The U.S. Transportation Command and the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation organization have partnered to determine the number of airlift, tanker and sealift platforms needed to support combatant command missions.The Mobility Capabilities and Requirements Study, mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2018, aims to identify fleet requirements necessary to address the National Defense Strategy, Transcom said March 29.
Gen. Darren McDew, commander of Transcom, told House Armed Services committee members at a hearing that there are potential gaps between the needs and capacities for air refueling and organic sealift.
“The combination of an aging fleet, increasing demand and global tanker distribution puts a significant strain on this scarce national resource,†McDew added.
Transcom aims to complete the MCRS-18 study this fall.
