Col. Scott E. Wuesthoff, chief of the Air Force global mobility division, has said of our current refueling tankers: "These Eisenhower-era aircraft are the oldest combat weapons systems in the inventory and have been experiencing ever-increasing maintenance costs and serious corrosion problems."
Thompson agrees, reporting that on any given day "a third of our tankers are in repair shops" and with "repair costs skyrocketing" we need to do something very soon in order to maintain the readiness and capability expected of our lightening freedom and defense forces.
Leasing the Boeing tankers is an innovative and time-sensitive idea for the Pentagon, but leasing is a technique routinely used by commercial fleets. Instead of buying the new refueling tankers, the leasing option would allow the military to take possession of the necessary number of tankers we need right now rather than delaying the full purchase until we have the monies available for such a lump-sum procurement.
The word "old" is not always a synonym for good, just as the word "new" is not always a synonym for bad. While it is true that we have not engaged in leasing plans like this before, it is also true we have never had such a need for continued air superiority and long-distance refueling. The war on terrorism requires innovation, and our military should have the best, most technologically advanced equipment that money can buy.
The American people deserve a procurement policy that is as cost-effective as can be. When it comes to air wars, after all, in order to fight you have to get to the fight first.