Strategic Tanker/Transports for Part 2

Part 1 of this special report explored the the immediate pressures of 707 training evolving strategic context in South East capability replacement will thus see Asia and identified a developing need for medium widebodies adopted by the RAAF Australia’s air force to acquire a substantial in the near term. In addressing the needs of strategic/tanker transport force. high intensity operations, the most Since publication of Part 1, the December economical choice is then to further expand 2000 White Paper was released reflecting a the tanker fleet by the use of large similar viewpoint held by Australia’s widebodies, thus producing a ‘two tier’ defence planners. Indeed, the White Paper tanker fleet. extends established ADF doctrine to now While a medium tanker requirement can be encompass the use of tanker-supported F- readily addressed using either 767 111s for long range strikes against any or Airbus 310/330 derivatives, neither have military targets, maritime or land based that the offload performance to meet a heavy could represent a threat to Australia or its tanker requirement. strategic interests. Another important Boeing DC-10/MD-11 and Lockheed feature of the White Paper is that it asserts Tristar derivatives will be difficult to the critical importance of maintaining air support in Australia, more so beyond 2010 superiority over Australian territory and its when commercial fleets begin to downsize, maritime and air approaches. Ambitious and this is despite the adequate performance capability goals are defined in this respect, of these types as tankers. Indeed the USAF in particular the capability to conduct KC-10A will be orphaned post 2015, an sustained long range strike campaigns by issue of some concern in the US. the F-111 force, using aerial refueling. The only remaining type in the required size Whether we consider the White Paper and performance class is the , capability goals in counter-air operations or and this aircraft is the subject of this final strike operations, it is clearly evident that part of the series. the RAAF will need to field a substantial aerial refueling force to meet these Boeing 747 Derivatives objectives. The White Paper commits to The Boeing 747 family of aircraft is used five new technology tankers to replace the both by and Ansett in Australia, and -338C fleet, which is suffering Air New Zealand. Qantas flies the 747 in from fatigue and corrosion problems that passenger and freighter variants. Its design would be prohibitively expensive to rectify. is a derivative of a 1960s Boeing proposal Analysis based on strike, defensive combat for a military airlifter that lost out to the air patrol and comparative fleet ratios Lockheed C-5A Galaxy. The aircraft was indicates that about 12 to 16 large wide- later evaluated against the DC-10 as part of body tankers or 24 to 32 medium tankers the USAF Advanced Tanker / Cargo The Boeing would provide appropriate fleet sizing for Aircraft (ACTA) program, losing out to the deterrence operations, long range maritime McDonnell Douglas KC-10A proposal strike, air support of regional peacekeeping despite its superior performance. deployments, and air defence of the air sea Photographs exist of the 747 refueling even gap and the ‘deep north’. the SR-71A during these trials. Should ‘heavy widebodies’ be employed, Several AAR boom and receptacle equipped then airlift and ongoing resupply of a 747-100B tankers were supplied to Carlo Kopp brigade-size ground force element would during the mid to late 1970s, including KC-25/KC-747 also be feasible. aircraft with lower-deck fuel tanks, and two For all practical purposes the budgetary US military variants exist with AAR commitment in the White Paper addresses receptacles. at best 40 per cent and, at worst, 20 per cent The conversion package for Iran was of the actual refueling capacity needs the performed with the expectation that other RAAF will face. Pressures in crewing and clients would be found, and a full fuel offload performance per airframe will production standard documentation package drive tanking needs in the direction of large was generated as a result. Therefore, a widebodies, whereas pressures in training current retrofit of the basic KC-135 boom to fuel burn and low intensity operations will the 747 incurs minimal Non Recurring favour medium widebodies. It is likely that Expenditure (NRE).

