Operation Desert Storm: An Assessment of Aerial Refueling Operational
Efficiency (Letter Report, 11/15/93, GAO/NSIAD-94-68).

During Operation Desert Storm, a large coalition tanker fleet shipped
more than 700 million pounds of fuel during roughly 50,000 refuelings to
about 2,000 aircraft.  Although these results suggest a notable success,
it must also be acknowledged that an average of nearly 40 percent of the
fuel carried by Air Force tankers went unused.  This degree of
inefficiency prevented more combat missions from being supported, a
frustrating situation for operational planners.  It also suggests that
more tankers were supporting operations than were needed on the basis of
fuel requirements alone.  The policy of giving priority to refueling
strategic bombers left a gap in both the capability and knowledge
necessary to support a large conventional contingency.  Accordingly, the
tanker force faces several challenges as it switches from a
predominately conventional role.  The Pentagon will have to decide, in
light of the smaller post-Cold War force, the proper size and capability
of the tanker fleet.  Although Desert Storm may not be a prototype for
future tanker operations, it offers lessons that may be helpful in
making that decision.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  NSIAD-94-68
     TITLE:  Operation Desert Storm: An Assessment of Aerial Refueling 
             Operational Efficiency
      DATE:  11/15/93
   SUBJECT:  Military aircraft
             Airborne operations
             Operations analysis
             Air warfare
             National defense operations
             Aviation fuels
             Fighter aircraft
             Combat readiness
             Tactical air forces
             Air defense systems
IDENTIFIER:  Desert Storm
             KC-135 Aircraft
             KC-10 Aircraft
             KC-130 Aircraft
             KA-6 Aircraft
             Air Force Central Air Force Command Supply Support Activity
             F-111 Aircraft
             F-16 Aircraft
             
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