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| Aerial
Refuelling and Air Lift Capabilities |
 Above/below: Rollout of the RAAF KC-30/A330-200MRTT prototype 12th June, 2007 (EADS photo)  |
| 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. |
| AAR
and Air Lift Articles |
| Australian Aviation - May 1985 - Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey |
| Australian
Aviation - May
1990 - The RAAF Tanker Program (Boeing 707-338C) |
| Australian Aviation - May 1990 - Air-Air Refuelling - A Perspective View |
| Australian Aviation - April/May 2000 - Expanding the Tanker Fleet Part 1, 2, Mirror@F-111.net, Part 2 (PDF) |
| Australian
Aviation -
March 2004 - RAAF Aerial Refuelling
-
Where to Next? |
| Australian
Aviation - June
2004 - The Tanker
Gap Remains |
| RAAF APSC Working Paper 82, A Strategic Tanker/Transport Force for the ADF |
| Air Power
International
- March 2000 / February 2001 - Strategic
Tanker Transports for Australia (Part
2 PDF) |
| Discussion
Paper - January 2002 - Aerial
Refuelling for the ADF: Strategic, Operational and Technical Issues |
| Defence Today - February
2005
- Strategic Air Mobility
for the ADF |
| Brian Cooper - ADA Defender - Autumn 2004 - May the force be with you: Maximising the ADF's strategic air mobility |
| Peter A Goon
- April/July 2000 - Project Tango Charlie Caribou Upgrade - Briefing - Precis
of Benefits |
| Carlo Kopp and Brian Cooper - KC-33A: Closing the Aerial Refuelling and Strategic Air Mobility Gaps |
| David Churchus - ADA Defender - January 2002 - AIR 5190 - The Perennial Lightweight Project |
| Abraham
Gubler - Defence Today - May 2005
- Replacing the Caribou: Mission
Impossible |
| John Armstrong - Defence Today - July 2005 - Replacing the Caribou: the Tango Charlie Option |
| The Parliamentary Debate [Click for more ...] |
| Related
Links [Click for more ...] |
 Flight Testing of the
EADS ARBS boom on an A310 airframe (EADS photo)
|
 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).
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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. |
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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).
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Global Airtanker Service MDC KDC-10 tanker at Farnborough (Courtesy of Global Airtanker Service) |
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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) |
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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). |
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The venerable Caribou remains in use as the light tactical airlift element of the RAAF. 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 photo). |
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Turbo Caribou
prototype in flight off the New Jersey coast. Note the five bladed
Hartzell propellers (Pen Turbo photo).
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