2 Air Power International Air Power International 3 Section 41 reworks and Pylon and D Boeing 747-400 variants and the -400 it was the 747 variant checks, with the cost of such a work The 747-400 is the current production with the best range performance. package reaching up to USD 10M per model, introduced in the early 1990s, As the -400 has penetrated into the aircraft. Engine overhauls typically cost available in passenger, Combi and Freighter commercial market, the demand for the USD 1.5M each at intervals of 1,200 to versions. It features the extended upper 747SP has fallen strongly. As at July 1999, 1,500 cycles. The market value of 747-100 deck of the -300, and a new extended wing seven were in storage and four dismantled and older -200 aircraft varies between USD fitted with winglets. Since it is available for structural spares. Qantas continues to 4.6M and 7.7M, with later build 747-200 either new-build or with a service life under operate two examples. No less than fifteen variants commanding between USD 13.8 10 years, fatigue life is not an issue for the 747SPs are currently on the market, and 26.2M apiece. 747-400 at this time. including some VIP transports, with a unit Boeing The 747-400 offers the best load carrying cost cited between USD 5.3M and 7.7M Boeing 747-300 performance of any 747 variant, but its apiece. Because of the poor profitability of The 747-300 is the extended upper deck larger MTOW imposes the need for better the 747SP on most routes, it is considered to variant of the late build -200B airframe, runways, and due to its large wingspan be worth more as scrap than as a manufactured between the early eighties ground handling can be an issue on some commercial asset. As the 747SP was almost and nineties. With the advent of the sites. It is also expensive in the used aircraft exclusively used for long haul operations, extended range -400 model, the demand for market, as it remains strongly in demand, the number of cycles on the airframes will this model in the commercial market has with typical used aircraft worth between mostly be excellent, in relation to the age declined and it is readily available, while USD 92.5M and 158.5M. and accrued flight hours of the aircraft accrued fatigue life will be modest for The Longer Range 747-400 incorporates (typically between 9,000 and 13,000 cycles examples flown mostly on long-haul routes. additional lower deck fuel and improved on aircraft aged around 18 years). Such At present, there is a glut of used 747- engines. The 747X, with a new wing design numbers are more typical for 747 aircraft of 747 200B/C and -300B/CF aircraft in the and fuselage stretch, will be available by 12-15 years of age. market; a good proportion of these are 2005 and will deliver significantly better However, the general condition of many of Combis that are already fitted with the large payload radius performance than the 747- the available aircraft is unclear, and SCD freight door and would thus incur 400 series. considerable refurbishment, and corrosion lower costs to convert to a tanker/transport repair effort may be required in addition to derivatives configuration. Typical unit costs fall Boeing 747SP the required AAR hardware modifications. between USD 39.4 and 50.8M, but will vary The Boeing 747SP is a high performance, Providing that candidate airframes are with the age, condition and fit of the lightweight, long range variant, adequately investigated prior to purchase, aircraft. Given the saturation of the market, manufactured between 1976 and the late this risk can be managed reasonably The Iranian aircraft employed an operator volume limited. The aggregate gross weight Therefore, this aircraft is the only type it may be feasible to acquire aircraft at 1980s, with only 45 built. The aircraft was precisely. with direct view as per the KC-135 design, limit for fore and aft lower lobe which satisfies the requirement of an prices well below the actual value of the specifically designed for very long range, The 747SP has the best short field take off but located behind a recessed rear fuselage compartments is 47.7 tonnes, assuming an existing domestic operator base, the aircraft. low load factor routes as a replacement for performance of any 747 variant. Most large window in the aft pressure bulkhead, rather evenly distributed load, which bounds the requirement for an established boom The extended upper deck on the 747-300 the long range variants of the Boeing 707. It widebodies require about 3,100 metres of than in a protruding fairing as used by the available capacity of lower deck tanks. The equipped AAR conversion, and delivers the series aircraft provides the means of employs a shortened fuselage, lighter runway, the 747SP typically requires 2,350 KC-135. US FAA requires the tanks withstand loads long range AAR offload performance and carrying up to 85 economy class passenger structure and enlarged tail surfaces. Until to 2,750 metres at MTOW, reflecting the A cheaper alternative to produce, at the of 9G. Typical contemporary implemen- volumetric requirements needed for both seats in