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A RAAF KC-30A tanker transport has refuelled a RAAF E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft on operations for the first time.
The mission over Iraq in support of Coalition operations against Islamic State last week saw the KC-30 use its ARBS (Aerial Refuelling Boom System) to refuel the Wedgetail in the first time a RAAF KC-30 had used its boom on operations.
“Being able to use the KC-30A boom on operations to refuel an aircraft such as the Wedgetail is a force multiplier for Australian air power and Coalition air operations,” Commander of the Australian Air Task Group, Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham, said in a statement.
“Proving this mode of air-to-air refuelling adds to the list of aircraft types that our KC-30A can now support, contributing to another in-demand capability of the coalition air campaign.”
The 17m long ARBS is capable of offloading fuel at a rate of 4,500 litres per minute.
“During this mission we transferred 34,750lb of fuel in about 15 minutes – the equivalent of refuelling 300 family sedans at a rate of less than three seconds per car,” the KC-30’s unnamed air refuelling operator said in the statement.
“We look forward to this becoming a normal part of our operations to assist the Wedgetail’s vital mission of providing airborne early warning, command and control above Iraq and Syria.”
The ARBS boom had a troubled early life – during flight testing a KC-30 bound for the RAAF lost its boom in an incident while refuelling a Portuguese F-16 in January 2011.
But the then Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) announced in March this year that the KC-30 project – AIR 5402 – had been removed from its Projects of Concern list, after an extensive development and testing program resolved issues with the ARBS.
Allan
says:Good to see, The RAAF can finally be more independent of coalition tanker assets when able to call on one of our own. Looks like all the trials and tribulations have been worthwhile. Well done to all involved.
Pontious
says:Good piccy but probably won’t go up on the Boeing website!
Greg Alexander
says:I was the E-7A production engineer, and am now KC-30A Reliability Engineer and am very proud of the efforts of all involved (Defence and Contractor collaboration) and the great work done to enable this capability for the ADF.
TrashHauler
says:Not every day you get a big Airbus and Boeing flying formation together
Daryl
says:Great to see the RAAF with all this nifty new kit.Watched one of the KC30’s flying several oval tracks out over south/central Qld on Monday afternoon on flightradar24.Why do the KC’s us a transponder ,but no other types.Have seen some C-130’s on that website only once.
Peter B
says:Interested to see the figures in the top right hand corner of the first picture. Does this mean it was transferring fuel at the rate of 110 pounds per minute at the time the image was captured?
Paul
says:Nice Tanker & Toaster in Action..