Airbus announced this Friday (11) an A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) carrying out in-flight refueling of several planes, during the test campaign of the new system, which performs automatic air-to-air refueling, without command from the crew. .
Flight tests started in early 2018 and involved large aircraft, and even an Airbus test aircraft equipped with the Airbus A3R solution with a Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft, acting as a receiver, in 2020 .
And recently Singapore asked for this system to be implemented in its A330 MRTT planes, so Airbus started the certification of the country's Air Force planes and fighters for automatic in-flight refueling.
Singapore aircraft certification saw a total of 88 fully automated dry and wet s and transfers of nearly 30 tonnes of fuel were successfully executed, including the first fully automated operations with other A330 MRTT and F-16D/F- 16D+.
See some of this step-by-step at video below published by Airbus:
The latest test was carried out in collaboration with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Singapore Defense Science and Technology Agency, taking place in Singapore in early 2021. It marked the inaugural participation of an A330 MRTT aircraft from Singapore equipped with A3R acting as a tanker and several RSAF receiver planes, including another A330 MRTT and fighters such as the F-16 and F-15SG.
After successful tests in 2019 and 2020, Airbus already makes the system available on the current production A330 MRTT.
The system makes the in-flight refueling process (REVO in the acronym used in Brazil) fully automated, reducing the workload of the Air Refueling Operator, improving safety levels and optimizing the fuel transfer rate in operational conditions, in order to to maximize air superiority.
As we explained in our series on the Embraer KC-390, normally the 3rd cockpit crew member is attentive to the refueling procedure, and has specific commands in his position for this type of mission. With automation, in the future, the command to refuel another plane can be carried out by the pilots themselves.
See more about how this system works on the KC-390 at video below:
FAB interest in the A330 MRTT
The FAB recently opened a tender to buy two used Airbus A330 aircraft, which will later be converted to the MRTT version. One of the requirements is that the aircraft be a little less than eight years old, that is, manufactured after 2014, in addition to being compatible for future military conversion.
The MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) standard on the A330 aircraft will be implemented on the planes at the Airbus facility in Getafe, Spain. The FAB has not yet disclosed whether it plans to use the A3R capabilities, automatic refueling, on its future A330 MRTT.
If the FAB decides to install A3R capabilities on its aircraft, certification of the A3R using Gripen NG fighters or KC-390 aircraft will be unprecedented in the world.
The conversion of the planes will be covered by another contract. Also in May 2021, the FAB received authorization from the Ministry of Defense to probe the market for two aircraft used for the in-flight refueling mission (REVO).
As the FAB does not operate planes with the launch-receiver system, the A330 will probably be converted to the standard with three refueling points.
In this configuration – the same used by the A330 Voyager KC.3 from RAF – the aircraft is equipped with two Cobhan 905E pods on the wingtips and a rear station with the FRU-805E (Fuselage Refueling Unit) system. The 905E pods transfer 1300 kilograms of fuel per minute, while the FRU transfers 1.800 kilograms per minute.
The new FAB A330s will be based at Galeão Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro, where they will be used by the Corsair Squadron (2nd Squadron of the 2nd Transport Group).
In addition to refueling all types of receiver planes, the three-in-one aircraft is capable of carrying up to 300 people, or can be configured to accommodate up to 40 stretchers for medevac missions.
Text by: Pedro Viana and Gabriel Centeno/Aeroflap
