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Last Updated: Mon Jan 27 11:18:09 UTC 2014






Aerial Refuelling and Air Lift Capabilities


Recapitalising tanker fleets represents a major political and budgetary challenge, yet tankers remain the critical single point of failure enabling capability for modern air power (US DoD).

The RAAF is introducing new aerial refuelling tankers, which  are a necessary prerequisite for the application of modern air power. Unfortunately fleet numbers remain an issue, especially given regional geography, global commitments, and the increasing demand for persistence in combat aircraft, driven by networked operations.

This website will post a selection of relevant articles, submissions and papers.



Aerial Refuelling and Air Lift Topics





Carlo Kopp and Brian Cooper
APA Analyses
APA-2005-02
KC-33A: Closing the Aerial Refuelling and Strategic Air Mobility Gaps
Carlo Kopp Air Power Australia Jul 2007
The PLA-AF's Aerial Refuelling Programs
Carlo Kopp
Discussion Paper
Jan 2002
Aerial Refuelling for the ADF: Strategic, Operational and Technical Issues
Carlo Kopp
RAAF APSC WP82
Mar 2000
A Strategic Tanker/Transport Force for the ADF
Carlo Kopp
Defence Today
Feb 2005
Strategic Air Mobility for the ADF [PDF]
Brian Cooper
ADA Defender
Q2 2004 May the force be with you: Maximising the ADF's strategic air mobility [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Air Power Australia
May 2007
Loaders and Transloaders
Carlo Kopp
Australian Aviation
Jun 2004
The Tanker Gap Remains [PDF]
Carlo Kopp
Australian Aviation Mar 2004
RAAF Aerial Refuelling - Where to Next? [PDF]
Carlo Kopp
Air Power International
Mar-Feb 2001
Strategic Tanker Transports for Australia
Carlo Kopp
Australian Aviation Apr/May 2000 Expanding the Tanker Fleet Part 1, 2
Carlo Kopp
Australian Aviation May 1990 Air-Air Refuelling - A Perspective View
Carlo Kopp
Australian Aviation May 1990 The RAAF Tanker  Program (Boeing 707-338C)
Peter Goon
AFTS Pty Ltd
April/July 2000 Project Tango Charlie Caribou Upgrade - Briefing [PDF]
Peter Goon AFTS Pty Ltd April/July 2000 Project Tango Charlie Caribou Upgrade  - Precis of Benefits [PDF]
John Armstrong Defence Today
July 2005 Replacing the Caribou: the Tango Charlie Option [PDF]
Strike Publications Staff
Defence Today May 2005 Replacing the Caribou: Mission Impossible [PDF]
David Churchus ADA Defender
Jan 2002 AIR 5190 - The Perennial Lightweight Project
Carlo Kopp Air Power Australia Apr 2010 Australian Military Vehicles [Airlift Payloads]
Carlo Kopp
Australian Aviation May 1985 Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey


The Parliamentary Debate [Click for more ...]
Related Links [Click for more ...]



A330-200 MRTT RAAF Rollout

Above/below: Rollout of the RAAF KC-30/A330-200MRTT prototype 12th June, 2007 (EADS photo)





Flight Testing of the EADS ARBS boom on an A310 airframe (EADS photo).



Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker of the Ohio ANG at Avalon (Photo © 1995 - 2010 Carlo Kopp; M645/1000S).







Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker of the  909th ARS, 18th Composite Wing at Kadena AFB (Photo © 1995 - 2010 Carlo Kopp; M645/1000S).







The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III is the latest addition to the RAAF's airlift fleet. These superb aircraft are unfortunately inadequate in numbers to address long term strategic needs (Boeing, US DoD).




C-17A Globemaster III flight deck and relief stations (© 2007, Carlo Kopp).





C-17A Globemaster III handling display (© 2009, Carlo Kopp).



Parametric comparison of tankers - Click for more ...
In terms of fuel offload capacity, the A330-200 is larger than the KC-135R and KC-767-200, but smaller than the KC-10/MD-11 derivatives and the now very affordable used 747-400. The RAAF's new A330-200 will be a respectable medium sized tanker aircraft, but the small number, five aircraft, will not be adequate to support more than a fraction of the RAAF combat fleet at any time.

KC-10A

The Boeing (MDC) KC-10A Extender is based on the DC-10-30 and remains the only heavy tanker in wider use (U.S. Air Force).

GAS KDC-10
Global Airtanker Service MDC KDC-10 tanker at Farnborough (Courtesy of Global Airtanker Service).


KC-747 - Click for more ...
During the late 1970s the 747-100 tanker conversion was developed for the US Air Force ACTA program, in competition with the DC-10-30. Several were built and later exported (Boeing photos).



Boeing OnBoard Loader developed for the 747 freighter series (Boeing).



Australia uses the C-130H and C-130J for intra- and inter-theatre lift roles. The inter-theatre lift role is one where these aircraft cannot compete against larger alternatives (Paul Sadler photos).


RAAF C-130J on static display (© 2009, Carlo Kopp).



DHC Caribou
The venerable Caribou remained in use as the light tactical airlift element of the RAAF for decades. These aircraft remain unmatched in short field and soft field landing and takeoff performance. To date Defence have not responded to industry proposals for a turboprop retrofit (Paul Sadler).


DHC-4 Caribou on static display (© 2009, Carlo Kopp).
Turbo Caribou - Click for more ...
Turbo Caribou prototype in flight off the New Jersey coast. Note the five bladed Hartzell propellers (Pen Turbo photo).







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