Officials in the Air Force\u2019s mobility enterprise are considering amending rules to allow just two crew members onboard the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers during dangerous missions, raising eyebrows among airmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Air Mobility Command is discussing the option as part of how it may handle war in the Indo-Pacific, where it believes large, slow jets including tankers would be more vulnerable to attack from Chinese anti-aircraft missiles. Shrinking the number of airmen onboard a tanker could help minimize potential troop casualties while still getting combat jets the fuel they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A typical tanker sortie involves a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator. The boom operator can double as a cargo loadmaster on some missions, or nurses and medical technicians can join for aeromedical evacuations.<\/p>\n\n\n\t