Close×

Philip Smart | Adelaide


Australia’s Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has removed the KC-30A multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) from its Projects of Concern list after confirming issues with the aircraft’s refuelling boom have been resolved.

The Royal Australian Air Force was the launch customer for the KC-30A, a modified Airbus A330 design equipped with wing-mounted probe and drogue refuelling systems and a “flying boom” refuelling arm under the rear fuselage.

All five Australian KC-30As are now in service.

Issues with its refuelling boom, including the 2011 loss of an early test aircraft’s boom in flight while conducting refuelling exercises off the Spanish coast, have limited the aircraft to providing only probe and drogue refuelling to date.

The RAAF will now start a test program to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) of the Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) during 2015.

The KC-30A MRTT has provided potent battlefield capability for the Australian Defence Force, conducting hose and drogue in-flight refuelling for the RAAF since 2011 and supporting Coalition combat aircraft in Middle East operations.

To date, some 35 Airbus A330 MRTT tanker-transports have been ordered of which 22 have been delivered.

comments powered by Disqus