For example, the 10, 000 mile range of the B-2 (with one refueling) allows it to execute missions worldwide from just three strategically located bases.
That intelligence helped mechanics know how the car was performing and allowed them to plan better for the maintenance they'd do when it stopped for refueling.
Finally, there are some real costs that the rental companies are passing on: Airports charge high rents to tenants like car rental agencies, so the cost of maintaining a special area for refueling is somewhat higher than it is for a typical highway gas station.
The United States has also stepped up its involvement in the conflict by conducting aerial refueling missions on top of the intelligence and airlift support it was already providing.
"It's not our long-term solution because of the competition with feed, and fuel competition, but it is prompting us to put into place a refueling infrastructure that could be used with cellulosic ethanol, " made from other types of plant material such as timber waste or switch grass.