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NewsTranscript
00:01It's common knowledge that the United States is the strongest military superpower on Earth,
00:06with levels of funding, resources and advanced technologies that no other country can match.
00:12And when discussing the US's superiority, people often focus on the likes of B-2 bombers,
00:17F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, aircraft carriers and state-of-the-art ballistic missiles.
00:23It's this kind of fancy, flashy hardware that tends to make the most headlines.
00:28But there's actually a far less glamorous aircraft that keeps everything else up and running.
00:33An easily overlooked cheat code that makes it possible for America to project power wherever it wants
00:39and carry out the kinds of sustained operations that other forces can only dream of.
00:43The aerial refueling tanker. It doesn't drop bombs or engage in dogfights.
00:49Yet, it's absolutely vital for ensuring that bombing runs and dogfights are possible in the first place.
00:54It's the aircraft that allows all of America's other aircraft, from tactical fighters to strategic bombers,
01:01to keep flying hour after hour, mission after mission.
01:04And the US has more tankers than the rest of the world combined.
01:08According to the latest data from Global Firepower, the United States Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy
01:14collectively operate around 610 tankers. No other country comes close.
01:19In fact, the next highest total in the rankings belongs to Saudi Arabia, which is just 22 tankers overall.
01:26Then there's Russia with 18, France in fourth place with 15, and Israel with 13 tankers.
01:33China sits down in eighth spot with only nine tankers in total.
01:37That means that the US has around 33 times as many tankers as Russia and around 68 times more than
01:43China.
01:43It doesn't just operate the biggest fleet on Earth.
01:46It has the only fleet that's actually capable of sustaining long-range, large-scale air operations.
01:52And to understand just how advantageous that is, we have to first look at the exact problem that refueling tankers
01:58solve.
01:59When designing military aircraft or choosing between mission loadouts,
02:03teams constantly have to make compromises when it comes to things like weapon systems, fuel, sensors, armor and so on.
02:10Everything has its own weight and takes up a certain amount of space.
02:14So, designers are always trying to find the ideal balance between ensuring a plane has the gear that's needed to
02:19complete the mission,
02:20while also maintaining appropriate amounts of range and maneuverability.
02:24Adding an auto cannon to a tactical fighter may help it in certain combat environments, for example.
02:30But it also makes it heavier, and a heavier plane uses more fuel to take off, accelerate and maintain high
02:36cruising speeds,
02:37so it won't be able to fly quite as far on a full tank of gas.
02:41Of course, there are ways to allow planes to carry more fuel than normal through the use of external drop
02:47tanks, for instance.
02:48But these kinds of add-ons also add weight and may negatively impact maneuverability.
02:53In short, you can't simply fill fighters and other military planes with an infinite amount of fuel.
02:59There are always limits, and even the fastest, most sophisticated aircraft will always have a constrained combat range,
03:05dictated by the total amount of fuel that they can carry.
03:09And range can be a slightly misleading metric.
03:11It tells us how far a plane can fly from its base while still being able to get back safely.
03:16A fighter jet may be able to fly 500 miles in one direction to reach a combat zone, for example,
03:22while still having enough fuel for the return trip.
03:24However, once it arrives at the combat zone, it may only have a very limited window
03:29due to fuel constraints to actually deliver its payload and impact the battlefield.
03:34So, even though its range on paper is 500 miles, it may struggle to actually project power that far away.
03:41Because range isn't quite the same as reach.
03:44When you add tankers into the equation, however, everything changes.
03:48The subtle distinctions between reach and range are no longer quite so relevant,
03:53because with tankers, aircraft can fly much further from base without having to worry about how they're going to get
03:58home.
03:59Pilots can spend far longer in combat zones without having to constantly keep one eye on their fuel gauge.
04:05Bombers and other tactical aircraft can operate at an intercontinental level,
04:09spending literally dozens of hours in the air, undertaking missions and achieving objectives that simply wouldn't be possible in conventional
04:16circumstances.
04:18It's not merely a question of tankers allow planes to go further.