addition to main deck freight, but the advent of the extended range -200B lower MTOW and load carrying expense of some NRE, would be the tation employs a rigid double walled tank the strategic AAR and airlift roles. does so at the expense of reducing the performance of this variant. remotely operated boom as used on the design, rather than the older “fuel bladder Freighter conversions of the four basic ceiling height of the main deck fore of the KDC-10-30CF. The classic KC-135 boom inside a metal box” style. versions are widely used in the commercial wing, thereby imposing some limits on the was recently re-engineered in a number of Offload performance at a 1,900 NM radius air freight market, indeed the current carriage of taller freight items. Special areas to employ current production would be about 95 tonnes of fuel or better, industry trend is for older 747-100 and -200 Freighter conversions, however, may have a techniques such as extrusion rather than for a Combi or freighter configuration with airframes to be retrofitted into freighter modified upper deck floor to extend main riveting. Booms supplied on recently lower deck auxiliary fuel cells. Such configuration by the addition of a large aft deck internal clearances, at the expense of delivered KC-135R conversions have been performance is superior to the KC-10A. fuselage Side Cargo Door (SCD) and the useful upper deck floor area. based on this newer implementation that US military 747-200B variants are installation of the freighter floor. A 747-300 can thus be more flexible in would be used in any new-build 747 retrofit. designated C-25A, such as the VC-25A ‘Air Designated a 747 ‘Special Freighter’ terms of its ability to mix freight and troop The lower deck volume of the -100/200/300 Force One’. The designation C-19A is (747SF or 747-100SF/200SF/300SF), loads, but at the expense of the mix of and -400 models available for container reserved for 747-100 aircraft committed to conversions are performed by Boeing freight item sizes it can accommodate, in freight provides ample space for additional the CRAF scheme. Therefore, a 747-200B Wichita, GATX-Airlog, Pemco Aeroplex, comparison with a 747-200 derivative. auxiliary fuel cells, and these would be tanker/transport variant could be designated Israel Aircraft Industries and HAECO with essential to extract the full offload potential a ‘KC-25A’, with a different suffix applied costs depending on the scope of the of the aircraft as a tanker. Since for a different 747 variant, examples being a conversion package. Typical costs are intercontinental variants of the 747 carry a ‘KC-25B’ for 747SP model or a ‘KC-25C’ between USD 12M and 20M per airframe. generous internal fuel load, at MTOW for for a 747-300 model. most variants only about 20 to 40 tonnes A simple measure of the Boeing 747 against Boeing 747-100 and 747-200 would need to be carried in auxiliary lower other established tankers is that it delivers Five basic models of this aircraft exist, deck fuel cells, with cross feed from the offload performance potentially superior manufactured from about 1970. The 747- main tank employed. A typical and payload-range superior to the KC-10A 100 and -200 are the oldest models and, implementation for a lower deck fuel cell Extender, yet it is fast like the KC-135R and given accrued airframe fatigue and would resemble a reduced height LD2 type Boeing 707 tankers, cruising at 0.84-0.85 corrosion, many airframes may not be a freight container, indeed the auxiliary fuel Mach. This is a very important attribute for viable consideration for a large long-term cells for the new Longer Range 747-400 and strike and offensive counter-air refueling investment with the cost of airframe life 747X series are built in exactly this format. operations, since the tanker must keep up extension. The last -200F freighters were Without potentially expensive structural with a fighter package, and must be capable built during the early 1990s and may have reinforcement of the lower lobe floor, the of operating at the boundaries of contested acceptable fatigue life. Typically, the fatigue auxiliary fuel cells are weight rather than airspace. life of older 747s can be extended through

4 Air Power International Air Power International 5 As a tanker, the 747SP provides an internal Mk.32B pods as used on the RAAF’s standard pallet size, the locked down be sufficient for the M-113. It would fuel capacity of 148 to 153 tonnes, and Boeing 707-338Cs. The latter would be positions of the pallet would have to be however be convenient for roll-on/roll-off lower lobe floor strength to accommodate more attractive operationally but a much slightly different to a standard load of 6.05 loading and unloading of 4WD vehicles and about 30 tonnes of auxiliary fuel. Given more expensive choice since the overheads metre containers or pallets. On paper, this smaller trucks with heights under 2.45 existing MTOW limits on the aircraft, this of design, wing modification to arrangement would allow four or more metres, using a loader to lift them level with yields about 74-80 tonnes of offload