations to support the air bridge to Iraq and Kuwait. “We enable C-17s to land and of oad cargo at downrange locations and get out quickly, without refuelling [on the ground],” said Lieutenant Colonel Steve Siefert, then commander of the Incirlik-based TTF. “This limits the time on the ground where they can be targets.” A two-month 121st deployment in late 2007 to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, included refuelling B-2 Spirit bombers on strike missions to Hawaii’s Pohakuloa range and demonstrated the continuation of the

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tanker-enabled ‘global power’ concept dating from the days of SAC. looked like the multiple colours of a calico cat. In November 2009, a 121st ARW KC-135R took part in the rst Another 121st detachment operated from Mildenhall, where Coronet East transatlantic ‘ ghter drag’, which involved the deployment Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Torkelson, the resident 351st ARS’s of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor ghters to the Gulf. commander, said: “The KC-135 is the resource upon which all Often, fewer than half of the 121st’s assigned tankers would be others rely.” At the height of operations over Libya, coalition tankers on the ramp at Rickenbacker or undergoing maintenance in the transferred 3 million pounds of fuel a day, averaging 1.95 million pounds hangars. Tanker deployments to the CENTCOM area of responsibility per day, 85% of it by US Air Force tankers – with most coming from the included Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. ANG operating with other commands under the total force concept. Crews deployed for 60 days two or three times a year. Non- ying The Calico Wing alone  ew 2,200 combat sorties, amassing almost units assigned to the wing, including security forces and re ghters, 20,000 hours, and of oaded 110 million pounds of fuel. In spite of this deployed to air elds in Afghanistan independently of the aircraft and operational commitment, the 121st won the award for best KC-135 aircrews. refuelling team at AMC’s Rodeo 2011 competition. In the US, the 121st was busy training and supporting operational Deployments to Europe during 2012 included a two-aircraft requirements. In March 2008, when the last two Lockheed Martin detachment to Norway for Exercise Arctic Tiger and another to F-117 Nighthawk stealth ghters  ew into retirement, they were Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany, to support the NATO Airborne refuelled by a 121st tanker. The wing also took part in US Air Force and Warning and Control System (AWACS) force. international training and in competitions such as Rodeo 2009 where Budgetary cutbacks then led to a decision to downsize the wing to it won the award for the best KC-135 crew and came second overall 12 KC-135Rs and lose about 150 of its 1,147 personnel. The process among 11 Air Mobility Command tanker units. started in 2012. The rst KC-135R left Rickenbacker to join the Mississippi ANG in June 2013, soon followed by a second. One of LIBYA AND BEYOND the wing’s two component squadrons, the 145th ARS – radio callsign ‘Taz’ –  ew its last mission in September 2013, leaving the 161st Two Ohio ANG KC-135Rs were among the rst tankers to deploy ARS, callsign ‘Sluf’ (dating back to when it  ew the A-7D Corsair, to Europe after the UN Security Council passed resolution 1973 colloquially known as ‘short little ugly fella’ or ‘sluf’), as the 121st’s authorising a no- y zone over Libya in 2011. The pair operated as part only  ying squadron. of the total-force 313th Air Expeditionary Wing based at Morón Air Base in Spain, refuelling coalition aircraft over the Mediterranean. LOOKING AHEAD “Everyone has heard about the ‘Calico Wing’ at Morón. It stood up really quickly with volunteers from all over the Guard,” said US Air Force The wind-down of the US commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan has not Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh. The 313th got its name when its led to a lower operational tempo. Last summer, total force tankers were commanding of cer, Brigadier General Roy Uptegraff, looking at the 19  ying 150 sorties and refuelling 450 aircraft every day as well as holding different tail  ashes on all the tankers parked on Morón ramp, said they the alert commitment: US Northern Command (AFNORTH) had 30 to 40

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aircraft on alert every day. The 121st ARW is an integral part of these operations and will continue to operate KC-135Rs for the foreseeable future, despite the Ohio congressional delegation advocating the wing should be among the rst to re-equip with Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers. But, as General Welsh has said, “when the last KC-46A is delivered in 2028, we will still have 200-plus tankers [KC-135Rs] over 60 years old”. This underlines the challenge faced by the 121st ARW as it continues as part of the total force. The head of the Air National Guard, Lieutenant General Stanley Clarke, said: “Requirements for tankers are very high due to our global reach posture. We’ll maintain legacy aircraft as they age. Tankers are the backbone of our mobility effort and an important part of our total force. We’re proud to be invested in that mission set with our KC-135s.” He pointed to the quality of his technicians as being equal to the challenge of keeping ageing tankers  ying: “Air National Guard maintenance is outstanding and highly experienced, with trained Guard personnel to come in for a surge.” Yet Clarke also sees rising cuts in defence resources as a threat to the future capability of the 121st ARW and other ANG units: “We’ve backed out from a lot of training we used to do; we’re not as connected with the total force as we used to be.” KC-135 recapitalisation is among the problems affected by US budget sequestration, a situation described by Major General John Thompson, Program Executive Of cer for tankers, as not very pleasant. Above: A KC-135R from Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing He added: “The KC-135 has been a vital weapon system for over 50 based at Rickenbacker refuelled a pair of F-117 Knighthawks from the 49th years and is getting long in the tooth.” Fighter Wing on their transit fl ight back to in New Since the 1960s, Ohio ANG tankers have been central to just about Mexico following participation in a retirement ceremony held at Wright Patterson Air Force Base where the F-117 programme was managed. every aspect of US airpower during the Cold War and in con icts SMSgt Kim Frey/121st Air Refueling Wing throughout the world up to the present day. In the words of Main image: Ohio Air National Guard KC-135R 60-0367 takes off from RAF General Welsh: “The tanker  eet puts the ‘global’ in global Mildenhall, UK following a transit stop at the Suffolk base. Matthew Clements vigilance, global reach and global power.” David C Isby

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arch Air Reserve Base near Riverside in southern California is home to the 452nd Air Mobility Wing (AMW), an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the , Air Force Reserve Command and consists of the which includes a C-17 Globemaster mIII ying squadron and a KC-135R unit, the 336th Air Refueling Squadron – the topic of this article – which bears the motto ‘The First and the Finest’. TOTAL FORCE INTEGRATION: A MODEL OF SUCCESS The 336th has a long and fabled history dating back to its origins as a bomber squadron in World War Two and continuing today as an air refuelling squadron operating 14 KC- 135Rs. The

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F-35A Lightning II AF-02 during testing over the Sea Test Range off the coast of southern California, refuelling with a 452nd Air Mobility Wing KC-135R from March Air Reserve Base. Paul Weatherman/Lockheed Martin

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Above right: KC-135R 57-1459 (c/n 17530) is named ‘California All Star’ and carries colourful artwork on the side of the forward fuselage. Delivered to the US Air Force as a KC-135A on September 16, 1958, it was converted to a KC-135E model in July 1991. Four years later it was upgraded to R-model confi guration. All images Scott Dworkin unless noted Opposite top right: A KC-135R fl ight deck with the Pacer CRAG upgrade. Opposite middle: Approaching the pre-contact position behind the awaiting tanker aircraft, another KC-135R, before air refuelling starts. Bottom from left: Airmen from the 452nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s ‘pneudraulics’ systems shop use a breakaway force tester on an aerial refuelling drogue during inspection. Val Gempis/US Air Force; Part of the boom operator’s control panel. ; The boom operator’s station. ; Looking aft inside a KC-135R cabin. ; Crew chiefs fi t new harnesses around repainted oxygen bottles inside a refurbished KC-135 Stratotanker at March. Megan Just/US Air Force; A member of the 452nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ‘pneudraulics’ systems shop conducts a pressurisation test on an aerial refuelling drogue at March Air Reserve Base. Val Gempis/US Air Force