04:21There's so much more to it than that.
04:23They make the impossible possible.
04:26They open up combat opportunities and mission types that simply wouldn't be feasible without them.
04:31And they multiply America's power projection capabilities to unprecedented levels, far ahead of even its strongest rivals.
04:38They also allow the US to exploit another of its most important military advantages,
04:43its tremendous network of military bases and infrastructure dotted across the globe.
04:49Over decades, the US has built a vast web of overseas bases, logistic hubs, airfields and other facilities in the
04:56most strategic locations it can find.
04:58Locations like Guam, South Korea, Greece, Qatar and Diego Garcia, to name but a few.
05:04There are around 750 US military bases in over 80 countries worldwide, to be precise, and each one holds value.
05:12Each one can serve as a stepping stone or springboard that allows US forces to project power and reach any
05:18battlefield anywhere on Earth.
05:21But many of those bases would be anywhere near as valuable as they actually are if tankers didn't exist for
05:27two main reasons.
05:28Firstly, many of these bases fall into the austere category, meaning that they don't necessarily have the best infrastructure.
05:35They might be somewhat stripped down, lacking the vast hangars, lengthy runways and large fuel storage facilities of larger bases.
05:43Aircraft taking off from these bases may have to make deal with fuel tanks that aren't entirely full, which can
05:48help them take off more quickly and safely.
05:50With tankers, that's not a problem. Planes can leave austere bases with half full tanks of gas before getting the
05:57extra fuel they need in mid-air.
05:59The second limitation is that even if the US has a base quite close to a conflict zone, any aircraft
06:05taking off from there will still have a fixed range because of its finite amount of fuel.
06:09Fighters can take off from Guam and head towards Taiwan, for instance, but won't necessarily be able to spend extended
06:16time in the area as they'll have to head back to base before too long.
06:20Again, tankers make this problem a thing of the past since they can keep other aircraft in the air for
06:25longer.
06:26In effect, tankers and bases complement one another. They're both two sides of the same coin, two vital pieces of
06:33the American military puzzle that bring out the best in each other.
06:36And we've seen just how valuable they can be on numerous occasions in the past, including one of America's darkest
06:42periods, the fall of 2001.
06:45After the September 11 terrorist attacks, US tacticians devised an ingenious way to strike back at their enemies and it
06:52was only made possible by the humble aerial tanker.
06:55On October 7, the Spirits of America B-2 bomber left Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
07:00It was loaded up with some of the most powerful bombs known to man and dispatched towards targets on the
07:06other side of the world in Afghanistan.
07:08The B-2 was made with long range flight in mind, but it still needed a steady supply of fuel
07:13to go all that way, achieve its objectives and make it back to base.
07:17Thankfully, a whole host of tankers were waiting to meet it at several strategic sites along its journey.
07:22At the California coast, for example, approximately four hours after taking off, the B-2 encountered its first flying fuel
07:29station.
07:30Travelling across the Pacific, it refuelled once more over Guam, then again over the Strait of Malacca, before receiving one
07:36last top-up at Diego Garcia, before Bering North to finish its flight to Afghanistan.
07:41And in the 24 hours that had already passed while the B-2 was flying, American intelligence agencies had received
07:48fresh data about their targets in Afghanistan.
07:51New orders were sent through to the B-2 crew, and yet another refuelling tanker was dispatched across the Arabian
07:56Sea to assist them.
07:58Targets were found, bombs were dropped, and the B-2 remained fuelled up throughout the entire operation, which lasted a
08:04whopping 44 hours in total, the longest bombing mission ever recorded.
08:08The B-2 took the headlines naturally, but on its own, this impeccably designed aircraft would have been able to
08:15cope.
08:15It was only thanks to the tankers, the unsung heroes of the operation, that the bombing run was a success.
08:21Quick side note, there's more where this came from, so if you're getting value from the military show, don't forget
08:27to subscribe.
08:28Fast forward two decades from the B-2 bombing run in Afghanistan, and we're still seeing evidence of how valuable
08:34aerial tankers are every single year.