at accommodate fuel lines, and flight testing ASLAVs to be loaded, side by side, together the aircraft main deck. 1,900 NMI, which is competitive would be incurred. with other freight. The Freighter/Combi Nose Door is, performance against the KC-10A. Clearing The Engineering, Manufacturing and Unlike conventional military air lifters that however, attractive insofar as it allows the the aircraft for a 4% increase in MTOW Development contract for adding wing- have loading ramps and a very low floor aircraft, with minor modifications, to carry would bring offload closer to 85 tonnes mounted ‘hose and drogue’ refueling pods height, the Boeing 747 requires specialized the Boeing On Board Loader device, which under these conditions. to the KC-135R Stratotanker cost support equipment for loading and is stowed in the nose of the aircraft and The limitation of the 747SP as a approximately USD 24.4M. The cost of unloading. The height of the 747 main deck deployed once on the ground to provide tanker/transport airframe is its low conversion kits to fit Mk.32B pods to USAF is between 4.67 and 5.33 metres, depending autonomous freight handling. This device structural payload limit of 38 tonnes in the KC-135R aircraft is about USD 2.55M per on the weight of the aircraft. Therefore, if takes 30 minutes to deploy or stow, weighs standard configuration, and the need to aircraft, excluding the cost of the pods. The the aircraft were to be operated into airfields 6.6 tonnes and can handle payloads of up to perform a Combi or Freighter conversion, cost for a KC-25/747 kit would be slightly that are not equipped to handle 13.6 tonnes. When stowed it displaces two neither of which were standard build higher due to the longer fuel lines required. containerised freight, such equipment 2.44 x 6.05 metre containers or 6.7% of options. A production option was an Given that Boeing have performed the would need to be prepositioned, carried in main deck capacity. increased structural payload limit of 45 adaptation of both the KC-135R and KC- by the 747 strategic transport, or delivered The Boeing On Board Loader may be tonnes, and it may be feasible to further 10A for wing mounted Mk.32B pods for the by other aircraft prior to the arrival of the disconnected from the aircraft nose and improve upon this. The issue is thus the USAF, it is reasonable to assume that much 747 strategic transports. used as a free standing loader. It is designed NRE of such structural work, and the NRE of the design work could be directly adapted Ground-based loading equipment may be to load and unload 2.44 x 6.05 metre pallets associated with adapting the standard 747- to a KC-25/747 design, thereby reducing the fully mobile container handling equipment or containers, using either the Nose Door or 200/300/400 freight floor and SCD magnitude of the NRE required. The all up like the 30 tonne capacity USAF/SEI 60K the Side Cargo Door. The loader is powered installation. Given the low cost of basic cost of equipping a dozen KC-25/747 Tunner, or the 13 tonne capacity SEI 25K from the aircraft’s electrical system at either airframes, such modifications are well aircraft with pods would be thus of the order loader series, or much cheaper collapsible door, or by a ground based generator. worth exploring, especially since they are of USD 50M, excluding the cost of 24 pods frame container and pallet elevators, like An interesting side note is that the design of based upon standard components used in the and appropriate spare components. those employed by the USAF with the KC- the loader was paid for by the Iraqi national 747-200B/CF/300CF freighter conversions. 10A. Fully mobile loaders are the most airline during the late 1980s. They were the In terms of initial acquisition costs and The 747 as an Airlifter flexible in use but more difficult to deploy, sole client for this piece of equipment. We performance as a pure tanker, the most A very attractive aspect of the standard e.g. the USAF Tunner requires either C-141, can but speculate upon reasons for the Iraqis suitable 747 variant is the 747SP. With Boeing 747-200CF/300CF and 400F Combi C-5 or C-17 lift. Smaller loaders are wanting to be able to load and unload large lower deck fuel cells its offload and Freighter conversions is the size of the compatible with the C-130. 13 tonne containers at unprepared sites. performance is competitive against the KC- standard rear fuselage SCD freight door. It New build Boeing 747-200CF/300CF/400F This loader is not suitable in its basic 10A, yet the cost of the basic airframe is 1/4 provides a vertical clearance suitable for a Freighters and many Combis have been configuration for the handling of the to 1/3 of current DC-10-30CF costs, and it three metre high load, and a horizontal delivered with a lifting Nose Door, similar ASLAV and M-113 and would require some offers superior short field performance and clearance suitable for a 2.5 metre wide load. in concept to that used on the C-5 Galaxy. design changes for this purpose. Slight cruise speed. This competitive advantage The door is 3.4 metres wide, but