aircraft has been in service for more than 50 years and the squadron F108-CF-100 (CFM56) engines, can of oad 50% more fuel, is 25% has been supporting the air refuelling mission since 1976. Including more fuel ef cient, costs 25% less to operate and is 96% quieter than support crews it has about 100 personnel in its ranks. the older Stratotanker variants. Its operational range is also 60% The 912th Air Refueling Squadron was reactivated and joined greater. A fully-loaded KC-135R can take off weighing 320,000-plus the March team as an active-duty associate unit on December pounds, more than half of that consisting of fuel available to of oad. 3, 2010. It is integrated closely with the 336th and the 452nd What’s more, nearly all the fuel onboard can be transferred via the Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons, and is operationally tasked by aircraft’s boom. the 452nd Operations Support Squadron, but remains under the It can also be equipped with an aerial refuelling drogue – colloquially administrative control of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild known as the ‘iron maiden’ – attached to and trailing behind the boom Air Force Base, Washington. to refuel aircraft  tted with probes. The system is not interchangeable Under the active-associate unit concept, reserve units have primary during ight so, if it’s attached, Air Force receivers  tted with responsibility for the aircraft and share them with active-duty units. receptacles cannot connect to the boom. The mix of experience at associate units helps to expand the KC-135 Some Stratotankers have been equipped with wing-mounted air mission and makes for better use of resources to achieve air refuelling refuelling pods called the multi-point refueling system (MRPS), which goals on a global basis. enables two probe-equipped aircraft (like those own by the US Navy, The 912th comprises not only aviators but maintainers and support US Marine Corps and allied nations) to receive fuel simultaneously. The teams, and brings around 200 additional personnel to March. Its crews MPRS also enables Air Force receptacle-equipped aircraft to work with work with those from the 336th to support ight operations on a daily the tanker via the boom. basis and it’s hard to notice, in the aircraft or on the ramp, that there is In addition, to expand the KC-135’s capability and improve its reliability, an active-duty side and a reserve side – other than for the patches on the type has undergone a number of upgrades. One of the biggest was the ight suits. the Pacer CRAG (compass, radar and GPS) programme, which ran from Neither squadron has its own aircraft assigned: all 14 KC-135s based 1999 to 2002. All US Air Force Stratotankers were modi ed to eliminate at March are shared assets. With tightening defence budgets and a the navigator position from the ight crew. shrinking military, the associate squadron concept is likely to be the Like other aircraft types in the US Air Force, the KC-135 has also had way units will survive in the future and the programme at March has block upgrades, the latest of which incorporates the Rockwell Collins been considered a model of success for the rest of the US Air Force. communication, navigation, surveillance/air traf c management (CNS/ ATM) system – making it compliant with global air traf c management KC-135R requirements and able to operate and transit seamlessly between commercial and military airspace. The fact that the KC-135 continues operations in its 57th year of In the spring of 2013 the Air Force completed evaluation of the Block service is a remarkable feat shared by only a few other aircraft. The 45 upgrade: a ight deck modernisation that includes a digital ight R-model, an upgraded version of the original A-model  tted with new director, a radar altimeter, an electronic engine instrument display and

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an automatic ight control system (autopilot) for CNS/ATM requirements to maintain and further enhance access to airspace around the globe (see Flight Decks, Booms and Engines, p12-19). The Block 45 upgrade is designed to extend the aircraft’s service life to 2040 and ensure there is no gap in its mission capability before the new KC-46 Pegasus tanker starts to replace the ageing eet. EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE DETACHMENT AIR International had the opportunity to go on a week-long detachment with a 336th aircraft and crew to Edwards Air Force Base in California where squadrons regularly call on crews from March to send a tanker to support their test programmes. In this instance it was to support the F-35 Lightning II, although other types called on the tanker for gas during the detachment. The three-person crew (two pilots and a boom operator) and an additional two-person ground support team provided us with broad insight into various aspects of life with the venerable KC-135 and within Air Force Reserve Command.

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 77 air force reserve com mand PILOT PERSPECTIVE Major Steve Greenspan, one of the two pilots onboard, discussed what makes the ’135 an effective and worthy platform after all this time: “The KC-135 is probably one of the most exible aircraft we have. Other than dropping bombs and shooting missiles, we [the KC-135 force] can pretty much support any part of an operation, at any point in time, any place in the world. When something has to go and  ght the war, it’s us  rst. We have to pre-position and either drag the heavies over the water, carry the supplies, carry the personnel or medevac the wounded. Every  ghter aircraft that moves across water has to come to a tanker and most of the time it’s a ’135. “Along with all those missions we get dozens of different ones such as cargo and ICMOP (intercontinental movement of personnel) which can mean a domestic or international ight. Every day we show up to work we have no idea where we may end up or what we may be supporting. It’s an interesting job being part of a KC-135 crew. Even though 60-70% of our mission consists of refuelling, it’s different every time because we work with all manner of receivers every day. It literally is a new adventure every day. “Take our trip here to Edwards: I have never refuelled F-35s, neither has Lt Lee [the other pilot in the crew]. It’s our  rst time so we don’t know what to expect. You saw on the  rst day how we were getting directions from three different agencies. ‘Go here, wait, move and wait some more. Go back towards the  ghters now; actually no, we want you over here now.’ It can get very confusing and hectic. “It requires a lot of co-ordination on the ight deck amongst the crewmembers to co-ordinate and make sure we stay safe, that we’re at the right altitude, in the right the block of airspace – but at the same time that we’re there for our receiver. But you saw that, despite all of the communication between controllers and the aircraft and the changes we made in the ight, as a crew we were able to get our job done. We were there to give them the fuel as quickly as possible so they could do their mission, test the aircraft and get back on the ground. And they really didn’t have to go very far to  nd us. “What’s notable when you stop and think about it is we are up there in an almost 60-year-old aircraft working with the newest aircraft in the US Air Force. The ability of the aircraft despite its age is remarkable.” Upgrades to the platform have made the crews’ jobs easier and safer. Major Greenspan, who is also an instructor pilot with the 336th, described some of the advances that have made the ’135 easier to work with and last as long as it has in the eet: “Since I’ve been ying the aircraft, I’ve seen Block 30 to Block 40 and all the different incremental upgrades since then. “We’ve seen everything from satellite communications, upgraded SMS functionality and a more robust fuel system along with the integrated ight management system. Multiple high-frequency [HF] cell calls over the water are available so we’re not listening to a ton of HF radio chatter and we’re able to pinpoint our communication a lot better. Also, a lot of our newer communication and navigation systems like GPS are faster to spin up so we can launch our alert aircraft faster if required. “On the ight deck we have much better situational awareness overall with colour displays and more screens. Even with just two pilots up front and a crewmember who backs us up all the time, we have more sense of where our refuelling areas are, where we’re supposed to be and where the other aircraft around us are, so we keep ourselves and the other planes around us safe and act as a platform in the sky that connects everybody together, whether it’s by communication, refuelling or extension.” Lt Ronald Lee, who has been ying with the 336th for two years, explained what he enjoys about ying the KC-135: “Even though newer aircraft are going to all-digital ight controls, in the ’135 it’s the original stick and rudder, push-and-pull type of ying that hasn’t changed much. You get more hands-on feel for ying this way and you  nd you’re actually applying skills learned in ight school in this aircraft instead of just sitting there all day long as a voting member to a computer system.” BOOM’S VIEW Tech Sgt Michael Allen, a boom operator with more than 11 years’ experience in the KC-135, provided insight into operating the boom, working in the reserves and the future of the tanker mission: “The way we manoeuvre a boom is precision contact with no room for error, and the KC-135’s boom is a great system for the mission. We strive for that precision 100% of the time. If it’s not possible, we disconnect The boom seen from the fl ight deck and bring it back in and contact again. First of all, the receivers are not of a C-17A Globemaster III prior to contact.

