92nd Air Refueling Wing demonstrates strategic deterrence readiness for Titan Fury 24-2

Senior Airman Chase Holst, a fuels distribution operator assigned to the 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, carries a fuel hose to a KC-135 Stratotanker during exercise Titan Fury 24-2 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, March 18, 2024. During the exercise, Airmen demonstrated how Fairchild AFB generates and provides, when directed, specially trained and equipped aircrews to conduct critical air refueling of U.S. Strategic Command-assigned strategic bomber and command and control aircraft. For decades, the KC-135 has been the backbone of Air Mobility Command’s air refueling capabilities around the world because of its ability to extend global reach and project U.S. air power. This exercise demonstrated how the 92nd Air Refueling Wing is engaged, postured and ready with a credible force to assure, deter and defend in an increasingly complex security environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Haiden Morris)

Impacts of Unmanned, Automated Platforms for Logistics Under Attack

Published May 9, 2026
By SAF/IEN

Explore the impact of using autonomous unmanned platforms to augment intra-theater airlift missions requirements in a Logistics Under Attack scenario. What are the minimum operational requirements for these platforms (range, speed, payload, etc)? Which type of platforms are most suitable (electric, conventional, hybrid, etc), and what are the logistics and sustainment requirements?

Alexander, Maj. Jon Ryan, "The 8,000 Mile Miracle, and Why We Can't Count on It Next Time," ACSC AO 2025.
- Alexander tackles this question by advocating for the integration of autonomous evacuation capabilities to sustain the medical lifeline when deploying conventional airlift becomes too dangerous. In an A2/AD environment where senior leaders will be hesitant to risk low-density, high-demand mobility assets like C-17s and their crews, Alexander notes that the Air Force could augment intra-theater logistics and evacuation by utilizing unmanned systems like the autonomous Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk or the Shield AI X-Bat. He concludes that adopting these unmanned platforms would allow the military to extract casualties across vast distances without exposing pilots and specialized medical crews to extreme enemy fire, thereby preserving both human life and critical mobility assets.
Blackmun, Maj. Ross W., "Jack of All Trades: Expanding the Mission of the Combat King II," AFGC thesis, 2025.
- Blackmun answers this by analyzing the utility of the Silent Arrow CLS-300 drone and developing Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft for operations in contested environments. He outlines specific operational requirements, noting that while current eVTOLs fall short of replacing traditional helicopters, a palletized, autonomous single-seat eVTOL with a 200 nautical mile range would be sufficient to move isolated personnel closer to friendly forces, thereby significantly shortening subsequent recovery missions. Similarly, he explains that the Silent Arrow drone is capable of carrying a 1,000-pound payload up to 300 nautical miles, allowing the HC-130J to conduct stand-off resupply drops for ground forces or isolated personnel deep inside an adversary's Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) network without exposing the manned delivery aircraft to small arms or radar threats.
Palmer, Maj. Kyle, "Autonomous IFCs: Artificial Intelligence and Intermediate Force Capabilities," ACSC elective paper (Intermediate Force Capabilities), 2023, 14 pgs.