some This door has size limitations, primarily the modification of the loader design to must be balanced against its limited allowance must be made for swinging the vertical clearance limit of 2.49 metres increase its width and length would thus be performance as a freighter, typically of the load around as it is inserted. imposed by the floor of the cockpit and required. Nominal time to load or unload an order of 40% to 50% of the structurally The floor width is 6.13 metres, which upper deck section. aircraft using this device is about one hour, limited payload of a 747-200/300 series means that on paper both the standard This is inadequate for the ASLAV but may assuming the device is already deployed. aircraft, and 50% to 60% of a KC-10A ASLAV and M-113 can be loaded, albeit aircraft. with some care required during insertion. Biasing the requirement toward airlift and Clearances will need to be verified by a load factoring in availability and fatigue life, the check since the ASLAV is 18 cm wider and most suitable 747 variants for a strategic 45 cm longer than the standard 2.44 x 6.05 tanker/transport role would be the 747- metre freight pallet. Specialised variants of 200/300/400CF/SF, should examples with the ASLAV, such as the command vehicle suitable maintenance histories be selected. and ambulance may not fit through the 747 An issue for any Boeing 747 AAR tanker freight door due to their bulkier and higher conversion will be the provision of profile. hose/drogue refueling hardware, as no Unlike a conventional military airlifter current user (Iran) has had such fitted. The allowing Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO) simplest alternative is the installation of one loading, the Boeing 747 would require that or two fuselage hose/drum units, in a the ASLAV be first tied on to a 6.05 metre manner akin to the KC-10A or RAF pallet, and then handled and loaded into the Lockheed Tri-Star, preferably using the aircraft as if it were an 11 tonne, 6.05 metre same hardware. Refueling the C-130J and contoured freight container. A forklift larger RAF assets imposes the constraint would be used to load empty pallets on to that such a fuselage installation be used. the loader, for roll-on loading of the vehicle The need for redundant hose/drogue on to the pallet. Once the vehicle is secured Boeing systems to account for possible failures to the pallet it may be loaded into the enroute indicates that the preferred aircraft. For unloading, the palletised configuration would employ either a pair of vehicle is released off the pallet and driven fuselage hose/drum units, or a three-point away, and a forklift is used to remove the arrangement with a single fuselage empty pallet from the loader. airlifters hose/drum unit and a pair of wing-mounted Since the vehicle is slightly longer than the 6 Air Power International Air Power International 7 An important limitation of the Nose Door is required, and the need for external loaders. field performance. Limitations are the 11. Installation of military GPS navigation standardise the inertial navigation and that the nose refueling receptacle design For bulk strategic airlift of personnel and slightly lower unit-offload performance, equipment. communications equipment fit across the would need to be adapted to use a flexible or palletised freight into secure areas with inability to carry freight without 12. Installation of IFF interrogator. fleet. A FANS compatible system would be articulated connection to the fixed fuel lines suitable surfaces, using the C-130 for modification, and similar crewing and 13. Installation of a suitable intercom desirable. in the forward fuselage, or shifted above the forward distribution, the 747 outperforms support requirements to the 747-200/300. system. There may be some merit in retrofitting all cockpit, thereby incurring some additional all airlifters other than the C-5. The age of the aircraft may also prove to be 14. Installation of Echidna RWR and aircraft to a common engine type, should NRE. an issue, since corrosion may limit the long DECM package, possibly also IRCM on airframes of suitable quality not be fitted The feasibility of retrofitting the Nose Door Crew and Passenger Access term viability of a 747SP. engine pylons. with such. Qantas will be well equipped to as part of the freight modification needs to An issue of some inconvenience is the Therefore, the 747-200/300 offers a better 15. Installation of the Side Cargo Door if advise on the performance and be further investigated, as this would absence of a door or hatch and internal longer term return on investment, with a not already fitted. idiosyncrasies in supporting specific engine provide more flexibility in the choice of ladder for crew and passenger access to the much greater initial acquisition cost. The 16. Strengthening of the main deck floor to types. Overhauled used engines of suitable airframes which otherwise must be selected aircraft at sites without appropriately sized proportions of any mixed fleet would freighter standard and installation of quality may be acceptable, since