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of our existing crews is stellar. Even though we y an older aircraft, we welcome all the advances we can get, be it in training with better simulators or in upgrades to the jet itself or the aircraft we’re refuelling, like an F-35. “We have a simulator in our training of ce now that I wish I’d had when I was a young boom, because I’m sure it would have been able to assist me in anticipating malfunctions and erratic movements in the boom. I could have been much smoother earlier on in my career, so the technology is a bene t. “What we have is a mix of old and new on the KC-135 – new electronics on a very old aircraft – but a lot of what we do, especially when it comes to cargo, is still done the old-fashioned way, by hand. When we go through boom operator school, we’re trained to load cargo onboard the aircraft. We don’t have any computers or systems to help load cargo. The loading and weight balancing of the aircraft is all done on paper. “As booms, we also provide back-up for the pilots. They teach us how to back up for navigation, radio calls, engine or maintenance issues that might occur. We’re another set of eyes. They can’t get out of the seat and reset the circuit-breakers but we can, one of many jobs we do on the aircraft. “What’s good about combining reservists from the 336th and active- duty crew from the 912th is that we can pair up crews – a new pilot or new boom with an experienced pilot or more senior ight crew. It makes for a safer, more ef cient ight and is conducive to learning as well. I’ve not own with other units during my 11 years as a boom operator, but I can assure you the trust that’s in the cockpit isn’t just one person: it’s an interface between all of them and works really well. “One aspect you encounter within the reserve and Guard units is that we y with the same team for a long time. Lt Lee, who is relatively new here, is likely going to be part of this reserve unit for a very long time; Maj Greenspan is going to  nish out his career here and I’m also going to  nish out my career here. “With the active-duty, it’s the nature of the beast to rotate every three to four years, maybe even earlier. There’s the possibility of not keeping that team and experience level all the way through certain exercises and deployments, but because of how we operate it’s built into the Guard and reserve.” SHARED OPINION Major Greenspan echoed Allen’s point. “We have two crew chiefs with us here from the active-duty. We have traditional reservists on board. We’ve got an ART [air reserve technician] here while Lt Lee and I are both part-timers. So you can see just within this aircraft, which is mission-assigned to the 336th, you’ve got a different make-up of going to fall out of the sky. They have enough gas, so the thought of aircrew from all sides. You see different people from different walks of crunching an airplane up just to get a contact is not an option. life when you work at March and, I agree with Sgt Allen, it adds to the “For our mission here at Edwards with the F-35 in particular, it’s like experience and expertise of the crews to better complete the mission. a new sports car for us to refuel and it’s exciting. The receptacle is “Obviously the Air Force cannot rely on the KC-135 aircraft forever. almost identical to some of the universal refuelling receptacles on other It has already been in service for much longer than anyone ever platforms. The manoeuvrability of the F-35 really helps and it’s not a anticipated, and with the upgrades the plan is to keep them ying for problem for booms [the colloquial term for a boom operator] who have almost another 30 years! The future apparently lies with the KC-46 never worked with the aircraft before. We had a new boom, who came which is still a few years away – but absolutely a hot button topic for here [Edwards] last week, who had never seen an F-35. He loved it and all crews ying the refuelling mission. No decision has been made on found it really easy to work with. whether or not March, or the 336th, will receive the KC-46, but this crew “The system of training new booms and advancing the knowledge is enthusiastic for the advances the new tanker will bring.” TSgt Allen gave his own perspective: “I’m in the twilight of my career and probably won’t see the KC-46 wearing a ight suit. I wish I could lie about my age and extend another 15 to 20 years just to experience the wonderful things the young booms will have. It’s technology on the make and it keeps going. “For the young booms coming out of our school, I believe they’ll all grasp the video game technology built into the KC-46 boom system. For instance, in our aircraft you lie in the back of the airplane and have a great  eld of view behind the tanker. On the KC-46 that won’t be the case – the boom system will be remotely operated from the front of the aircraft by video screens. “There was some pushback by some of the old booms, including myself, about that, but technology moves on and if you’re not on board with it you’re going to be falling behind. The research and development takes years to  nally make it into a production aircraft like the KC-46 and I’m sure the folks designing the systems have thought long and hard as to how to use the tools available to make the aircraft work well. “I think the United States Air Force views the KC- 46 not just as an air refuelling platform, but an aircraft that will also enhance our cargo load capability. We’ll be able to perform more missions around the world, not just hauling our own equipment to and from the area of

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responsibility or con ict, but also to do more humanitarian trips and aid participated in throughout the past 25 years. The last time I counted, missions in co-operation with our allies. I had supported 36 major operations from Desert Storm through to “In my ten years of ying, I ew in support of the Katrina recovery all the con icts up to now. I have spent well over 7,000 hours in the over a six-and-a-half-week period, around the clock, to and from New air, travelling to almost every part of the globe. People have a real Orleans, and I’ve worked other natural disaster and recovery missions. misconception of what the reserves are and what we do. They don’t If we’d had a wider aircraft to haul more cargo it might have made a know just how involved we are in operations around the world. bigger impact in those situations. The KC-46 will bring that to the Air “Missions that I thought were the most satisfying were those that Force. I think it’ll be a bene t to everyone. That said, I’m also very supported the ‘pointy-nosed guys’, the ones that drop the bombs and aware that the KC-135 is not a Curtiss Jenny going out and ying shoot the guns. They’re always more satisfying because it seems like around. It still has a lot of impact in the Air Force’s mission; we’re still you are more directly affecting the war effort. In more recent times, the doing it daily, and we’re able to get our job done with what we have. tankers are allowed to y so close to the action we can actually see “The maintainers take care of a 55-year-old jet. Their grandfathers things happening on the ground. After the  ghters or bombers get their grew up with this aircraft. We have pilots right now in our unit whose fuel and leave, we can actually watch the results of them hitting their fathers ew the same jet, and we can probably anticipate their sons will targets, especially at night. probably y their grandfathers’ jets. The ’135 will still be the military’s “The Air Force cannot conduct operations at all without tanking hard workhorse when it  nally retires, just as it is now, possibly after 80 support. Because the Air Reserve Component has a majority of tanker years of service by the time it is sent to the boneyard.” aircraft, we get involved in just about every operation the Air Force supports. RESERVE BABY “This unit is, in my opinion, the best in the Air Force. I use the word ‘unit’, not squadron, because I include our active-duty members Lt Col Charles Assumma, the 336th Air Refueling Squadron’s as well. We’re a very tight-knit group. I look at it as one big tanker commander, summed up the unit and the Air Force Reserve mission at family and that’s how we operate. We y what we call ‘purple crews’, March: “I am known as a reserve baby. I was hired by this squadron comprising active-duty and reserve crew members, on everything from 25 years ago. I went through all the training everyone must go through local to operational ights. We don’t separate the missions into active- to be a fully quali ed Air Force pilot no matter if they are active-duty, duty or reserve, we make total force integration work at the squadron reserve or Guard. It took me about two years after entering of cer level; and the 336th and 912th work so well together. training school until I was an operational tanker pilot. I started as a “We have met all kinds of challenges. Like all Air Force units, we second lieutenant ‘butter bar’ and one who volunteered for every sortie have to deal with tight budgets and a high ops tempo. Though the I could get, ying with my ‘hair on  re’, if you will. Now I occupy the top environment we work in is dif cult at times, nobody’s complaining. leadership position in the squadron. They understand that the mission comes  rst and I think the “I have moved through many levels of responsibility along the unit honestly has the right balance of service before self, it way. I’ve been involved in almost every operation the Air Force has really does.” Scott Dworkin

Top: KC-135R 57-1438 (c/n 17509) was delivered to the US Air Force on August 1, 1958 as an A-model. It was converted to E-model confi guration in January 1985 and to R-model standard in 2003. The aircraft is shown in the markings of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing based at March Air Reserve Base, California. Opposite top: F-35A Lightning II AF-02 plugged into the boom during a test fl ight over the Sea Test Range off the coast of southern California. Opposite bottom: Major Steve Greenspan and Lt Ronald Lee pose under the boom of their 56-year-old KC-135R. Below: Stratotankers of the 452nd AMW on the fl ight line at March.

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A US Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet from Marine Corps Base Iwakuni, Japan, takes on fuel from a Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135R during a mission over the Pacifi c. This was the fi rst off-station operational mission for the active-duty 96th Air Refueling Squadron since it re-activated as a partner with Hawaii Air National Guard’s 203rd Air Refueling Squadron. Major Jeff Paget/US Air Force

passing gas in paradise

merican airpower is under orders to ‘pivot’ toward the palm trees and banana mango smoothies. The US Air Force’s Paci c Paci c. The Obama administration no longer refers to headquarters is in Building 1102, where the outside walls are pock- a ‘global ’ but, instead, now emphasises marked with cannon-shell hits from the December 7, 1941 Japanese ‘near-peer’ warfare with a modern nation-state. That’s attack – kept as a reminder of the strategic importance of Hawaii. shorthand for being ready to confront challenges posed by On the other side of the eld, where 12 KC-135R Stratotankers a growing, booming People’s Republic of China. bask in the tropical sun, is the headquarters of the 203rd Air a The point of the spear for US policy in Asia and the Refueling Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard, led by Lt Col Paci c has always been Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, just Lawrence Otto. No air refuelling force is better positioned to outside the city of . support the new priorities in Asia and the Paci c. None has better The place is a paradise – literally – but it is more than sand, surf, opportunities for training.

