{"id":15784,"date":"2019-10-22T14:53:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-22T14:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:31:36","slug":"has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/","title":{"rendered":"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MELBOURNE, Australia \u2014 Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle. The modification, known as boom flight control law, was coded in response to difficulties encountered during flight trials, and the update adds another receiver type to the list of aircraft certified for refueling from the tanker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Airbus told Defense News that the need for a new boom control law came to light during flight trials between an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets. Observers noticed midair refueling between the two aircraft was more difficult than other receivers due to the F-15 receptacle\u2019s asymmetric design and \u201cthe associated aerodynamics effects&#8221; near the receptacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new boom control law on the A330 MRTT provides the boom operator with an improved and smoother way to perform the contact, an Airbus Defence and Space spokesman told Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added that the software modification for the A330 MRTT\u2019s aerial refueling boom system, or ARBS, called Update III Loop 6.1, was certified in 2018 following flight tests between the MRTT and an unidentified operator\u2019s F-15s during the development and certification phases to assess and validate the behavior of the new boom control laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The boom and receptacle method of air-to-air refueling is used on aircraft such as the F-15, Lockheed Martin\u2019s F-16 Fighting Falcon, and Boeing\u2019s B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer, in which a boom operator on board the tanker maneuvers and plugs the refueling boom into a receptacle mounted on the receiver aircraft. The refueling receptacle is usually mounted along the receiver aircraft\u2019s longitudinal centerline, although in some aircraft like the F-15, the receptacle is offset to one side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ROKAF_1st_South_Korean-A330-MRTT-ferry-flight-\u00a9Airbus-Defence-and-Space_sm.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ROKAF_1st_South_Korean-A330-MRTT-ferry-flight-\u00a9Airbus-Defence-and-Space_sm.jpg.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ROKAF_1st_South_Korean-A330-MRTT-ferry-flight-\u00a9Airbus-Defence-and-Space_sm.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ROKAF_1st_South_Korean-A330-MRTT-ferry-flight-\u00a9Airbus-Defence-and-Space_sm.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ROKAF_1st_South_Korean-A330-MRTT-ferry-flight-\u00a9Airbus-Defence-and-Space_sm.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ROKAF_1st_South_Korean-A330-MRTT-ferry-flight-\u00a9Airbus-Defence-and-Space_sm.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ROKAF_1st_South_Korean-A330-MRTT-ferry-flight-\u00a9Airbus-Defence-and-Space_sm.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The first Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport for the Republic of Korea Air Force has landed in South Korea for its acceptance tests. (Airbus Defence and Space)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This refueling method allows higher fuel transfer rates compared to the alternative probe and drogue approach, and the former method is usually used by the U.S. Air Force and larger receiver aircraft with higher onboard fuel capacity. Like many modern tanker aircraft, the MRTT is capable of supporting both refueling methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Why the F-15?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Airbus spokesman did not go into detail about midair refueling difficulties with the F-15. However, an unclassified Republic of Singapore Air Force document seen by Defense News noted that during flight tests with its F-15SG aircraft, the receivers experienced \u201ca left roll tendency was observed in the center and right side of the boom envelope\u201d and that when the boom was disconnected between tanker and receiver, the fighter jet \u201cmay yaw left (up to approximately 2 [degrees]) into the boom as the boom was flying up and away from the receptacle\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The standards-related document also said aircrew \u201cqualitatively assessed that the workload was minimal to moderate and was manageable,\u201d adding that the F-15\u2019s tendency to roll while on the MRTT\u2019s boom meant that it required \u201ca slight constant right aileron and\/or rudder inputs to maintain in position.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This left roll\/yaw phenomenon corresponds with what Defense News previously reported: During refueling trials conducted by an Australian MRTT in 2015 with U.S. Air Force receiver aircraft, the boom at certain flight parameters tended to move too close to and run the risk of contact with the F-15\u2019s canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Singapore\u2019s F-15SGs have received category 3 clearance for refueling from the MRTT, though some restrictions still apply, including that the MRTT ARBS version \u201cmust be or later than Upgrade III Loop 6.1\u201d and the F-15SG \u201cshall not carry stores\u201d on the two forward left weapons stations, known as LC3 and LC6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, MRTT air-to-air refueling operations must only be carried out with the ARBS in F-15 flight control law mode. The MRTT ARBS has two other control laws: \u201clight and \u201cheavy\u201d depending on the weight of the receiver aircraft. These boom control laws are used by modern fly-by-wire refueling booms to improve handling characteristics during the different phases of air-to-air refueling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Category 3 clearance is the highest of three levels between tanker and receiver aircraft, and it is considered a low-risk clearance due to comprehensive compatibility testing between both aircraft, which includes flight testing across a range of performance parameters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>What other countries are affected?