Fri, Jun 26, 2009
Five Refueling Aircraft Planned For RAAF
Greg Combet, Australian Minister for Defence Personnel,
Materiel and Science, announced Thursday that the next commercial
Airbus A330-200 aircraft has arrived at Brisbane airport for its
conversion into a multi role tanker transport (KC-30 Tanker) for
use by the Royal Australian Air Force.
This aircraft is being acquired under Project Air 5402. Under
this project five air to air refuelling aircraft are being
purchased from Spanish company EADS CASA (now known as Airbus
Military). This involves the conversion of commercial A330-200
Airbus into military air to air refuellers (KC 30 Tankers).
"The aircraft is the third A330-200 to be delivered from Airbus
for this project and will be the second aircraft to be converted to
a KC-30 tanker by Qantas in Australia," said Mr Combet.
"This is good news for Brisbane and Qantas. The project also
demonstrates the ability of Australian defence industry to engage
in complex military aviation projects."
"The ability to refuel aircraft in the air provides the ADF with
a stronger capability by allowing a fixed number of aircraft to
remain airborne longer, carry more ordnance or fly further than
would otherwise be the case. This will help augment our air combat
capability by extending the range and endurance of our fighters,"
said Mr Combet.
"The KC 30 Tanker will also add to our air-lift capability with
the capacity to carry 270 troops and significant quantities of
stores over significant distances."
"The first (prototype) aircraft has now successfully completed
the second sub-phase of developmental flight testing which is
devoted to boom free flight data gathering and validation of the
KC-30 receiver and tanker flight control laws," he continued. "(The
aircraft) has successfully performed dry contacts as a receiver
with the EADS A310 Boom Demonstrator and a French Air Force C-135
tanker. It has completed its first dry contact using the
new-generation Cobham 905E hose and drogue refuelling pods with a
Spanish Air Force F/A-18 fighter on 28 May 2009."
The second aircraft, which is the first to be converted to a
KC-30 tanker by Qantas in Australia, is progressing well and is
expected to return to Madrid, Spain later this year for completion
of the extensive certification and qualification flight test
program. The A330 delivered this week is currently expected to be
the first aircraft to be accepted from Airbus Military, around
mid-2010, for entry into RAAF service.
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