{"id":30487,"date":"2015-02-25T16:01:14","date_gmt":"2015-02-25T16:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2015\/02\/25\/raaf-tanker-to-be-fully-operational-this-year\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:32:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:32:02","slug":"raaf-tanker-to-be-fully-operational-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/avalon\/2015\/02\/25\/raaf-tanker-to-be-fully-operational-this-year\/","title":{"rendered":"RAAF Tanker To Be Fully Operational This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VICTORIA, Australia \u2014 The Airbus KC-30A multirole tanker transport (MRTT) is on track to achieve final operating capability this year with the Royal Australian Air Force, according to Air Commodore Warren McDonald, air mobility group commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The RAAF has five KC-30As, including one currently deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Okra, the RAAF&#8217;s contribution to coalition air strikes against Islamic State group targets in Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to reporters at the 2015 Australian International Air Show at Avalon Airport, <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Air Commodore <\/span>McDonald said <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">that <\/span>the KC-30A program was behind schedule, <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">significantly late, <\/span>but operational use has seen it become the tanker of choice for hose and drogue refueling in-theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"background: #ffffff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/avalon\/\" title=\"http:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/avalon\/\">For full coverage of the 2015 Australian International Air Show, visit the Defense News Avalon Show Daily<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The KC-30A is a step change in capability for our Air Force,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But we should have taken it out of transition and put it into operations a bit earlier. There are times when you have to step out front and make it happen.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The KC-30A program is <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">currently <\/span>on the Australian government&#8217;s Projects of Concern list, despite its demonstrated maturity in Iraq. Operational test and evaluation of the aircraft&#8217;s fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom system <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">(ARBS) <\/span>is due to be carried out through 2015, ahead of final operating capability. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">FOC later in the year.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Air Commodore <\/span>McDonald said that an airworthiness board meeting in March was expected to issue a special flight permit to <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">which will <\/span>allow RAAF operational clearance of the boom to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initial focus will be on clearance of the KC-30A as a receiver and will be followed by trials with the RAAFs Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">AEW&amp;C<\/span> platform. Discussions will also be held with the Republic of Singapore Air Force in early March, with a view to clearing the boom to operate with Singapore&#8217;s <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">RSAF <\/span>Boeing F-15SG Eagles and Lockheed Martin F-16C\/D Fighting Falcons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Testing will also be carried out with the Lockheed Martin F-35A at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elsewhere, Christian Scherer, executive vice president of <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">In other Airbus MRTT news, <\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">EVP <\/span>marketing and sales, <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Christian Scherer <\/span>said a decision on the South Korean <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Republic of Korea Air Force <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">(<\/span><\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">ROKAF) <\/span>tanker project was expected shortly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The Koreans understand the capability of the aircraft very well,&#8221; he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We expect a decision in the next few months.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scherer said the A330-based MRTT has won eight out of 10<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">ten<\/span> tanker competitions in recent years, losing only in the United States (to the Boeing KC-46A) and Brazil (IAI 767-300).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><span>Email: <\/span><a href=\"mailto:npittaway@defensenews.com\">npittaway@defensenews.com<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Airbus KC-30A multirole tanker transport (MRTT) is on track to achieve final operating capability this year with the Royal Australian Air Force, according to Air Commodore Warren McDonald, air mobility group 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