the aircraft from the limited pool of Nose Door boarding facilities for airliners. The solution therefore have to be based upon a careful freight handling hardware. in RAAF service would not be operated at equipped Combis available in the is to employ a modification used on the analysis of the point in the fleet lifecycle 17. For aircraft with extant Nose Door the tempo of a commercial operator outside marketplace. Another alternative is to USAF’s Boeing E-4B NEACP airborne where the difference in initial acquisition installations, modification to support the periods of war or other contingencies. rework the design of the Boeing On Board command post and the VC-25A VIP cost favouring the 747SP is balanced by the Boeing On Board Loader, and supply of Loader to allow it to be deployed from the aircraft. These aircraft carry a deployable lower return in airlift capability given these devices, modified as required. SCD rather than the Nose Door. The final set of air-stairs stowed in the forward lower similar crewing and support costs. Serious consideration should be given to option is a mixed fleet with only some lobe cargo bay. Installing deployable air- Determining the number of aircraft to the use of a standard configuration, if aircraft fitted with the Nose Door. stairs would remove at least one fuel cell in provide the capability required will need possible, whereby all aircraft are fitted with the forward bay. Given the load carrying some detailed modeling of AAR the air-stairs, Nose and Side Cargo Doors, capacity of the lower lobe floor and MTOW performance for the ranges in question the Boeing On Board Loader, and refueling limits in both the 747-200/300/400CF/SF along with analysis of the airlift receptacles. and 747SP models, this would not impair requirement. First order estimates indicate Whether to retrofit the aircraft cockpits to a the potential offload performance, as a that between 12 and 14 747-200/300 aircraft current standard ‘glass cockpit’ single cell amounts to 10% or less of the would be required, depending on the offload arrangement is open to debate. While this lower deck capacity. performance achievable for a given would increase the unit conversion cost, it Integration of the deployable air-stairs will configuration, runway capabilities available offers the longer-term economy of a two- render some small portion of the main deck and aircraft empty weight after the person flight crew, against a three-person floor above the forward lower lobe cargo installation of AAR hardware and freight flight crew, assuming a dedicated AAR bay unusable for freight, so as to provide modifications. For the same fleet offload operator. Given that most commercial space for a hatch to access the air-stairs. performance, 12 to 16 747SP aircraft would models now have glass cockpits, Since retractable stairs must be installed to be required. Some spares would be required. maintenance of currency for reservists provide access between the main deck and According to Boeing-Wichita information, flying commercial models would indicate the upper deck, these should be located the 747-200/300 could be modified into a that a glass cockpit would be preferred. adjacent to the hatch to the air-stairs to freight configuration with a lead time of This would also provide the opportunity to minimise the loss to main deck floor space. only several months. The air-stairs provide the ability to load and Conversion for this dual role capability Tanker/Transport unload passengers, as well as providing would require the following modifications: There may be some scope for faster access for the crew, regardless of site 1. Installation of an AAR boom and reconfiguration time between the airlift and facilities and should be a serious operators’ station. troop carrying configuration: by using consideration for all aircraft in a fleet. 2. Installation of two fuselage dedicated 2.44 x 6.05 metre pallets fitted hose/drum/drogue units, or a single fuselage with fixed canvas troop seats, rather than Implementation Issues hose/drum/drogue unit and a pair of wing Implementation commercial Combi airliner seating. This While a Boeing 747-based strategic mounted Mk.32B pods. could be implemented in a manner that tanker/transport is not the ideal solution for 3. Installation of AAR fuel pumps, valves, would save considerable weight, compared the strategic airlift requirement, it is an manifolds, plumbing and operator controls. with commercial seating, thereby allowing excellent basic platform for a strategic 4. Installation of lower-deck auxiliary fuel more troops and freight to be loaded into the tanker: it is readily available via the cells. aircraft. modification of units from the large pool of 5. Installation of AAR receptacle for tanker- A simple measure of the Boeing 747- used commercial airframes, and it is much to-tanker refueling. 