In-flight refuelling and the world of the eighties

Extract

The industrialised nations of the free world are generally committed to the preservation of the right of self-determination for the developing nations, the principle of free trade, and the maintenance of peace. In addition, the source of much of the world's raw materials exists within the national boundaries of the developing nations. As these nations seek independence, both economic and political, it is anticipated that many confrontations will occur, some of which will be military, aided and abetted by the Soviet Union and communist-aligned countries. In enlightened self-interest, it is expected that more and more of the free world industrialised nations will participate in assisting these non-aligned nations in the self-determination process by providing supplies or military equipment in a timely fashion as required. If these are reasonable assumptions, it follows that, during the eighties, there will be a need by many nations for airlift capability for which there is no precedent. Today’s airlift systems are not optimised for these conditions.