08:37Look at Operation Midnight Hammer, for example.
08:40Taking place in the summer of 2025, this operation involved not one, not two, but seven US Air Force B
08:47-2 bombers crossing the Atlantic,
08:49and dropping £30,000 bunker buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities, while an additional fleet of six B-2s swept
08:56across the Pacific to act as a diversion.
08:58The main strike force of seven B-2 bombers had to make an extremely long journey from Whiteman Air Force
09:04Base to Iranian airspace.
09:06But once more, there were plenty of tankers positioned en route, providing those mid-air pit stops the B-2
09:12spirits required.
09:13Thanks to the tankers, the B-2s had no trouble arriving at Iran with plenty of fuel to spare, allowing
09:19their pilots to focus fully on the mission at hand.
09:2114 bombs were dropped on Iranian sites, and 125 aircraft played a part in the broader operation.
09:28That included 52 tankers, almost half of the total strike package.
09:32That shows just how important these planes are, and why it's so important to have so many of them.
09:38If the US only had a handful of refueling tankers in total, like most other military powers around the world,
09:44it would have no chance of pulling off missions like Midnight Hammer.
09:47It's only thanks to this genuine military cheat code that these kinds of operations are possible,
09:52and America is able to enjoy such a massive advantage over its enemies around the world.
09:57Look at the figures again.
09:59China is classed as the second or third strongest military power on the planet, depending on which metrics you pay
10:05attention to.
10:06It's going through a massive military modernization and expansion effort right now, building up one of the biggest navies in
10:12the world,
10:13and enhancing its armed forces on land, in the air, and even in cyberspace as well.
10:18It boasts fancy fifth-generation fighters, an increasingly sizable stockpile of aircraft carriers,
10:24and some of the most sophisticated missile systems known to man.
10:27According to Global Firepower's records, it has over 3,500 aircraft in total, giving it the third largest air force
10:34on Earth.
10:35Yet, it only has nine tankers total.
10:38And that's so much more important than it may seem at first glance,
10:42because you can have thousands of fighters and bombers, and all the latest missiles and smart bombs you want,
10:47but every plane needs power, it needs fuel, and if you don't have tankers to provide it,
10:52then your aerial operations are always going to be constrained by fixed limits that all the munitions in the world
10:57can't break through.
10:58China is at least aware of this, and has taken steps to expand its tanker fleet through the use of
11:03dual-use aircraft and new systems like the Y-20U, which is currently in development.
11:09Some estimates suggest that it may soon have around 35 tankers at its disposal, which would be a notable improvement,
11:15but still a mere fraction of the US fleet.
11:18America's other major enemy on the global stage, Russia, faces a similar fundamental flaw.
11:24It may have thousands of tanks, tens of thousands of armed vehicles, and hundreds of thousands of active-duty personnel
11:30to call on, giving it one of the largest military forces on the planet.
11:34But in this specific metric, which matters so much, it's lagging way behind, with only 18 tankers to its name.
11:41It currently relies exclusively on the 2-78 Midas, to be exact, which allows it to extend the range of
11:48certain aircraft,
11:49and carry out sustained strategic bombing operations beyond its borders.
11:53But Russia faces major issues when it comes to keeping these tankers in the air.
11:57The pressures of sanctions, part shortages, and maintenance issues, mean that the idea of Moscow orchestrating any sort of global
12:04air campaign is little more than a fantasy.
12:07The US faces no such issues, and thanks to the sheer scale of its tanker fleet, plus its massive network
12:13of military bases, it never will.
12:16Even if some tankers ended up grounded or need repairs, there are hundreds more waiting to replace them.
12:21Even if disruptions or infrastructure issues occur in one location, there are plenty more bases and runways for US forces
12:28to rely on.
12:29And unlike Russia, which uses just one type of tanker, the US has a whole host of variants available to
12:35it.
