Along with the RAAF E-7A Wedgetail refueled by an USAF KC-46A Pegasus, the RAAF KC-30 having the ability to refuel F-15s enhances interoperability between Australia and the U.S.
The RAAF (Royal Australian Air Drive) has cleared its KC-30A MRTT aerial tanker to refuel the U.S. Air Drive’s F-15EX Eagle II and F-15E Strike Eagle fighters on the finish of a testing marketing campaign in March 2025 at Eglin AFB, Florida, the service revealed final week. The KC-30A is the Australian designation for the Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Function Tanker Transport).
This shed some mild on the trilateral U.S., British and Australian effort early in April to certify the KC-46A Pegasus to refuel the E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Management) plane at Edwards AFB, California. The Aviationist reported this later that month, following a launch from the 412th Take a look at Wing, noting the E-7A/KC-46A testing helped generate information, confirm compatibility and agency up procedures, earlier than the E-7 turns into operational with the USAF and the RAF (Royal Air Drive).
Each the trials noticed “a whole bunch of refueling contacts” between the Australian and American plane, growing interoperability between the 2 militaries by increasing the listing of plane cleared for air-to-air refueling, the RAAF launch added. The RAAF’s ARDU (Plane Analysis and Improvement Unit) from RAAF Base Williamtown and the USAF’s fortieth Flight Take a look at Squadron (fortieth FLTS) from Eglin AFB had been concerned within the trials.
RAAF KC-30A refuels USAF F-15EX Eagle II
Because the RAAF stated the “two trials occurred over March and April,” it might be assumed that the flights to certify the RAAF KC-30A with the USAF F-15s passed off in March, since, as talked about above, the checks of the RAAF E-7A Wedgetail with the USAF KC-46A had been held in April. Whereas at Eglin AFB, “a RAAF KC-30A multi-role tanker transport plane refueled, for the primary time, a USAF F-15EX Eagle II, and continued refueling testing for the F-15E Strike Eagle variant,” the RAAF assertion stated.
In the identical framing, the discharge then talked about the KC-46A and E-7A trials, specifying that these had been the primary such actions too, noting that “between the 2 trials, a whole bunch of refueling contacts had been made.” The RAAF’s photos, nevertheless, present solely the F-15E Strike Eagle from the fortieth FLTS making contact and flying with the RAAF’s KC-30A, with the increase simply above the Eagle’s AAR receptacle, on its port-side engine consumption.
The F-15EX Eagle II shouldn’t be captured within the flight checks, however is seen in an floor picture below an plane sunshade, as RAAF and USAF personnel work together across the plane. The plane seems to be airframe 20-0001, which was the primary jet rolled out and assigned to the fortieth FLTS at Eglin AFB.
Testing marketing campaign
The RAAF press launch quoted Sqn. Ldr. Alex Barbaro, a flight check engineer, and the brand new RAAF Base Williamtown Flight Commander from ARDU, who served because the Flight Take a look at Lead for the KC-30A and Strike Eagle/Eagle II trial. The joint workforce trialed numerous flight situations to find out the most secure sort of refueling operations. This concerned fixing increase launch, gasoline switch and increase restoration practices suited to every plane’s flight traits, as the brand new plane fly solely a dangerous few meters behind the opposite.
The April RAAF E-7A Wedgetail and the USAF KC-46A Pegasus trials had been described as the primary time “in about ten years” that air-to-air increase receiver testing was carried out with an Australian plane. The final time was in 2015, when the E-7A was licensed with the KC-30A, as per Sqn. Ldr. Owen Hamilton.
Hamilton, the outgoing ARDU chief, added that the testing “leveraged outcomes from earlier air-to-air check campaigns,” with the E-7A being flown “to the very restrict of its efficiency, and to the extremities of the KC-46 increase limits.” This was to establish inadvertent “excessive positions” the operators would possibly discover themselves in.
The big quantities of information collected by the ARDU and the fortieth FLTS from the checks at Eglin and Edwards shall be analyzed and offered to the respective Methods Program Places of work and the US Aerial Refueling Certification Company. “The growth of air-to-air refueling clearances immediately enhances Australia’s interoperability with United States and allied companions and, by advantage, will increase our capacity to ship air energy,” added Hamilton.
Navy and strategic significance
The testing marketing campaign comes because the U.S. Air Drive’s PACAF (Pacific Air Forces) goals to qualitatively improve its presence within the Indo-Pacific, deploying the superior F-15EX and extra F-35A Lightning II jets. The brand new functionality enhances U.S.’s choices for the approaching high-end struggle with an more and more succesful China within the Indo-Pacific.
As a part of the plan, the service is retiring its older 24 South Korea-based A-10s by fiscal yr 2025, assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing (51st FW) throughout the seventh Air Drive, which oversees Korea and the Northwest Pacific. The unit can also be receiving F-16 Combating Falcons upgraded by the Publish Block Integration Crew (PoBIT), transferred from Misawa’s thirty fifth Fighter Wing (thirty fifth FW).
Moreover, on Jul. 12, 2025, two F-15EX Eagle IIs, from the eighty fifth Take a look at and Analysis Squadron at Eglin AFB, arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, accompanied by an F-15E Strike Eagle and an F-16C Combating Falcon of the identical unit. This was to assist Kadena AB, which hosts the forty fourth and 67th Fighter Squadrons below the 18th Wing, to organize for the arrival and future sustainment of the F-15EX.
As a part of a Jul. 3, 2025 DoD modernization plan, the 18th Wing will change the retired 48 Eagles with 36 new F-15EX Eagle IIs. Misawa may also obtain 48 F-35As, beginning in 2026, to switch its F-16s.
American, Australian, Japanese and South Korean navies have not too long ago exercised collectively within the area. The brand new refueling testing now eases the employment of JASDF’s (Japan Air Self-Protection Drive) F-15J and RoKAF’s (Republic of Korea Air Drive) F-15K Slam Eagles along with RAAF KC-30As, along with U.S. plane.
The RAAF operates seven KC-30As assigned to the No. 33 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley. The KC-30A MRTT carries an Superior Refueling Growth on the centerline and two underwing hose-and-drogue methods.
The RAAF’s F/A-18F Tremendous Hornet and E/A-18G Growler use the KC-30A’s hose-and-drogue to refuel. Alternatively, F-35A Lightning II, E-7A Wedgetail, C-17A Globemaster III, P-8A Poseidon, different KC-30As and non-Australian U.S/Allied F-16C, B-2 Spirit and B-1B Lancer are appropriate with the increase.
As an example, RAAF KC-30A was licensed to refuel JASDF Mitsubishi F-2s in an Apr. 2022 testing marketing campaign, with 9 check flights at Komaki Air Base. Each the single-seat F-2A and twin-seat F-2B plane refueled from the Australian KC-30A increase in a wide range of payload and lighting situations.