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passing gas in paradise

“One of my classmates in boom operator school belonged to active-duty airmen work together, is “essential to everything a squadron in Pittsburgh,” Staff Sergeant Pua Jumawid told AIR we do”. That may be true today but, as we shall see, the future International. “The guys at his base often don’t have anyone to work of this arrangement and of the 96th is suddenly in doubt. with. In contrast, we have the largest Air National Guard contingent in the United States. It’s a luxury for us to be able to train on almost a FLYING WITH THE 203RD daily basis with our own F-22s and C-17s.” The 203rd is part of the Guard’s 154th Wing. It maintains an “You come through our doors into the new building in ‘hangar row’ associate collaboration with the active-duty 96th Air Refueling on Hickam,” Otto told AIR International. “It’s Hangar 13, still marked Squadron, part of the , at Hickam. Otto told AIR International in the old army-style lettering. You walk through the doors and confront the concept of total force integration (TFI), under which Guardsmen and a giant 1/15th scale KC-135R display model. To your left, you see the

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203rd patch, prominently displayed. To your right, you see our TFI active-duty partners, the 96th. You’ll walk past glass cases 30 feet long lled with scale models of aircraft going back to the Great War of 1914- 1918. Master Sgt Mark Sindiong, a high-time boom operator, made most of the models. And, of course, you see our squadron emblem.” The emblem, worn as a shoulder patch on a  ight suit, is a likeness of a native Hawaiian war god, Kûkailimoku, usually known simply as Kû, with the expression ‘A Ole Mamao Loa’, which translates loosely as ‘Never too far’. “To honour the warriors of the Hawaiian Islands, and also to follow a long-standing tradition within many Polynesian cultures, we carve representations of the deities in wood and they become ‘Tiki’ carvings,” said Otto. The motto is not just about air refuelling, he added, but “acknowledges the brave heritage of ancient Hawaiians/Polynesians who would venture on long voyages using only the stars and the currents of the sea to navigate great open-ocean distances”. The 203rd headquarters has a lounge area. “Behind the wall in the centre is the mission-planning cell,” said Otto. “If you  ow to the right side of the cell, you’ll see the Aircrew Flight Equipment (ACE) section” — a reference to what used to be called life support, where equipment such as oxygen masks and harnesses are kept and maintained. “If you go left, you see the ‘brains’ of the operation, where we manage our operations. Remember, again, that we’re only part of the largest Air National Guard unit. Our Operations Group has six squadrons, including three  ying squadrons – one each with F-22s, C-17s and KC-135Rs.” Otto – called ‘Grinder’ by everyone – brings an extraordinary background to his role as KC-135R pilot and squadron commander. He served as an enlisted marine before attending the Air Force Academy Navy and our allies – from both the sending and the receiving aircraft,” class of 1988, becoming an F-15 Eagle ghter pilot who served an Otto told AIR International. exchange tour with the navy  ying F/A-18C Hornets before eventually “We use the boom because it dates to the time when the Air Force joining the tanker community. was dominated by big bombers and they needed a wide-diameter “I’ve used both methods of air refuelling – the  ying boom system pipe so they could receive fuel at a rapid rate. When you’re using a used by the Air Force and the probe and drogue system used by the drogue, you pass gas at only about 15% the rate of a boom. But the

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This page: A C-17 Globemaster III takes on fuel from a KC-135R Stratotanker assigned to the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 203rd Air Refueling Squadron during a mission to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The C-17 is assigned to the 15th Wing also based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. SSgt Mike Meares/US Air Force Top left: Aircrew and maintenance personnel prepare to launch for a refuelling mission from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. TSgt Shane Cuomo/US Air Force Top middle: A KC-135R Stratotanker assigned to the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 203rd Air Refueling Squadron lands at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. SSgt Nathan Allen/US Air Force Middle: Cadets from the University of Hawaii look around a 203rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R Stratotanker at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. SSgt Nathan Allen/US Air Force Opposite bottom: An airman assigned to the 154th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron marshals a KC-135 Stratotanker for take off from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. TSgt Chris Vadnais/US Air Force

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drogue is ideal for the Navy’s organic air refuelling by carrier air wings, As a long-time ghter pilot, Otto came late to the tanker world and which currently rely on a ‘buddy’ package carried by a refueller aircraft. loves it. His father, Lt Col Larry Otto, helped the US Air Force to certify Moreover, a boom-equipped aircraft has greater weight, bulk and the ‘new’ powerplant – four 21,600lb thrust CFM International F108- complexity.” Like all KC-135R units, the 203rd uses both systems. CF-100 (CFM56) high bypass turbofan engines – now used on the KC- The 203rd, and indeed much of the military iron basking in the Hawaii 135R model. The older Otto was a successful test pilot who, among sun, is a tribute to the political clout of Senator Daniel Inouye (1924- other things,  ew the Bell X-22A tilt-fan aircraft. 2012) in particular and the Hawaii congressional delegation in general. One problem for airmen like the younger Otto, Sindiong and Jumawid The squadron was established in 1993 with an initial authorised is that the ‘new’ engines, which date from the late 1980s, are ageing far strength of just four aircraft, the result of some long-forgotten backroom more rapidly than the Stratotanker airframes, built in the early 1960s. deal on Capitol Hill. In 1995 its strength was increased to eight KC- The Stratotanker was “overbuilt, using slide rules instead of 135Rs. When the 203rd’s active-duty TFI partner, the 96th Air Refueling computers”, boom operator Senior Master Sergeant Gary Mau told AIR Squadron, was activated in June 2010, tanker strength was “plussed International, and has “no aircraft structural issues”. The conversion up”, Otto said, from eight KC-135Rs to 12. to the CFM engines came more than two decades after the tankers At that time, Lt Col Brian Hill, the rst 96th commander, told reporters emerged from the production line – but more than two decades ago. about a mission in which a KC-135R took off with 185,000 pounds of If Honolulu is a great place to live, Hickam is a great place to fuel on board and spent 34 minutes transferring 110,000 pounds to a  y. Except for brief, late-afternoon tropical showers, the weather is B-52 Stratofortress that was completing an 18-hour  ight from stateside almost perfect, year round, and the air is as smooth as glass. Since to Guam. Hill said what KC-135R crewmembers have been saying 1956, thanks to an agreement between the Air Force and the Hawaii for years: “Nobody kicks ass without tanker gas.” The 96th’s emblem Aeronautics Commission, a single air eld complex has served both depicts an eagle and the word ‘Ubique’, meaning ‘Everywhere’. Hickam and Honolulu International Airport.

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boom. It’s still exciting. It’s got that little thrill that people who really enjoy aviation would appreciate. “As a buff, I love working with the Navy. They make quite a sight when they show up with their high-viz markings. As I get closer to retirement, I know that the sight of a new receiver aircraft is something I am really going to miss. Others in the squadron see me as the resident airplane nut but that comes from the heart.” Sindiong had an opportunity to deploy to the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, so he is one of the few boom operators who has worked with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. “It was my second time at Edwards. In the mid-1990s, I got to  y on the F-22 programme and refuelled Raptor One and Raptor Two. I love taking pictures of planes so having the opportunity to snap a picture of something like an F-22 or F-35 is a real thrill. I was up refuelling a C-17 today and it’s an impressive sight, especially against a blue ocean, but frankly the C-17 isn’t the most exciting airplane.” For the 203rd, the real excitement is in the constant change of duties and locations. When we talked to the squadron, Otto and his airmen were preparing to support Paci c Angel, a humanitarian airlift mission to provide civic assistance and capacity building in the western Paci c island nation of Tonga. The squadron was also preparing to take part in a massive joint-service multi-nation exercise called Rimpac, short for Rim of the Paci c. Otto told AIR International the squadron will also “drag” F-15s from Louisiana to Thailand for an exercise named Cope Tiger and will refuel a variety of ghters in a coming local exercise called Sentry Aloha. The KC-135R is capable of transporting litter (stretcher) and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuation (AE) missions. The 203rd doesn’t  y AE as much as some KC-135R squadrons do, but the medical mission is very much a part of Top right: Members of the 154th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron conduct a the squadron’s life. pre-fl ight inspection before a refuelling mission from Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam, Hawaii. SSgt Mike Meares/US Air Force FISCAL TIDINGS Main Image: A C-17 Globemaster III moves into position behind the boom of a KC-135 Stratotanker to receive fuel during an in-air refuelling training Unfortunately, even in its tropical paradise, the 203rd cannot mission from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. escape the budget crunch shrinking all US military service SSgt Alexander Martinez/US Air Force branches. In their wisdom, and perhaps in part because Inouye Bottom: Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135R tail markings comprise a stylised yellow, red and black tail band, a white fi ve-point star, the Air is no longer wielding clout on Capitol Hill, leaders in Washington National Guard emblem, the ‘HH’ tail code and the aircraft’s serial number have decided to discontinue the squadron’s associate partnership displayed in full. Ryan Dorling with the active-duty force. In March it was announced the 96th Air Refueling Squadron will be deactivated in scal year 2016, which BOOM ON ISLAND begins October 1, 2015. The 203rd will then surrender four aircraft . and will operate eight KC-135Rs. Plans of this kind don’t always Hawaii’s air refuellers deploy worldwide and are accustomed to periods survive scrutiny by the US Congress, but airmen in Hawaii are away from home. Their destinations are not always within the region expecting it to happen. with which they are so closely identi ed. Boom operator Sindiong Members of the 203rd will continue to confront challenges. deployed earlier this year not to Asia but to the North Atlantic Treaty Not least of these is the ageing of the CFM engines, which Organisation base at Geilenkirchen, Germany, where he spent a period are increasingly dif cult to support and are vulnerable to the refuelling NATO E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System corrosiveness of a salt-water (AWACS) aircraft. “When you’re looking down at it coming up at you, environment. And then there’s the E-3A can get very big, very fast,” he said. The legendary stability of the question of whether the large Boeing platforms always eases the task when two of them mate squadron can continue to to transfer fuel, he added. handle high-priority operations Just as troops in once spoke of being “in country”, at an unchanged tempo while members of the 203rd speak of being “on island” when they are home possessing fewer resources. on , the Hawaiian island where Hickam is located. While he The 203rd Air Refueling was ‘on island’ before his next deployment and working on his latest Squadron will almost certainly scale model aircraft, Sindiong talked to AIR International about the rise to these challenges importance of the in- ight refuelling mission and the satisfaction he because for these airmen a job gets from it. “All of us in the 203rd share the enjoyment of the job. is never too dif cult For me, the one thing that still gets me going after 19 years is getting and success is never out there, getting in the airplane and seeing that F-16 pull up on the too far. Robert F Dorr

