In an inherently dangerous business, the variable risks of survival from catastrophic events can be further compromised by minimizing safety margins in the name of cost. The physical and psychological impact on an individual and consequential risks to the organization are avoidable. Technological solutions in fuel containment science provide increased mission duration while mitigating hazards to aircrew and equipment.

ARNG Aviation Units are not widely sourced with crashworthy extended range fuel systems (CEFs) for its UH-60 and AH-64 fleets until mobilization in support of federal missions. This strategy limits the ability to train on these systems or leverage these capabilities during domestic operations due to a lack of universal resourcing.

Historically, the ARNG has utilized NGREA funding to procure limited quantities of internal auxiliary fuel tank systems (IAFTS) for the UH-60A/L and CH-47 fleets to support domestic operations requirements within their home-States, though sustainment of these systems is not centrally resourced by DA. With the modernization of the ARNG utility fleet to UH-60M/V, these airframes require additional modification (A-Kits) to utilize the existing internal auxiliary fuel tanks.
Additionally, the UH-72 Lakota was not designed with an organic on-board fuel-cell that meets MIL-SPEC requirements for ballistic tolerance and crashworthiness and is consequentially limited in its deployability to non-austere environments.

The ARNG needs additional quantities of crashworthy, ballistically-tolerant fuel systems for its fleet of helicopters to support pre-mobilization training as well as domestic operations within the homeland and must achieve capabilities proportional to the Active-Duty.