[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 REENGINING OF AIR FORCE KC-135 TANKERS

  Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, I rise today to comment on a subject that I 
have followed closely during my years of service with the Senate Armed 
Services Committee--the modernization of the KC-135 tanker fleet used 
by all of our services. Mr. President, the successes our American 
fighting men and women achieved during Operations Desert Shield and 
Desert Storm would not have been possible without the Air Force tanker 
fleet working around the clock in support of some of the most massive 
airlifts in this Nation's history. In that effort, it is important to 
note that 33 percent of the Desert Storm aerial refueling missions were 
flown by the Air Force Reserve.
  Today, Mr. President, the Air Force, demonstrating their commitment 
to a total force doctrine, is in the process of transferring much of 
this vital aerial refueling mission to the Air Guard. I agree with this 
effort and would like to further support it by stressing that, while 
all of the active KC-135 units in the force structure are being 
reengined into the modern KC-135R configuration, the Reserve components 
still have over 140 aircraft in the older KC-135E configuration. With 
the continuing emphasis on the transfer of this mission to the Air 
Guard, it is imperative that we give the Reserve component the best 
equipment possible, both to increase their operational capability 
through greatly improved aircraft efficiency and by the avoidance of 
the additional maintenance challenges caused by the operation of 
different aircraft configurations.
  Mr. President, the Air Force's own mobility master plan, issued last 
October by Gen. Ron Fogelman, commander of the Air Mobility Command, 
states the need for this continued modernization effort clearly. The 
plan points out that, while experts agree that the R-model KC-135 will 
continue to operate economically well into the next century, the E-
model's economic service life is markedly different. The plan goes on 
to point out that the age of the engines on the E-models will likely 
make upkeep very expensive. Additionally, Mr. President, the plan also 
agrees with my contention that R-model conversion will promote the 
commonality necessary for efficient airlift operations.
  Finally the mobility master plan notes that R-model conversion is 
needed for the KC-135 to meet FAA noise reduction requirements, and 
also to provide the service life extensions required to modernize the 
E-models so that they can keep pace with the remainder of the KC-135 
fleet. Collaterally, I note that during October the Defense Department 
issued its strategic mobility study, which, while classified, also 
supports the conversion of E-model KC-135's to the R-model.
  In closing, Mr. President, let me point out that not only do the 
engines for the R-model deliver 25 percent more thrust, but they do so 
while offering an 18-percent fuel savings. This equates to heavier 
takeoff capacities and improved off-load ability which allows three R-
models to deliver the same amount of fuel as four E-models.
  Getting more out of existing equipment is exactly what we need to be 
doing to conserve defense dollars, Mr. President, and that's exactly 
what we accomplish by carrying the KC-135 reengining program through to 
completion.

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