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outed as the Gibraltar of the East by Winston Churchill, THE CHOICES Singapore sits at the crossroad of trading routes from the Four contenders for the RSiAF tanker requirement emerged in 1995. East and West. To protect this vital link, the republic state Airbus – keen to gain a launch customer for its A310 Multi-Role possesses a potent and highly capable air force, with Tanker Transport variant – proposed conversion of Singapore Airlines’ an array of support aircraft, ranging from tactical airlift, A310s and Boeing offered its 767-200/300 Tanker/Transport Multi- airborne early warning and air-refuelling platforms. Mission aircraft. Neither Airbus or Boeing had converted an aircraft for t evaluation: the air force has a policy to avoid being the sole and launch PRE KC-135 operator for any platform. McDonnell Douglas offered the KDC-10-30 tanker, similar to the The rst air-to-air refuelling (AAR) capable aircraft to serve with the examples delivered to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, while Israel Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSiAF) was the KC-130B Hercules, Aircraft Industries proposed the Boeing 707 Bedek (converted 707s). locally modi ed by ST Aerospace with Cobham 48” pods. At the time Although a decision was due by the end of 1995, the RSiAF chose to the RSiAF operated Hawker Hunters and probe-equipped Northrop re-asses all options in April 1996. F-5Es and McDonnell Douglas A-4S Skyhawks. The following year, it evaluated a fth option: acquisition of KC- The rst air refuelling sortie was conducted in October 1986 and 135R Stratotankers surplus to US Air Force requirements. Using involved eight A-4S Skyhawks and a KC-130B deploying to the RSiAF’s second-hand KC-135s was deemed to be more cost effective. ghter detachment at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Singapore is no stranger to purchasing second-hand aircraft, A boom-equipped tanker was needed when the RSiAF received its rst for example its  eet of A-4SUs were all former US Navy A-4B F-16A Fighting Falcon at , Arizona in February 1988. and A-4C variants upgraded locally by Singapore Technologies It was not until January 1990 that F-16s were redeployed to Singapore. Aerospace (ST Aero).

88 the world ’s greatest tanker and more republictwisters of singapore air force 1 3 5 Martin Eadie

DELIVERY avoidance system and enhanced-ground proximity warning system. Four KC-135 Stratotankers were acquired under the United States These are all integrated into multi-functional displays and a centralised Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program in 1997. Built between 1959 and control panel, designed to reduce the pilot’s workload and enhance 1963, the four KC-135A aircraft were retired from US Air Force service to safety in the congested air space over Singapore and at its KC-135R the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan  eet home base at Changi. Air Force Base in Arizona. Each aircraft was taken out of storage and delivered to Boeing’s plant at Wichita, Kansas for conversion to KC-135R PEACE GUARDIAN standard. This involved tting CFM56-2B turbofan engines and a multi- point refuelling system (MPRS) comprising two Mk32B hose-and-drogue In June 1998 the RSiAF established a training detachment at McConnell air-to-air refuelling systems produced by Flight Refuelling. Air Force Base near Wichita, Kansas. Named Peace Guardian, the The wings were strengthened to accommodate the weight of the detachment trained with Air Mobility Command’s 22nd Air Refueling MPRS pods, with additional lights for night tanking. Wing, and leased two KC-135s from the United States Air Force prior to According to Boeing, RSiAF KC-135R 750 was the rst aircraft to delivery of the RSiAF KC-135Rs. The objective was to allow it to acquire receive both modi cations concurrently at the Boeing Military Programs the necessary know-how and operate a tanker  eet autonomously. – Wichita Division Modi cation Facility in Kansas. During its ve year tenure in Kansas, Peace Guardian regularly operated The aircraft was delivered to the RSiAF on September 10, 1999: the with the Peace Carvin (F-16) detachment based at Luke Air Force Base, rst Asian-Paci c Rim air force to possess the MPRS capability. and participated in large exercises such as Maple Flag at CFB Cold Lake Its  eet subsequently had a cockpit upgrade called Pacer CRAG in Alberta, Canada and Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. (compass, radar, and GPS); the package includes inertial navigation The detachment was closed on September 25, 2003 after the system, forward-looking wind shear weather radar system, traf c collision homecoming of the nal RSiAF Stratotanker.

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New Mexico as part of the Peace Carvin II and III programs were recalled back to Singapore from the United States. The 9,997-mile  ight (16,090km) across the Paci c saw them stage through Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii and Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The redeployment to Singapore took six days. The largest RSiAF tanking mission was in 2005 when eight F-16s and two KC-135Rs completed seven air-refuelling brackets across the Paci c as part of Operation Fast Reach 2005. Each KC-135 transferred approximately 119,000 pounds of fuel to the F-16s during 20 hours of  ying. To date the air force has conducted three autonomous deployment exercises (including the homecoming of various detachments) all lasting ve to six days. The tankers’ furthest mission from home was to France for Exercise Garuda 2010. The joint exercise with the Armeé de l’Air and the Indian Air Force involved six F-16Ds from 145 Squadron supported by Stratotankers 751 and 753. The route  own to BA115 Orange, France (the tankers deployed to BA125 Istres) took ve days, with two stops at Bangalore in India, and Qatar. At 7,145 miles (11,500km) it beat the previous distance record set by the regular deployments to Exercise Pitch Black in Australia. More recently a single KC-135 deployed to Eielson Air Force Base, NO112 SQUADRON Alaska in support of Singaporean F-16s and F-15SGs for Exercise Red No.112 Squadron attained initial operational capability (IOC) when the unit Flag Alaska 13-1. was inaugurated on December 12, 2000 by then Defence Minister (now Such deployments showcase the ability of the squadron and the President of Singapore) Dr Tony Tan. After perfecting their processes, RSiAF to plan and execute complex missions around the world. While integrating with the RSiAF ghter units, and numerous exercises, the all long-range missions are under way, its ghters and tankers continue squadron achieved full operational capability on August 23, 2002. training and operations in Singapore. It is the newest  ying squadron in the RSiAF and currently sits in Tactically, the country’s KC-135Rs will be pivotal in redeploying its the force’s ve-command structure, under Air Combat Command’s F-15SGs and F-16s to any potential con ict from the United States Transport Group. where some are permanently based, and for supporting long-range Christened ‘Twister’, 112 Squadron is based in Changi (West) Air strike missions and lengthening aerial combat endurance beyond Base with fellow transport unit, 121 Squadron, which operates nine Singapore’s shores. Fokker 50 maritime patrol and utility transport aircraft. Bearing the motto ‘Determined to Deliver’, 112 Squadron provides HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS AAR, airlift and aeromedical evacuation in a full spectrum of operations for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Since inception, it has won the In less than a year of the rst KC-135 arriving at , 112 annual best SAF unit in 2006 and 2009. Squadron (which at the time had not been commissioned) was put into service. TRAINING ENABLER On October 31, 2000, Singapore Airlines  ight SQ006, Boeing 747-400 9V-SPK (c/n 28023) crashed on take-off from Taipei Chiang Kai Sek With an area of 276.4 square miles (716km2), the small island state lacks Airport (now known as Taoyuan Airport) killing 83 passengers and crew. airspace for its air force so training sorties are carried out over a small On November 5, KC-135R 751 was sent to Taipei on an aeromedical pocket of international airspace in the South China Sea, approximately evacuation mission to collect the only three Singaporean passengers 55 miles (88km) northeast of the island. However due to airspace who survived the crash and return them to the island. Given only two constraints to the north of the island, its ghters have to  y a 90-mile days’ notice, the aircraft was tted with an air mobile life support unit track (145km) into the area, circumnavigating the southern tip of the near the aft of the cargo hold to provide an intensive care capability. Malaysian Peninsular. The routing takes an additional ten minutes, In addition to the two pilots and six aircrew, there were: four doctors which shortens the training time (depending on the aircraft’s endurance) and three senior medics from the RSiAF Aeromedical Unit, three usually to an hour. aestheticians, a burns specialist, an accident and emergency specialist The KC-135s serve an important role in enhancing the training and and an ICU nurse from the Singapore General Hospital on the plane. operational effectiveness of the RSiAF’s ghter squadrons – with air refuelling support which ensures the jets are airborne for longer and perform multiple training runs and objectives. STRETCHING THE RSIAF’S LEGS The tankers are also instrumental in Singapore’s ability to deploy and recover its assets to and from overseas locations. Since their introduction to service, the RSiAF has deployed further and faster to locations around the world to conduct training, participate in exercises and complex joint operations. This allows interoperability with allied air forces, hones pilot skills and establishes better relationships with Singapore’s allies. Prior to RSiAF KC-135 operations, its F-5S and F-5T Tigers supported by a KC-130B took three days to deploy to RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, Australia for Exercise Pitch Black: the aircraft transited via Bali, Darwin and Townsville on the 3,808 mile (6,128km) journey. With the Stratotanker’s debut in 2002, the same journey took two days with one landing only at Darwin. Since, the KC-135R is a regular participant at Pitch Black, the presence of Singaporean KC-135Rs allows support to various air arms during the exercise and also to air refuel its own F-16s and those of the Royal Thai Air Force on transit  ights to and from South East Asia. In March 2000 the RSiAF rst tested its ability to recover its aircraft from overseas in Exercise Fast Reach. KC-135s from the Peace Guardian detachment at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and F-16C and F-16Ds based at Luke in Arizona and Cannon Air Force Base,

