New Air Refueling System Gives Israel Capacity For Strike On Iran

World Tribune ^ | May 11, 2010

[Tommyjo]

Israeli Boeing 707 tanker fleet. There is now an eigth 707 in service since I compiled the following list.

Serial 140

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-329/1036674/L/

Serial 248

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-331C(KC)/1100059/L/

Serial 250

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-331C(KC)/1364441/L/

Serial 260

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-3J6B(KC)/1493473/L/

Serial 264

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-3J6C(KC)/1456652/L/

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-3J6C/1240844/L/

Serial 275

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-3P1C(KC)/1215110/L/

Serial 290

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Israel-—Air/Boeing-707-3W6C(KC)/1179421/L/

[Tommyjo]

The article is probably referring to an external fuel tank fitted with a retractable re-fuelling probe. This was trialled in Israel in the 1990s. Note inset of Israeli test C-130 with Israeli F-16. The F-16 is equipped with a probe on the external tank to allow probe and drogue refuelling. The Israelis also announced in 1999 that that F-15s could refuel F-16s with a buddy-buddy system.

http://www.f-16.net/news_article479.html

[taildragger]

Tommy, I am a bit off, I need to re-research it.

Go here, I need to find the exact link, but this eludes to it, IAI did some work for the Brits...

http://www.f-111.net/CarloKopp/aar-expand-2.html

[Tommyjo]

You are mixing up the Royal Australian Air Force with the Royal Air Force. Snippet from link you supplied. RAAF stands for ‘Royal Australian Air Force’. The ‘Royal’ is purely symbolic via the Commonwealth. Australia is an independent nation and the UK does not have any say in Australian defense matters.

‘The AAR hardware installation is based upon a design produced by the Bedek Division of Israel Aircraft Industries for the Israeli Defence Force, which has several tanker aircraft in service. The system design had some detail changes to meet the RAAF’s engineering requirements. Most of the hardware was sourced in the US and UK, with remaining components supplied as upgrade kits by IAI. The Mk.32B refuelling pods were manufactured and supplied by Flight Refuelling Ltd in the UK.’

[Tommyjo]

Here is some history on the Royal Air Force use of jet aircraft in the tanker role. The UK only used the probe and drogue method. The same method as the US Navy.

Copy and paste if the links are not clickable.

Vickers Valiant.

http://www.214squadron.org.uk/History_the_valiant_years.htm

Later on the Victor and Vulcan were utilised as tankers.

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/history.php

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/vulcan/history.html

Later on the VC-10 took on the role as dedicated tanker/transport.

http://www.vc10.net/History/RAFVC10s.html

During the 1980s the RAF purchased ex-airline Lockheed L1011 TriStar for use as tanker/transport.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/tristar.cfm

The RAF C-130 Hercules tankers were withdrawn leaving the Tristar and VC-10 s the only tankers in RAF service.

Absolutely nothing to do with Israel. All that Israel has done was copy and follow the lead of users of the flying boom and hose drogue units.