Hazardous Material Management for the C/KC-135 Stratotanker Aircraft. Audit Report

摘要

The C/KC-135 Stratotanker Aircraft (the C/KC-135) is an Air Force program that consists of Acquisition Category II and III modification programs. The principal mission of the C/KC-135 aircraft is aerial refueling of other aircraft. The Air Force acquired 808 stratotankers and other variants of the C/ KC-135 aircraft, of which 548 stratotankers and 46 special-purpose variants are on active duty. The average age of the aircraft in the fleet is 39 years. The stratotankers are equipped with a flying boom for fuel transfer and a deck above the fuselage-mounted tanks for passengers and cargo. Eight Air Force major commands, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and three foreign militaries operate C/KC-135 aircraft. The Air Force plans to operate the stratotanker fleet until 2040 and estimates that the total life-cycle cost to continue the program until then will be about $76 billion.