Airbus’ tanker aircraft, the A330 MRTT, in service in 11 countries, has been certified to automatically refuel aircraft in flight, a first intention to improve safety during often very long missions.
The aircraft, of which 72 have been sold worldwide, notably to France and the UK, is “the first aircraft certified for daytime aerial refueling operations” following a test campaign carried out with the Singapore Air Force, the aircraft’s manufacturer. he said in a statement.
Specifically, using cameras, computer software automatically guides the supply pole to the fighter or transport aircraft and then connects it to deliver 4,500 liters of fuel per minute, explained Jean-Brice Dumont, head of military aircraft at Airbus, during a press conference.
Drone refueling coming soon
At this stage, the device is certified to refuel F-16 aircraft, but it could also do so for the French Rafale or the British Eurofighter if countries decide to equip them with this function. For Airbus, this is a first step towards fully autonomous refueling, noted Sandra Bour-Schaeffer, president of Airbus UpNext, an entity of the aircraft manufacturer responsible for testing advanced technologies.
Therefore, a technology demonstration called Auto’Mate is to investigate means of developing automation on the aircraft to be refueled. Therefore, the technological bricks, involving in particular automated formation flying, must be tested next year until mid-2024 to test the supply of drones. “Auto’Mate will pioneer unmanned aerial refueling operations, a much-requested capability for future defense scenarios,” according to the aircraft manufacturer.
The US Air Force, which plans to open a new competition to acquire an additional 179 refueling aircraft, has indicated that it is interested in further automation for aerial refueling. The development of this technology could be a great asset for Airbus in the face of Boeing’s KC-46, which is racking up problems.
Source: BFM TV
