Reassessing Tanker Employment CONOPS and Command and Control to Maximize Air Mobility Capacity

摘要

Analyses of recent air mobility commitments such as the Global War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle, and the DoD's 1-4-2-1 force structure defense strategy have concluded that air mobility forces, particularly airlift forces, are entirely insufficient in quantitative terms. Operational commanders, whether functional or regional combatant commanders, JTF commanders, or various component commanders, bear the brunt of the negative effects caused by lack of airlift. In executing their OPART skills while planning and conducting operational functions such as movement and maneuver, fires, or logistics, commanders rely upon air mobility to fully exploit advantages in factors time, space and force. Since operational-level commanders do not normally have strategic-level aircraft acquisition or apportionment authority, they need to leverage all available options within their force structures.