200CF/300CF/400F as an airlifter is that it more affordable than any new build 6. Installation of single point ground provides payload range performance in the alternative. refueling receptacle for lower deck class of a C-5 Galaxy, but its freight loading In terms of variants, it would appear that a auxiliary fuel cells. door limits payload items to sizes similar to mix of 747SP and 747-200/300CF/SF 7. Installation of the forward lower deck those carried by a C-130 Hercules or C-141 models - given that examples of suitable internally stowed air-stairs and retractable Starlifter. With the exception of length, the condition can be located - would be the upper deck stairs. Boeing 747 SCD can handle items slightly most practical choice. 8. Installation of at least two observers’ larger than either the C-130 or C-141. The 747-200/300CF/SF is the better bubble windows, replacing aft upper deck Therefore any Army assets air-portable by strategic tanker and transport by virtue of its windows. C-130 will almost certainly be portable by higher MTOW, better offload performance 9. Installation of dual TACAN beacons and 747, thereby taking a significant load off the and ability to carry heavy freight. The formation lighting. RAAF C-130 fleet. 747SP offers much lower initial acquisition 10. Installation of military UHF Its principal limitation in comparison with costs and slightly lower fuel burn. It also communications equipment, preferably with purpose-built airlifters is inferior short field offers better operational flexibility per total crypto capability, IFF and JTIDS performance, greater runway strength fleet offload performance and better short equipment.

8 Air Power International Air Power International 9 Conclusions

the airline could recoup the training investment in such aircrew after they complete their service in the RAAF. The arrangement would have to be such to make ‘poaching’ of such aircrew impossible before their contracted service periods run out. The aircrew would periodically fly the RAAF aircraft to maintain proficiency in The commercial aspect of such an the price tag as they would want to cover of supporting training flights only. AAR flight operations, but would gather acquisition is of modest complexity, since any risks they might incur. From a practical perspective, the full most of their hours on commercial aircraft. with the exception of the AAR conversion, The availability of suitable airframes and MTOW capacity will be required only for The crewing issue does not disappear with a multiple sources exist for freight pricing in the market will vary and this long range or long endurance AAR PFI fleet, the burden is merely shifted upon conversions, airframe life extension and should be a consideration, since the pool of operations, or for heavy lift transport the commercial operator. For combat engine overhaul or retrofit. The only extant available aircraft and prices will fluctuate as operations. The former category of operations, reservists would almost and flight tested AAR conversion was older airframes are absorbed into the operations is geographically confined certainly be essential. performed by Boeing. freighter market. primarily to Learmonth and Darwin, both of While other vendors such as IAI may be The total expense for the acquisition phase which have adequate runways. The latter Conclusions competent to engineer an AAR conversion, of the program would comprise the cost of category would be confined mostly to This report argues the case for the they will incur the full engineering the used airframes, the cost of any re- Darwin and Townsville. acquisition and deployment of a substantial overheads and development risks of a new engining, zero-timing and corrosion repair, Crewing the aircraft will be a major issue. strategic tanker/transport force for design. Therefore, Boeing will have a the total cost of the required AAR, and Assuming a fleet size of twelve aircraft, Australia, comprising a fleet with a large significant competitive advantage over any where applicable, freighter modifications as with a glass cockpit and two person flight proportion of modified variants of the other vendor, and this may also be true of a detailed above. Since the program would crew, the nominal 1.6:1 (USAF) Boeing 747 transport. outweigh its limitations, especially in comprehensive modification package involve a reasonable number of aircraft, crew/aircraft ratio yields almost 40 pilots, Such a force would wholly address the comparison with other alternatives derived incorporating all changes. There may be some economies of scale in the production and a 2:1 ratio suitable for sustained high capability goals defined in the December from commercial airframes. While its considerable potential for domestic offsets phase could be achieved. intensity operations yields 48 pilots, with 2000 White Paper, and plug the ‘capability weaknesses are most prominent in the airlift by performing portions of the structural The issue of which runways to upgrade, and half qualified as aircraft commanders. gap’ between the government’s stated five- role, it performs this role far better than work and modification at the Avalon whether to include them in a project budget, Maintaining currency, given the hourly tanker fleet, and actual operational needs for other commercial