AF may use contractors for refueling missions

[308Mike]

Linkarooni

AF may use contractors for refueling missions

By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 8, 2008 11:55:22 EST

With the purchase of the new KC-X tanker on hold, the Air Force is looking at hiring private contractors to fly aerial refueling missions.

On Dec. 16, the Air Force will explain to potential refueling firms the likely requirements for a private company to handle refueling missions. A notice from the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, cautioned that the service is not yet ready to ask for formal proposals. Instead, the service is looking at what contractors might have to offer and answer questions from potential contractors.

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[Rich]

This trend of contracting out tasks that would bring civilians close to or in to the actual war really bothers me when viewed from the perspective of it's impact on society. We seem to be inching closer and closer to the day where the armed forces represent corporations, not nations.

Or perhaps it's my paranoia kicking in.

[Ben Rumson]

Seems like a bad idea. Air force loosing direct control over refueling? What if the contractor doen't feel like flying that day? What are they going to do, fire him?

[Aglifter]

I imagine there might be some precedent for this -- didn't the Sea Bees start out as contractors? In theory, you could have them agree to be bound under the UCMJ, and be able to be subject to military orders, even though they're mostly out of the command structure -- IMO, what the military really needs to privatize is the supply chain/procurement and maintenance.

[mekender]

IMO, what the military really needs to privatize is the supply chain/procurement and maintenance.

funny, my company does exactly that, at least the warehousing part

[Mike OTDP]

Quite a bit of maintenance is already privatized.

The real question is going to be over the refueling boom. Hose-and-drogue refueling pods are easily made and mounted - go Google for "Omega tanker" for an example. But that boom is a major modification.

I would not be surprised to see the AF trying to contract out tanker support for non-AF aircraft, though.

[Drone 7 of lots more]

Back in the day, Artillery was contracted for. Military contracting for pretty much everything not exactly on the firing lines has a long history.