Page 62 - Leverage and Learn

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

Air Commodore Lennon saw other potential impacts on operations as well from having an automatic boom.

“If it can anticipate and react to movements of the receiver aircraft faster than the boom operator can, then
you end up with faster contacts. You also potentially end up with more consistent contacts when the turbulence
level increases, in cloud or when night falls.”

We then discussed the partnership with Airbus through which the RAAF is working the new capabilities for the
now fully operational KC-30A baseline aircraft or Tanker 1.0.
Air Commodore Lennon felt that “the agreement signed at Avalon represents a significant maturing of the
relationship with Airbus.

"It was interesting that we declared final operating capability for KC-30A at Avalon and then within five
minutes we were signing a cooperative agreement to take the capabilities of the tanker to the next level.”

Both Lennon and Williams saw the maturation of the relationship with Airbus as critical when moving towards
Tanker 2.0.

"I think they've definitely turned a corner in terms of maturity. They are not just trying to sell airplanes
anymore but operating as a global fleet steward.

"They are offering us a menu of choices for how we might modify the aircraft going forward, rather than
selling us a single solution.”

We then returned to a topic which I had discussed with the Group Captain last August, namely the
advantages of the pairing of the C-17 with the KC-30A.

The Aussies given the vast areas they cover use their tanker as a fully loaded fuel asset and given its
significant fuel load maximises the number of receivers that can be deployed over long distances.
This means though that they want to fly with a C-17 to carry the kit, people and support equipment that is
displaced by fuel on the KC-30.

Hence the importance of the pairing.

According to Williams there are two clear recent examples of how this works.

“We brought F-35s and Growlers to the Avalon air show and we did so by supporting them with a KC-30A
and C-17 pairing. For long range operations, the pairing works very well for us.”

In contrast, for operations within Australia the tanker can be used not only to fuel but to lift personnel and
cargo as well in many operational settings.

Editor’s Note: in December 6, 2016 story published by the USAF 88th Wing, the CARI validation process
with the KC-30A and the B-1 was described.
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Officials in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s
Tanker Directorate, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base recently announced the successful
completion of refueling tests between the Australian Air Force’s KC-30 and the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B as part of
the Coalition Aerial Refueling Initiative (CARI).

Second Line of Defense

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