types. facility, which has the runway and hangar is an interesting one. Strategically, the two operating costs of such aircraft, would be by a credible force. At this time the composition of the RAAF’s sizes required. ASTA performed structural most important sites are Darwin (for airlift any measure expensive. Simulators, no The Boeing 747 makes for an excellent future tanker force is yet to be determined. work on 747 aircraft some years ago. and air support of peacekeeping forces) and matter how good, are not a substitute for strategic tanker, but not an ideal airlifter. What is abundantly clear at this time is that Whether the best strategy is to release an Learmonth (for air defence, strike and time in a real cockpit. However it is the only aircraft type that will a force which is robustly sized to meet the RFP for the supply of fully modified 747 maritime operations). Therefore, it will be necessary to explore allow Australia to deploy a large strategic capability goals in the new White Paper will aircraft to a specified configuration and Neither would require substantial runway other alternatives. One possibility worth tanker/transport force with a modest initial have to contain a substantial fraction of place responsibility for the choice of work to support operational detachments, exploring is that of hiring out the aircrew to expenditure, while exploiting the heavy strategic tankers. Should the 747 be airframes upon the vendor, or to acquire the although significant upgrades to the fuel the airlines, at such a rate where the offer is established training and support base. used as the basic heavy tanker platform, the aircraft directly off the commercial replenishment infrastructure may be needed attractive to commercial operators. To provide a general measure of capability, economics will be well within Australia’s suppliers and then release an RFP for the to sustain high intensity operations. At this The contractual arrangement would be such one dozen 747-200/300/400CF/SF reach. modifications, remains to be determined. time the ability to resupply aviation that these pilots would fly regular derivative KC-25 strategic tanker/transports We could expect that shifting the burden kerosene at hundreds of tonnes per day operations for the airline in the same provide the cruise speed and offload onto the vendors will have some impact on would be the limiting factor. manner as the aircrew employed by the performance equivalent to around thirty Footnote Learmonth would require a modest 10 per airline, however they could be recalled by KC-135R tankers, or 26 767-200 tankers, This report is based primarily on RAAF cent runway extension to support the 747- the RAAF at very short notice to crew the and can lift the payloads of a dozen C-17A Aerospace Centre Working Paper 82, 200/300 at MTOW. The runway strength at strategic tanker/transport fleet. airlifters over about a 60% greater distance, published March 2000. The author Curtin is not adequate for high gross weight Such a strategy has several attractions. The all at about one-third of the total acquisition gratefully acknowledges the assistance of operations, and its remoteness makes the first is that it is an unbeatable attraction in cost of the combined packages of KC-135R Squadron Leader Murray Warfield (ret) of resupply of large quantities of fuel to the recruiting game, for those applicants and C-17A aircraft. A mixed KC-25 fleet, Qantas, who originated the idea, the RAAF support tanker deployment difficult. Darwin with long term aspirations of an airline including some 747SP derivatives, yields School of Air Navigation at Sale, Captain would provide a better runway than Tindal career. The second is that the crews get to similar offload performance and lesser Kurt Todoroff, USAF (ret), Captain Perry for 747-200/300 operations. Townsville maintain a high level of currency on the airlift performance, with even lower Beor, Army Reserve, and Boeing Australia would require a new parallel runway rated basic aircraft, and long haul overseas flight acquisition costs. A mixed fleet of C-17A for their advice and assistance with this for the 747, while Amberley could operate experience in the process. For the airlines, and KC-25s yields inferior offload project. The paper is available at the aircraft with some gross weight there is the advantage of simplified performance, but would provide a superb http://www.defence.gov.au/aerospacecentre limitations applied. All of the major civilian recruiting of junior pilots, who will have airlift capability, with a penalty in /publish/paper82.htm airports in Australian capitals could support acquired their ab initio, early flight training acquisition costs. the aircraft. Amberley would appear to be and some multi-engine time in the rigorous In summary, it is fair to say that the the best prospect, with weight limits RAAF training regime. Contractual strengths of the 747-200B/300/400CF/SF imposed, for a squadron home base capable arrangements would need to be such, that and 747SP as a strategic tanker/transport

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