First Of Four To Be Outfitted By Qantas Defense Services
The second Royal Australian Air
Force’s Multi-Role Tanker/Transport, designated the KC-30B,
has begun its tanker conversion phase in preparation for the
aircraft’s entry into service.
EADS North America tells ANN outfitting of the #2 RAAF KC-30B
started in early June after arriving at the Qantas Australian
Conversion Centre at Brisbane Airport, Australia. It is the first
of four Airbus A330s to be modified to the KC-30B configuration by
Qantas Engineering in Australia.
EADS has established a resident office at the Qantas facilities
where a specialized staff will oversee the conversion.
The KC-30B’s outfitting procedure in Australia -- which
includes the installation of EADS’ advanced Aerial Refueling
Boom System (ARBS), underwing refueling pods and military mission
systems -- is similar to the process planned for the US Air Force's
KC-45 Tankers, should EADS be reawarded the contract.
"The start of in-country tanker conversion on the second Royal
Australian MRTT marks yet another significant milestone in the
KC-30B MRTT program," said John H. Young, Jr., CEO of EADS North
America Tankers – a business unit of EADS North America. "The
advances of this program will directly benefit the US Air Force's
KC-45 Tanker program, particularly with lessons-learned as we
qualify Qantas in the conversion of airframes to fully capable
tankers. The high degree of commonality that the RAAF KC-30B MRTT
shares with the USAF KC-45 Tanker strengthens the US team's
low-risk approach."
The Royal Australian Air Force's KC-30B's use of EADS' advanced
fly-by-wire ARBS and two underwing hose and drogue refueling pods
will enable the Royal Australian Air Force to support its own
fighters, airlifters and AWACS assets, while also offering full
aerial refueling compatibility with other US, NATO and allied
military aircraft.
EADS' all-electric ARBS provides a maximum nominal fuel flow
rate of 1,200 US gallons per minute. A high resolution, panoramic
and 3D-vision surveillance system enables the boom operator to
remotely control boom operations from the cockpit during air-to-air
refueling during daylight or nighttime operations.
The KC-30B and the KC-45 are derived from the Airbus A330
jetliner. To date, more than 940 A330s have been ordered for civil,
military and government customers, and the aircraft's production
rate is increasing to meet a growing international demand.
A total of five KC-30Bs have been ordered by the Royal
Australian Air Force. The first RAAF aircraft already is outfitted
with the full complement of aerial refueling systems, and
successfully completed Phase I flight testing,
as ANN reported last week.