Airbus Conducts Automated Air-To-Air Refueling Operation

Airbus announced on Friday that it has successfully conducted the first-ever fully automated air-to-air refueling (A3R) operation with a boom system. According to the company, its A3R system was flight tested earlier in the year using an Airbus tanker with a Portuguese air force F-16 acting as a receiver. A total of 45 flight test hours and 120 dry contacts were logged during the test campaign.

“Once the system is activated by the ARO [air refueling operator], the A3R flies the boom automatically and keeps the alignment between the boom tip and the receiver receptacle with an accuracy of a couple of centimeters,” said Airbus. “The proper alignment and the receiver stability is checked in real-time to keep a safe distance between the boom and the receiver and also to determine the optimum moment to extend the telescopic beam to achieve the connection with the receiver.”

Airbus says its goal for the A3R system was to “develop technologies that will reach fully autonomous capabilities.” The system, which was designed to reduce air refueling operator workload, improve safety and optimize the rate of air-to-air refueling transfer in operational conditions, does not require additional equipment on the receiver aircraft. Certification testing is expected to begin in 2021.