The idea of saving take-off weight by launching short of fuel creates another sortie that must be generated, positioned, and protected. Every strike aircraft then waits on a tanker before proceeding, lengthening the launch cycle and adding a point of failure. The speakers instead describe buddy refuelling as a way to give an assembled package extra reach once airborne. The lesson is that an apparently simple aircraft-weight solution can move the burden into deck tempo, tanker availability, and mission coordination.
Notable Point · 3:48:15-3:48:51
Why carriers should not launch every strike aircraft short of fuel
Launching under-fuelled aircraft and topping them off immediately adds tanker demand and slows strike generation, so buddy stores are better used to extend a package.