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Above: Republic of Singapore Air Force KC-135Rs 751, 752 and 753, each refuelling an F-15SG Eagle during a sortie from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho in September 2011. MINDEF Singapore Bottom: A RSiAF KC-135R taxies to take off at RAAF Base Darwin for a sortie during Exercise Pitch Black 2006. Royal Australian Air Force Opposite top: Singapore’s KC-135Rs regularly participate in the Australian Exercise Pitch Black, during which they provide air refuelling to Royal Australian Air Force fi ghters. This shot shows KC-135R 753 refuelling F-111C A8-113 of No.6 Squadron. Royal Australian Air Force Opposite below: Singaporean KC-135R 752 tanking a pair of A-4 Super Skyhawks using the multi- point refuelling system, the A-4 has now been retired from service. MINDEF Singapore Opposite bottom:KC-135R 753 covered in snow at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska during Exer- cise Red Flag in 2013.

Under heavy sedation and full ventilator support, the three victims done in HADR [humanitarian assistance disaster relief] operations.” arrived safely at Changi. The purchase will signal expansion of 112 Squadron from four to six In 2004, 112 Squadron was deployed to the Persian Gulf to aircraft, enable air-refuelling operations better suited to the F-15SG and contribute to the allied effort in Afghanistan and Iraq under Operation F-16C/F-16D ghter  eets, and the likely release of RSiAF KC-130Bs Blue Orchid (Air); all SAF peacekeeping operations have a codename from tanking duties. starting with ‘Blue’. According to Airbus Defence and Space, Singapore’s new tanker Five single aircraft detachments were each deployed for three will be an improved version known as the A330MRTT Enhanced. months to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar between June 9 and April 16 This latest version of the MRTT will feature structural enhancements, 2008. KC-135Rs 750 and 751 were tted with missile warning receivers aerodynamic alterations for reducing fuel-burn, a new avionics pack and chaff and  are dispensers for protection against the potential threat and display screens. These will be standard on commercial A330 from MANPADS: the rst known Stratotankers in the world to be tted airliners built at the Toulouse plant from the beginning of next year with such self-protection systems. and Singapore’s rst aircraft is due to be delivered in the fourth The ve detachments  ew 350 hours of air refuelling making good quarter of 2017. use of the MPRS. It was one of the few tankers operating in the theatre In addition to the improvements at Toulouse, Airbus Defence and tted with such a system and helped deliver 14 million pounds of jet Space at Seville will also initiate enhancements to the MRTT’s mission fuel to 1,407 aircraft including US Air Force B-1B Lancers and French planning system, an improved boom visual system and the latest Air Force Mirage 2000s, in 303 sorties. software to control the aircraft’s boom. More recently, 112 Squadron’s KC-135s  ew a disaster relief team It is also likely that the RSiAF’s A330s will be tted with a cargo door to Christchurch, New Zealand following a devastating 6.3 magnitude to enable freight carriage like the current Stratotankers. Singapore earthquake on February 22, 2011. Within 24 hours of the earthquake, the will be the rst A330MRTT user to be equipped with the cargo door RSiAF launched a KC-135R, two C-130s ferrying a SAF command team modi cation if the rst RSiAF A330MRTT is delivered before similar and 55 Civil Defence Force Urban Search and Rescue Team personnel, aircraft are delivered to other air arms: the French Air Force is evaluating and two C-130s with humanitarian supplies to Christchurch. The 12-hour the type for its tanker programme.  ight, via Darwin, Australia was the furthest Singaporean KC-135R disaster Two support activities,  ight training and maintenance are likely to relief mission to date. While in Christchurch, the Stratotanker ferried 32 be provided by Singapore Airlines and ST Aerospace respectively. civilians to Auckland before returning to Singapore on February 25. The airline currently operates 22 Airbus 330-300s and could train RSiAF A330 aircrews using its new A330 full  ight simulator while ST FUTURE Aerospace could maintain the  eet using its maintenance, repair and overhaul expertise on the type. With A-4SU Super Skyhawks phased out in 2005 and F-15SG Eagles Service entry of the A330MRTT is at least three years away and in introduced in 2010, receptacle-equipped ghter aircraft are the most the meantime the RSiAF will continue to depend on its KC- numerous in the RSiAF inventory making 112 Squadron the mainstay 135Rs. By any stretch of the imagination replacement of the of the air force’s refuelling operations. The F-5S and F-5Ts are the only Stratotankers will be a tough act to follow. Chen Chuaren probe-equipped ghters that remain in service with the RSiAF. Current and future MPRS-equipped platforms will remain relevant in the air force, especially if the rumours about Singapore’s acquisition of the F-35 Lightning II, (likely to involve the probe-equipped F-35B STOVL variant) are correct. Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, spoke of future development at the Committee of Supply Debate 2014. In his March 6 speech, he said: “Our current KC-135 aerial tankers will be replaced by the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), we have decided to acquire. The MRTT, or Airbus A330, can hold 20% more fuel than our current KC-135s and will extend the range of our ghters through air-to-air refuelling. The Airbus A330 can also double up as a cargo and troop-lift aircraft to deploy troops and equipment to overseas sites further away as we have

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tiger hub

f you’re going to go ying with the ‘Young Tigers’ of the 909th Air HUB OF THE REGION Refueling Squadron, you’d better get used to seeing orange and Kadena Air Base, with its 12,000ft runway, is a kind of treasure to US black stripes. “It’s your standard military building, but as soon as commanders and a major hub of Paci c operations, housing some you walk in you see a massive tiger sitting on the carpet,” Staff 18,000 Americans and 4,000 Japanese employees and contractors. Sergeant Donald Johnson told AIR International. Johnson is a Parent unit for the 909th is Kadena’s 18th Wing, commanded by boom operator on the KC-135R Stratotanker. “On the inside there Brigadier General James Hecker. He is a  ghter pilot with more Iare tiger stripes all over the building.” than 3,200 hours in the F-15C/D Eagle and F-22 Raptor. He has The location is Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. The time is now. also piloted the Soviet-designed MiG-21 but his curriculum vitae Today. It’s a young century for the Young Tigers and part of their job doesn’t say where or when. In a recent assignment he commanded is to carry out the Obama administration’s new ‘pivot’ – or shift in a remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA) – drone, to most people – combat priority – away from the insurgent wars that began the century and back wing at , Nevada. towards vital US interests in China, Asia and the western Paci c. The Hecker’s is one of the US Air Force’s largest combat wings with squadron’s name, however, is not new: it derives from the Young Tiger aircraft types that includes KC-135Rs, F-15C/D Eagles, E-3B/C Sentry Task Force which deployed KC-135s to Southeast Asia to support Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) and HH-60G Pave combat operations in Vietnam, beginning in 1965. Hawks. Special operations versions of the C-130 Hercules also

