Page 58 - Leverage and Learn

Leverage Allied Investments and Combat Learning Experience in Modernizing the U.S. Military

"Another aspect is the evolving technology of the systems, which are clearly moving down the path of
providing significant electronic-magnetic warfare capabilities as well.

"We are not just a classic flying radar.

"When we're looking forward ten years from now, that's where we're looking."

Question: The P-8/Triton dyad is coming to the force.

How will that affect Wedgetail?

Group Captain Bellingham: "Significantly.

"One aspect is that we will be operating a larger 737 fleet with six Wedgetails and 15 P-8s. We can't
afford not to look for opportunities in this space."

REPLACING THE KC-10 WITH THE KC-30A

The KC-10 has been relied on increasingly as the KC-135 fleet has aged and readiness rates have
decreased.

And discussions with the USAF tanking community have made it evident that the KC-10 is not only larger but
can do more than a KC-135.

Why not adopt the global tanker of choice, the A330MRTT, and provide a complement to the new Boeing
tanker replacing KC-135 which by the way is STILL not operational.

This might be tolerable for slow mo war; but not for the certainty of high tempo and high intensity combat
operations.

Building Tanker 2.0: The Aussie Perspective

2017-04-11 By Robbin Laird

During a visit to Australia last Spring, I had a chance to discuss the way ahead for the KC-30A with the two
senior operators involved with the program and its evolving capability.

We met at Amberley Airbase where the KC-30As and C-17s are based. Air Commodore Richard Lennon is
the head of the Air Mobility Group and with Group Captain Adam Williams, the officer commanding 86th
Wing as well as the CO of the 33rd Squadron (KC-30A).
Last year, I published an interview with the head of the tanker program at Airbus.

And in that piece underscored that having digested the operational fundamentals with the tanker, the tanker
program was now moving on to the next phase, which I have called Tanker 2.0.

The baseline tanker is fully functional; now what other capabilities can be added to it as it moves beyond
being a gas station in the sky?
Also, since I was last here, the Ministry of Defence has signed a new partnership to shape the way ahead for
Tanker 2.0.

This agreement was announced at this year’s Avalon Airshow.

Second Line of Defense

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