The fuselage-mounted hose-and-drogue aerial refueling system to be deployed on the EADS North America KC-45 tanker has successfully transferred fuel to two F/A-18 fighter aircraft — meaning all of the KC-45’s aerial refueling systems have now been proven in flight.
This latest achievement builds on more than 1,500 aerial refueling contacts already completed with the KC-45’s other refueling systems proposed for the U.S. Air Force, which include an advanced aerial refueling boom and wing-mounted hose-and-drogue refueling pods. Dry contacts with the hose-and-drogue fuselage refueling unit (FRU) began in December 2010.
Airbus Military completed the fuel transfers from the FRU on Jan. 21 using the first A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) for the U.K. Royal Air Force, one of four U.S. allies that have selected the tanker over Boeing tankers in four straight competitions. The EADS North America KC-45 is the proposed U.S. Air Force configuration of the A330 MRTT, and is the only tanker offered in the Air Force competition that is flying and refueling today.