92 the world ’s greatest tanker and more pacific air forces 1 3 5

F-15C Eagle 80-0010/’WA’ from the 65th receives fuel from a KC-135R assigned to the 909th Air Refueling Squadron (based at Kadena Air Base, Japan) while fl ying over the ranges of Alaska. MSgt Keith Brown/US Air Force

reside at the spacious Kadena aerodrome but report to a different ready to ght – on the Korean peninsula or even against China – but headquarters, the 353rd Special Operations Group of Air Force they must also be diplomats who enjoy good relations as guests in Special Operations Command (AFSOC). A squadron of CV-22 Osprey a sovereign land. Fortunately the United States and Japan, bound tilt-rotor aircraft is expected to join the unit soon. by a mutual defence treaty, share common policy interests, even if What all of these squadrons and airmen have in common is the support from the Japanese public is lukewarm. feeling of being the point of the spear in the part of the world where important things are happening fast. THE PACIFIC PIVOT Unlike Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the other key US facility in the region, Kadena is not on US soil so the airmen of the 18th Lieutenant Colonel Jack Flynt III, a KC-135R instructor pilot and and 909th work hard to be sensitive to their Japanese hosts. At a commander of the 909th, talked to AIR International about being time when Japan itself is rearming in all but name (its own military on the cutting edge of American policy. “All I’ve got to do is tell is labelled a defence force, as required in its post-World War Two these men and women ‘when’ and ‘where’ and they get the job constitution), the presence of heavily-armed Americans on home done,” he said. “We’ve had some great training working with our soil can be just as contentious for Japanese residents as the Japanese, Korean and Australian partners. We ‘dragged’ some of militarisation of their own forces. Hecker and his airmen must be their ghters across the Paci c to participate in a recent Red Flag

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 93 pacific air forces

Alaska exercise and we were pivotal in giving them the air refuelling training they need.” Flynt’s Young Tigers have 15 KC-135Rs, their tail ns adorned with a miniaturised version of the ‘ZZ’ code assigned to the parent 18th Wing. They inhabit one of the few US bases in the region with plenty of bed-down space and room on the ramp. “We like to say Kadena is the ‘Keystone of the Paci c’ because of the location and size of our air eld,” Flynt told AIR International. Referring to the diversity of ghters, bombers and airlifters at Kadena and in the vicinity, he added: “Every aircraft on this ramp requires air-to-air refuelling. Out here, everything is widely separated by oceans, but we’re the enablers and we can give other airframes the reach they need.” The Young Tiger motif is everywhere. “The entryway to our squadron building is painted up in orange and black stripes,” Flynt said. “When you walk in, you see a life-sized tiger sitting on a mat atop our squadron patch. Our building is a former warehouse with an auditorium for mass brie ngs. Around the entire room are photos of aircraft from aviators we have supported over the years.” That would include Flynt’s father, a one-time B-52 Stratofortress pilot who refuelled from 909th Stratotankers regularly. When we talked to Flynt, his tanker crews were preparing for the multinational Cape North exercise – which, in the past, has been criticised by China’s media for being provocative. The Paci c pivot, China, and frequent air exercises are reasons why Young Tiger KC-135Rs don’t spend a lot of time basking in Kadena’s semi-tropical climate. And while the base is considered a good tour of duty for airmen and their families, the Stratotanker crews don’t have as much time as they’d like to enjoy Okinawa’s cultural and historical sites, pristine ocean and beaches, entertainment, parks and restaurants. Tanker crews spend much of their time in motion. Boom operators sometimes refer to themselves as ‘crew dogs’, often moving through time zones, arriving at new places late at night, eating at odd hours, and carrying out the all-important job of passing gas to receiver aircraft. AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION It was our conversation with Johnson that led us into a little-noticed mission carried out by some KC-135R units, and in particular by the 909th. It’s the aeromedical evacuation (AE) mission, moving the wounded, injured and sick to where they can receive treatment. As the only member of the  ight crew other than the two pilots, the boom operator becomes something of a host to the medical personnel who work in the aircraft. “The boom operator loads cargo and assists the AE crew,” Johnson said. “It takes two pallets with litter stanchions. The 909th handles AE coverage for 540,000 square miles of the Paci c Command area of responsibility. We maintain an AE alert. We stay ready to launch an

“Out here, everything is widely separated by oceans, but we’re the enablers and we can give other airframes the reach they need.” Lt Col Jack Flynt, Instructor Pilot, 909th ARS

94 the world ’s greatest tanker and more pacific air forces 1 3 5

Above: A C-17 Globemaster III approaches the boom of a Kadena-based KC-135R Stratotanker during an aerial refuelling practice. TSgt Shane Cuomo/US Air Force Left: Members of the 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron service a KC- 135R Stratotanker at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on July 6, 2014, in prepa- ration to evacuate it off Okinawa in advance of a typhoon. Senior Airman Marcus Morris/US Air Force Top left: Air Force Major Lisa Causey, a nurse, assists a patient during an aeromedical evacuation mission. 18th Wing/US Air Force via author Opposite top: KC-135R Stratotanker 61-0315/’ZZ’ from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron refuels F-15C Eagles from the 44th Fighter Squadron ‘Vampires’ during a training mission over Okinawa, Japan. Both aircraft are assigned to the 18th Wing based at Kadena Air Base. Senior Airman Maeson Elleman/US Air Force Opposite middle: The fl ight crew of a KC-135R assigned to the 909th Air Refu- eling Squadron makes its fi nal approach to land at Kadena Air Base. Airman 1st Class Keith James/US Air Force Opposite below: A KC-135R taxies through the wash rack to clean any salt and debris off the fuselage. Senior Airman Jeremy McGuffi n/US Air Force Opposite bottom:The 909th Air Refueling Squadron patch displays the unit’s legend ‘Always There’. Airman 1st Class Keith James/US Air Force

aircraft within one hour to pick up a patient. The people on alert can system but they’ve all been retro tted with a new system so that’s not be at their homes or around the base, as long as they can get to the an issue any longer.” aircraft quickly. We can cover Japan, Korea, Guam and any of the big Another source told AIR International the 909th specialises in bases in this region and haul them to the big naval hospital here [on transporting babies with emergency medical needs, including Okinawa] or elsewhere.” newborns. In a recent example of such a mission, an infant of an Major Lisa Causey, an AE nurse and long-time friend of American family living in Fukuoka (on the nearby southernmost island AIR International, told us what members of the 909th also of Kyushu) needed services that could only be provided at Tripler Army acknowledge – that the KC-135R isn’t the ideal platform for a Hospital in Hawaii. A 909th KC-135R landed at Fukuoka International medical mission of mercy. Airport – the Itazuke Air Base of the distant past – and  ew the baby On a typical aeromedical evacuation, the KC-135R carries two to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam where ground transportation nurses and three aeromedical technicians, she said. If a patient completed the journey to Tripler. were in critical condition, the aircraft would carry a Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) consisting of a physician, a critical THE MAIN MISSION care nurse, a respiratory technician and others. The KC-135R crew is not permitted to conduct air refuelling while a patient The main mission continues to be “lying on your belly and passing is aboard. Because C-17 Globemaster III ‘channel’ flights – in gas”, as Johnson put it. When the Young Tigers talk about it you can effect, scheduled flights – that include AE teams are readily feel the affection they bestow on their aircraft. “Our ops tempo here available in Europe and the Middle East, the Asia and Pacific at Kadena is much higher than the standard day-to-day situation I saw region is the last area where the Stratotanker is extensively used in a stateside KC-135 squadron,” pilot Captain Donald Alexander Jr for this function. told AIR International. He said that although KC-135R crews practise “It’s very dif cult to regulate the temperature in a tanker,” Causey ‘engine-out’ scenarios routinely, “I’ve never had to shut down an told AIR International. “That’s why we don’t want to use it to transport engine in  ight”. burn patients. Also, it’s louder than the other aircraft types and it’s very Why? “This aircraft works. It’s old and I’m going to treat it kindly,” dif cult to enter and egress. You have to have good access to egress in he said. “But I have absolute con dence in it and I know it will take an emergency, both for your patient and for yourself, and it’s a dif cult care of me.” aircraft to get out of. The 909th Air Refueling Squadron, the Young Tigers, is “In past years, we also had problems with the interior lighting taking care of a lot of things, all day, every day. Robert F Dorr

