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Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom System performs night contacts with F-16

Written by thomas · Filed Under Defense 

July 9, 2009

thomas

Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) has confirmed its superior night time ability to refuel receivers.
As part of the readiness for A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) qualification, the ARBS, mounted on Airbus Military’s own A310 boom demonstrator, was used recently on a night mission to perform a series of contacts with an F-16AM aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force as a receiver. After approach maneuvers to calibrate illumination, 17 contacts were made between the A310 and the receiver. The ARBS operator performed the refueling operation using the new Airbus Military state of the art Boom Enhanced Vision System featuring laser infrared lighting and high definition digital stereoscopic video system. The ARBS has now accumulated more than 400 contacts with different types of aircraft: F-16, E-3F AWACS, and KC-30A MRTT.
The Airbus Military A330 MRTT is the most capable new generation tanker available today and has recently successfully performed contacts using its new generation hose and drogue refueling pods. The A330 MRTT has also performed as a receiver with the Airbus Military A310 Boom Demonstrator and a French Air Force C-135FR tanker.
Follow on activities will include more contacts with the new hose and drogue refueling pod and the advanced Aerial Refueling Boom System (ARBS), refueling a variety of receivers that will include French, Portuguese and Spanish small and large receiver aircraft. This flight test phase will lead to the completion of military certification, and final qualification with our customer.
The A330 MRTT has been selected by the air forces of Australia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and was chosen last year by the U.S. Air Force for its recapitalization of the service’s aging tanker fleet.

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