G12:The US Air Force Tanker Program - A Failed Air Force Acquisition Process

When considering Air Force acquisition disasters, most people immediately picture flashy aircraft like the F-35. That's only natural since a total program price tag of $1.5 trillion will be enough to garner headlines, and since these capital ships of the sky also serve at the pointy tip of the spear, they instantly catch the eye of aviation enthusiasts. The more mundane aircraft like transports and tankers suffer from insufficient oversight and attention by comparison. What scrutiny shows, however, is that even the more utilitarian programs aren't immune to the systemic acquisition problems common in the premier programs, such as needlessly complex designs, the costly practice of overlapping development and production, and flawed business models.

Purpose: Learn about the issues plaguing the US Air Force's acquisition of new tankers for its fleet

Facilitator: Craig Korkoian