Originally Posted by
BEagle
Asturias56 , current policy in ATP-3.3.4.2 is as follows:
The employment of AAR in war or other hostile environments will depend on the capabilities of the aircraft types employed, local threat assessments and proximity to unsecured airspace. It is not appropriate in this document to detail AAR operations under combat conditions; however, tankers are vulnerable and high value assets and therefore, in general, they should be placed well clear of the combat zone or protected using fighter support. The procedures and principles of AAR described in this document should be applied whenever possible.
Taking an HVAA 'to the fight' is inviting disaster as you suggest.
Hmmm. "Current policy" is subject to change as new technology and tactics are developed. This "current policy" certainly did not take into account whatever survivability measures have been included in the KC-46. How effective are those survivability measures? I have no idea. And neither does anyone else on this forum. Consequently no one here has any idea what is and what is not "inviting disaster" with regard to how the KC-46 is employed. For all anyone knows, the KC-46 has a Klingon cloaking device aboard. ;-)