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 95 turk hava kuvvetleri

asena

urkey’s post-Cold War military modernisation process Meanwhile was driven by the requirement for long-range force the con ict projection capability. In addition to the country being an with the active participant in NATO and United Nations operations, Kurdistan Workers regional con icts also dictated such a need – and as one Party (PKK) in the of NATO’s largest countries, Turkey, from the early 1990s, southeastern region of tset out plans to achieve long-range projection of air power. the country – which involved high numbers of close air support, precision strike and BACKGROUND tactical reconnaissance sorties by F-16, F-4E and RF-4E aircraft – also highlighted the TurAF’s need Turkish Air Force (TurAF) pilots  rst undertook air-to-air refuelling for tanker aircraft. The 7th and 8th Main Jet Bases (AAR) in an operational environment during Operation Provide at Malatya and Diyarbakir generated most of the Comfort, the US-led coalition to enforce a no- y zone (NFZ) over missions in the region; however, aircraft from other northern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War. Turkish Lockheed Martin bases were deployed on a rotational basis to keep F-16 and McDonnell Douglas F-4E jets conducted AAR from US mission availability rates high. Air Force tanker aircraft during escort and combat air patrol (CAP) Air refuelling capability would have given the missions. The tempo increased throughout the  rst half of the TurAF a force multiplier on such long-range missions 1990s, with as many as possible TurAF pilots taking the chance to against the PKK. The capability was also necessary gain more AAR experience. to support Turkey’s regional ambitions, increasing the The need for their own tankers was underlined during Operation combat radius of its F-4E and F-16 eets. Deny Flight, the NATO-led enforcement of an NFZ over Bosnia- The  rst stage of the tanker acquisition process Herzegovina which began in April 1993, when TurAF F-16Cs own by involved forming a task force of of cers to study 142. Filo participated. Their CAP times over Bosnia however were low different types. The primary requirement for the when, having deployed from bases in mainland Turkey, most of their candidate aircraft was a boom system compatible fuel was used during the transit to the area. with the receptacle-equipped F-4Es and F-16s. The An organic TurAF tanker requirement was justi ed when the Turks candidates were the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender took part in the subsequent aerial bombing campaign as part of and the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Plans to convert Operation Deliberate Force from bases at Dalaman and Bandirma. civilian Boeing 707 airliners to boom-equipped tankers with

96 the world ’s greatest tanker and more turk hava kuvvetleri 1 3 5

The Boeing 737 AEW&C Peace Eagle aircraft is the latest aircraft type to enter service with the Turkish Air Force capable of air refuelling with the KC-135R. All photos Turkish Air Force unless noted

and supplying six spares. The project’s cost caused controversy in Turkey, which was going through a serious nancial crisis at the time. The deal came close to cancellation, which was only averted by a cut in the number of ’planes to be procured. Under a revised agreement, reached on April 18, 1995, seven aircraft would be delivered, after being converted to KC-135R the standard, for $315 million. help of All seven KC-135As were selected from storage at the Aircraft Israel, one of Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) at Davis-Monthan Air Turkey’s main defence partners at the time, Force Base in Arizona. The deal also covered the lease of two US Air were later dropped because the US did not Force KC-135R Stratotankers for training and early operations until want to share its boom system technology. deliveries commenced. The rst crews – 20 pilots, 10 navigators and 13 boom operators – THE DEAL trained at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Boom systems for the seven aircraft were leased from the US Air Force. Negotiations were focused on the KC-135 and Delivered on July 22, 1995, the two leased aircraft, serial numbers an initial arrangement was made to procure ten 62-3512 (c/n 18495) and 62-3568 (c/n 18551), entered service with the KC-135As under the Southern Region Amendment newly-formed ‘Tanker Filo’ at Incirlik Air Base near the city of Adana, (SRA), which allows for acquisition of surplus military under the command of the 2. Taktik Hava Kuvvet Komutanligi (2nd equipment, free of charge, to upgrade NATO armament Tactical Air Force Command, later renamed 2nd Air Force Command). in the Mediterranean area. The recipient must pay for all The TurAF established 101. Filo at Incirlik, a new squadron given the overhaul, modi cation and delivery costs. radio call sign ‘Asena’, a legendary she-wolf in Turkish mythology. The two The total cost was reported by the US Department leased aircraft were returned to the US on December 11, 1997 and the rst of Defense to Congress in July 1994 as $560 million. three converted Stratotankers – 58-0110 (c/n 17855), 60-0326 (c/n 18101) Under the deal, the aircraft were to be converted to and 62-3563 (c/n 18546) – delivered to the TurAF on December 19, 1997. KC-135R standard by replacing their Pratt & Whitney The other four entered service in 1998: 62-3539 (c/n 18522) on March J57-P-59W turbojet engines with modern CFM F108- 16, 62-3567 (c/n 18550) on April 24, 60-0325 (c/n 18100) on June 21 CF-100 (US military designation for the CFM56) turbofans and 57-2609 (c/n 17745) on July 16.

the world ’s greatest tanker and more 97 turk hava kuvvetleri

Above left: A Turkish Air Force F-4E 2020 Terminator approaches the boom during a night-time mission. Above right: Tanker crew discuss a mission. Emin Findikli via author Middle: The fi rst Turkish KC-135R upgraded with the Pacer CRAG fl ight deck was 58-0110, which was redelivered to Incirlik on September 18, 2000. Bottom: This mock-up KC-135 tail is on display outside the front of the 101. Filo command building. The tail is painted with a light grey wolf, a red KC-135 motif, the squadron’s Asena radio call sign and title 101. Hyi Filo Komutanlig˘ i. Emin Findikli via author

PACER CRAG Turkish Stratotankers took part in the NATO-led Operation Uni ed Protector against Libya and supported TurAF F-16 deployments to The KC-135R eet proved more than useful, boosting the F-16 and F-4E Red Flag exercises in the United States in 1997, 2000, 2007 and 2008. 2020 squadrons’ combat availability rates. Shortly after service entry, The deployment between July 21 and August 1, 2008 involved three a new modernisation scheme became available – the US Air Force’s KC-135Rs and six F-16s ying for 18hrs 15mins and covering more Pacer CRAG (compass, radar, GPS) avionics upgrade programme was than 7,000 nautical miles (13,000km) between Incirlik, RAF Mildenhall considered necessary to keep the Stratotanker eet up-to-date while in the UK, Goose Bay in Labrador, Canada, and Nellis Air Force Base extending its service life well into the  rst quarter of the 21st century. in Nevada. The entire route between Incirlik and Nellis required seven The TurAF Pacer CRAG programme consisted of two phases. First, air-refuellings, three over the Atlantic Ocean. the leased boom systems were replaced by new versions, developed with Turkish funding, which require less maintenance, have a longer THE FUTURE service life and comprise fewer components. The second phase, the avionics upgrade, featured cockpit enhancements Two studies are currently being undertaken by the TurAF for future air including the Collins FMS-800 integrated ight management system, Collins refuelling capability. A short-term project calls for the Block 45 avionics FDS-255 liquid crystal at-panel multifunction ight display and Collins enhancement upgrade for the existing eet while a longer-term proposal WXR-700X forward-looking predictive wind shear weather radar. The ight is to procure a next-generation aircraft to replace the Stratotankers. management system is integrated with a traf c alert and collision avoidance The replacement type will need to be boom-equipped to support system (TCAS) and an enhanced ground proximity warning system the TurAF’s next-generation  ghter eet, comprising Lockheed Martin (EGPWS). These modi cations allow for a ight crew of three by distributing F-35A Lightning IIs and Turkish Aircraft Industries’ Milli Muharebe Ucagi the role of the navigator to the  rst and second pilot and the boom operator. (MMU or indigenous  ghter aircraft) together with upgraded Equipped with new and modern avionics systems, the TurAF KC- F-16s. Candidates are the Airbus A330 Multirole Tanker 135Rs could now operate unrestricted in any airspace. The project also Transport and Boeing’s KC-767. Arda Mevlutoglu gave a maintenance capability to the TurAF 2nd Air Supply Maintenance Center (ASMC) at Kayseri, which is responsible of the maintenance, repair and overhaul of transport and liaison aircraft. The  rst upgraded KC-135R, 58-0110, was redelivered to Incirlik on September 18, 2000. The eet has recently undergone global air traf c management system and control column actuator brake modi cations by Rockwell Collins in a $22 million US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract signed in September 2010. ACTIVE DUTY Turkey also uses its KC-135Rs as long-range transport aircraft, when the range, cargo capacity or availability of the TurAF’s Lockheed Martin C-130s or Transall C-160s is insuf cient. One example was the humanitarian relief mission own to Bangladesh in 1999 after the country suffered heavy ooding.

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