Page 60 - Leverage and Learn_Neat

Leverage Allied Investments and Combat Learning Experience in Modernizing the U.S. Military

"It means that we've got some significant experience with this airplane now.”

He added that the clearance process has continued with the F-16s have been added to the planes which KC-
30A has been cleared to support.

“When US F-16s were in the theater we tanked them. We have a thriving boom business in the area.”

He added that the experience with the F-16s is a good way to get ready for their support to F-35s.

"They are tanking Japanese based USAF F-16s as well and are getting ready to do so for the Singapore Air
Force as well.”
As the KC-30A goes through a steady stream of certifications, the USAF personnel involved in certification at
Edwards have now gotten used to how best to certify the software boom system used by the KC-30A.

This meant that the recent B-1 certification program happened quite rapidly as the familiarity with the KC-
30A has increased within the USAF.

KC-30A and B-1 during certification testing at Edwards AFB. Credit Photo: USAF

“We conducted a short certification campaign of 12 flights to get the job done.”

The Aussies are participating in the Coalition Air Refueling Initiative (CARI) as well.
This is a USAF-run program of standardization of tanker operations.

And because the KC-30A is part of a global fleet of Airbus 330MRTT tankers, Aussie certifications are also
certifications for other nation’s 330MRTT tankers as well.

This standardization process for tanking is crucial to shape a global coalition capability to support allied
tankers worldwide, notably as the combat air force is designed to move to needs rather than to simply be
based always at the point of need.

Working with the KC-30A was a first for the USAF for they had not worked with a software driven boom
before.

Second Line of Defense

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