Aerial refuelling is an increasingly vital capability for military force projection. Airbus-developed technology to automate the in-flight “topping off” of aircraft will revolutionise this process with wider applications for both the defence and civil aviation sectors.
Disruptive technology for fully autonomous in-flight refuelling – designated Auto’Mate – is being developed by the Airbus Defence and Space business unit in collaboration with Airbus UpNext, the company’s wholly-owned innovation subsidiary. Airbus UpNext is also pursuing such cross-division projects as pilot assistance technologies to further enhance flight safety and aircraft operational efficiency, along with new propulsion systems and aircraft design to face sustainability challenges.
Last March, a successful Auto’Mate demonstration using an Airbus testbed tanker aircraft and four unmanned drones marked a major milestone for the autonomous in-flight refuelling capability, which will be followed later this year by an even more ambitious flight campaign.
By automating in-flight refuelling without the need for human intervention, an aerial tanker can take control of a “receiver” aircraft from several kilometres away and autonomously guide and control it into the proper position to receive fuel, followed by the actual fuel transfer via the tanker’s refuelling probe, completed by a safe separation manoeuvre at the operation’s completion.
The in-flight refuelling procedures utilised in March, required demanding and precise coordination between an aerial tanker’s crew and the pilot of the “receiver” aircraft. By applying autonomous technologies, the process will benefit from enhanced safety, reliability and efficiency. Other advantages are the ability to conduct more effective operations – including the transfer of fuel in very-low-visibility conditions, and the reduction of training costs for flight crews.
As importantly, the Auto’Mate technology opens the way for aerial refuelling of non-piloted combat air vehicles such as drones, apart from the technologies reused in remote carriers and “loyal wingman” operations – which are key unmanned elements of Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). Additionally, Auto’Mate could eventually lead to autonomous aerial tankers without a crew aboard.
