Synthetic fuelling

Flight Global ^ | 12/6/2010 | Mike Gerzanics

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

In April 2004 the Australian Defence Forces selected EADS's Airbus A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport as a replacement for its ageing Boeing 707-based aerial tanker aircraft.

Aside from supportability issues, the 707s had only a probe and drogue refuelling capability. Whenever its General Dynamics F-111s needed to air refuel, the Royal Australian Air Force had to rent a tanker with a boom. Several additions to the RAAF fleet, such as the Boeing 737-based Wedgetail, Boeing C-17 and future Lockheed Martin F-35 need a boom-equipped tanker to fully exploit their capabilities.Additionally, inter-operability with allied nations would be enhanced with a dual mode air refuelling capability. The KC-30A, Australian for A330 MRTT, promised to offer both a hose and drogue and boom refuelling capability.

[Yo-Yo]

The Aussies have retired their F-111s just before their first boom is operational.

No matter, the Aussies have also purchased a couple of C-17s which also use boom refueling. This will also allow them to buy the F-35A, which uses boom refueling (but should also have the probe from the -B and -C in my opinion, but doesn’t.)

[Yo-Yo]

Actually, I think it is planned that the F-35A can be purchased with either boom or probe refueling, for those many Air Forces around the world that only use probe and drogue.

I think that the USAF should purchase probe capability in its F-35 and all future fighters. With the KC-135Rs, KC-10As, and whichever aircraft wins the KC-X, the USAF will have hose and drogue capability in almost its entire refueling fleet, and with multipoint probe and drogue refueling you can refuel more aircraft per sortie.