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Singaporean document was uploaded to the website of NATO\u2019s Joint Air Power Competence Centre, alongside that of several other coalition and friendly countries such the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and Japan. Such documents are used to facilitate multinational interoperability between tanker and receiver aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of early October, Singapore has received four of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/industry\/2018\/09\/05\/singapore-receives-new-airbus-tankers-to-replace-boeing-aircraft\/\" target=\"_blank\">six A330 MRTTs it has on order<\/a>. Its military operates a fleet of F-15SG multirole fighters used by two Singapore-based squadrons, and the fighter jets participate in U.S.-based training. Saudi Arabia and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/11\/13\/airbus-a330-delivery-brings-dedicated-tanker-capability-to-south-korean-air-force\/\" target=\"_blank\">South Korea also operate<\/a> the A330 MRTT and the F-15, with the former operating both types since 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Airbus describes the Loop 6.1 update as the baseline for all new production aircraft, and it\u2019s likely South Korea and France, which received their first A330 MRTT aircraft after Singapore, will operate tankers with the boom control update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Airbus also says the update is available for MRTT operators upon request, and a spokesperson from Australia\u2019s Defence Department told Defense News that all of its MRTTs, which are locally known as the KC-30A, \u201chave upgraded boom flight control laws (version Loop 5.2 to 6.1), which better accommodate refueling with the F-15 Eagle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia was the first country to operate the MRTT and has carried out extensive refueling trials with other coalition receiver aircraft. In addition to F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, F\/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets, Australia\u2019s MRTTs have also been certified to refuel coalition aircraft such as the U.S. Air Force\u2019s B-1 bomber and the A-10 close-air support plane, the French Rafale fighter jet, and the Indian Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia also wants to add the F-15 to that list. An Australian test pilot told reporters at the Avalon Airshow in Australia this year that there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/avalon\/2019\/03\/07\/australia-continues-to-pursue-coalition-refueling-trials-what-works-and-doesnt-so-far\/\" target=\"_blank\">plans to conduct trials<\/a> with Singapore\u2019s F-15SGs as well as Japanese F-15J and F-2 fighters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":29279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":7,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-air-force"}}},"categories":[7,160,12,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3419],"class_list":["post-15784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air","category-daily-news-roundup","category-industry","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"NZT4XZ35SJGT7MGQFUP2VOHOXE","arc_canonical_url":"\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet? - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-10-22T14:53:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:31:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mike Yeo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mike Yeo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet?\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-10-22T14:53:10+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T21:31:36+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1052,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Air Warfare\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Industry\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet? - Defense News\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-10-22T14:53:10+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T21:31:36+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/22\\\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Air Warfare\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"air\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet?\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Defense News\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet? - Defense News","description":"Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet?","og_description":"Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/","og_site_name":"Defense News","article_published_time":"2019-10-22T14:53:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T21:31:36+00:00","author":"Mike Yeo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mike Yeo","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet?","datePublished":"2019-10-22T14:53:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T21:31:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/"},"wordCount":1052,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Air Warfare","Daily News Roundup","Industry","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/","name":"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet? - Defense News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2019-10-22T14:53:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T21:31:36+00:00","description":"Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/10\/22\/has-airbus-fixed-midair-refueling-problems-with-the-f-15-jet\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Air Warfare","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/","ad_zone":"air"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Has Airbus fixed midair refueling problems with the F-15 jet?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","name":"Defense News","description":"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization","name":"Defense News","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","caption":"Defense News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Defense News","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rsaf_F15SG_428FS_MRTT_boom_001web.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15784"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15790,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15784\/revisions\/15790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15784"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=15784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}