The Airbus A330 MRTT has achieved a world first aviation milestone by completing an automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) flight test campaign in night conditions.
Air-to-air refuelling remains one of the most complex missions in aviation. Between May and June this year, a Republic of Singapore Air Force A330 MRTT with the latest A3R system configuration conducted ten flights with Portuguese F-16s and Singapore F-16s, F-15SGs fighters and another Singapore MRTT as the receiver.
During these flights, more than 500 contacts were performed, out of which more than 150 contacts were automatic in night conditions. As part of these night tests, contacts were carried out in different night illumination conditions and receiver external configurations.
This milestone was achieved by following the development of new A3R night operation algorithms and new camera system standards. The new camera system incorporates technology that enables the A3R to operate at night and improves the image quality used by the air-to-air refuelling operator during manual operations.
In April, the A330 MRTT achieved certification from the Spanish certifying authority INTA (National Institute for Aerospace Technology) to perform automatic refuelling during daylight conditions with the F-15 aircraft.
The A330 MRTT is already certified to perform automatic air-to air refuelling operations with the F-16 aircraft and A330 MRTTs.