12:36That includes the dual-use search and rescue HC-130, the Marine Corps KC-130J, the iconic KC-135 Strato
12:45tanker, and the next generation KC-46 Pegasus,
12:49which recently took over after the legendary KC-10 extender was officially retired.
12:54US forces have even found ways to repurpose combat aircraft like F-A-18s for buddy refueling, and are currently
13:01developing the autonomous MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned carrier-based tanker that US Navy budget documents now target for full
13:09deployment by 2029.
13:11With such a diverse array of options to call on, the US has carriers for every eventuality, and the newest
13:17models boast various advantages over legacy systems.
13:20The KC-46, for example, is clearly regarded as the tanker for the future.
13:25Over 100 of these planes are already in service, but the US has ordered a total of over 260.
13:30Compared to older models like the KC-135, they come with improved sensors, situational awareness, and self-defense capabilities, allowing
13:39them to survive and operate efficiently, even in the most hostile environments.
13:43So, the US isn't merely resting on its laurels and making do with the tanker fleet it already has.
13:49Even with such a huge head start over its rivals, it continues to push its fleet further, always looking for
13:54ways to modernize and improve it.
13:56And America's advantages don't end there. Since the US is part of the NATO alliance, and has plenty of strong
14:03military partners around the world, it can also rely on its allies to provide additional tankers, as and when required.
14:09France, for example, has 15 tankers, Israel has 13, the UK has 9, and so on.
14:16If and when the US needs them, these tankers can provide supplementary support, extra refueling capacity, and other benefits that
14:23make international and intercontinental combat operations even easier.
14:28The best part? Even with their massive military budgets and resources, countries like China and Russia are unlikely to catch
14:34up with the US in this domain any time soon, if ever.
14:37Because building a tanker fleet isn't just a question of constructing the planes themselves.
14:42Tanker fleets need trained pilots and crews to operate the planes. They need engineers and repair workers who know how
14:48to keep them safe and airborne.
14:50They need specialized parts, equipment, and supply chains. They need logistic networks to provide fuel in sufficient quantities, and entire
14:57systems of infrastructure to keep everything flowing smoothly.
15:01The US already has all that infrastructure. It's built an entire ecosystem around these planes.
15:07So, even if a country like China committed itself to trying to match America's tanker fleet, it would take years
15:13and years of effort to even come close.
15:15Of course, America's tanker advantage has its limitations. It doesn't mean that the US can sustain aerial operations overseas forever,
15:23nor does it mean that the US automatically wins whatever war it enters by default.
15:28There are countless other factors at play, and it does cost a lot of money and resources to keep this
15:33fleet operational, which is worth taking into account.
15:36But the overall value that the tankers provide simply cannot be underestimated.
15:40They allow the US to enjoy a truly unique advantage that no other military can compete with.
15:45They unlock the doors to the wider world, bridging the gaps that allow the likes of F-35s and B
15:51-2 bombers to do what they do best.
15:53And while those kinds of planes tend to get the most attention, since they're the ones that actually engage enemy
15:58forces, eliminate air defenses and bomb military bases,
16:02it's important to remember that so much of what they achieve wouldn't be possible without the tankers.
16:07The tankers are the enablers. They turn range into reach, breaking down barriers to allow the Air Force, Navy and
16:14Marine Corps to make more of the assets at their disposal.
16:17They make it possible for the American military to sustain operations thousands of miles from home and project true power
16:23further than anyone else.
16:25Now you can learn more about the kinds of airborne operations and bombing missions that tankers make possible in this
16:32video,
16:32which looks at how B-2 bombers were recently sent to annihilate military infrastructure,
16:37naval assets and strategic sites across Iran after the ceasefire deal collapsed.
16:42Alternatively, check out this video to learn about how US Marines took an idea from Ukraine
16:47and scaled it up to a ludicrous level to create one of the most exciting and deadly new weapon systems
16:53of the year.
16:53And finally, don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more military content you won't want to miss,
16:59leave a comment sharing your thoughts on the incredible benefits tankers bring
17:02and consider becoming a member of the channel for instant access to exclusive content.
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