& USAF's Airbus A330 MRTT* Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) for receptacle-equipped receiver aircraft.
* Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle System Installation (UARRSI) for self-refuelling.
* Cobham 905E under-wing refuelling pods for probe-equipped receiver aircraft.
* Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) for probe-equipped receiver aircraft
Royal Australian Air Force A330 MRTT (locally known as KC-30A) lowering its advanced Airbus Military boom mast.Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS)
The ARBS has been designed by Airbus Military to refuel receptacle-equipped receivers such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-35A Lighting II or the A330 MRTT itself (when equipped with an UARRSI).
Located underneath the rear fuselage of the tanker aircraft, the boom mast is remotely controlled from an Air Refuelling Console in the flight deck, where an Air Refuelling Operator uses an advanced technology 2D/3D high definition/digital Enhanced Vision System. Adverse weather, day or night refuelling can be performed, thanks to its stereoscopic vision and laser based infrared lighting systems. This gives safer operation and a reduced workload for the Air Refuelling Operator, while enabling the tanker crew to be located together in the flight deck.
The ARBS is equipped with an all electrical, full fly-by-wire flight control system. It is provided with an automatic load alleviation system, and has autonomous disconnect for the receiver and the tanker, and has been designed under the dual redundant architecture (fail operational, fail safe). Secure communication is possible though the boom. The boom mast and equipment require on-condition maintenance only.
The ARBS boom design provides a geometrical envelope three times larger than that of the KC-135 facilitating safer contacts and refuelling operations.
The ARBS is a Flight Proven and Mature System as More than 1035 Contacts have been Made with Various Receivers (F-16, E-3F AWACS and KC-30A) up to September 2010.
The fuel flow rate of the ARBS is up to 1200 US gal/min (4600 l/min) at 50 psig, making it the most capable new generation flight proven boom available today. This High Rate of Fuel Transfer Greatly Reduces the Refuelling Operation Time.
A330 MRTT being refuelled by a C-135FR tanker aircraft through its UARRSI.Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI)
The aircraft can be equipped with a Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI), compatible with boom nozzles complying with US/NATO standards which further increases its interoperability.
The UARRSI allows the A330 MRTT to be refuelled from tankers equipped with a boom system at the high fuel flow rate of 1200 US gal/min (4600 l/min) at 50 psig.
The UARRSI is a flight proven and mature system as more than 390 contacts have been made with various tankers (A310 Boom Demonstrator, C-135FR and KC-30A) up to September 2010.
To perform night and adverse weather operations, the receptacle is illuminated and markings located around the refuelling receptacle are provided.
Location of the fuel tanks on the A330 MRTT which are the same as for the A330-200.Fuel Systems
The 111 000 kg (245 000 lb) fuel capacity of the A330 MRTT enables the aircraft to perform its AAR Mission without any additional fuel tank.
The fuel is carried in six tanks each formed as an integral part of the standard A330-200 structure:
* An inner and outer tank in each wing
* A tank in the wing centre section
* A trim tank in the horizontal stabilizer
There is an optional capability available for the A330 MRTT to carry two types of fuel so that it can refuel aircraft using different fuel types during the same mission.
The A330 wing is large enough to hold all the fuel needed to make the A330 MRTT a high performing tanker without impairing the fuselage capacity to carry passengers and/or cargo.
Photomontage of a RAF A330 FSTA refuelling a RAF A400M through its Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU).Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit
The Cobham 805E FRU is a Removable hose and drogue unit Mounted in the Rear Fuselage of the Aircraft. It is based on the modular architecture of the 905E wing pod which greatly facilitates training and maintenance.
The Fuselage Refuelling Unit can Refuel Large Aircraft with the Probe-and-Drogue System such as the Airbus Military A400M.
The FRU is controlled from the Air Refuelling Console located in the flight deck.
It can also refuel receivers with a different fuel type which would allow refuelling receivers with NATO fuel type on wing pods and receivers with alternative fuel type from the FRU.
Bloody Hell... look at the size difference between the KC135 and A330 MRTT....Juggi G wrote:
Royal Australian Air Force A330 MRTT (locally known as KC-30A) refuelling simultaneously two Spanish F/A-18A+ Hornets through its Cobham 905E under-wing hose and drogue pods.Cobham 905E Under-Wing Pods
The 905E under-wing air refuelling pod is based on the highly successful Cobham 900 series of refuelling systems, already qualified to refuel NATO and allied probe-equipped receivers such as the Eurofighter, F/A-18 Hornet or Sukhoi 30.
The 900 series wing pods incorporate a digitally controlled, electrically operated hose drum unit and benefit from the heritage of the inventor of hose and drogue refuelling system.
The wing pods are controlled from the Air Refuelling Console located in the flight deck.
The 905E under-wing pod is a flight proven and mature system as more than 245 contacts have been made with F/A-18 Hornet fighters up to September 2010. The system has been certified for daylight operations in May 2010.
The pair of under-wing pods allows simultaneous hose and drogue refuelling at a wide range of speeds.
If a brand new Indian Air Force (IAF) proposal is approved by the Ministry of Defence, the Nyoma advanced landing ground in Ladakh -- and a whisper from the Chinese border -- will be transformed into a major air force station, capable of operating anything the IAF may choose to deploy there -- fighters, transports or helicopters. The government is examining an IAF proposal, though there are no indications on when a decision will be made to begin work.
In September last year, the Indian Air Force landed an An-32 (photo) at Nyoma, for the first time in decades. In June this year, Indian Defence Minister AK Antony was flown to Nyoma to inspect the site. Plans to similarly develop the Fukche strip -- south-east of Nyoma -- have been dropped for now as a result of runway length limitations and swampy water pockets that flank the strip.
Air Marshal NAK Browne, Commander of the IAF's Western Air Command indicated that the IAF's newer generation Fighters -- He Specifically Flagged the Su-30MKI -- could be Based at Nyoma if Necessary.
He said the MKI had been Specifically Developed for High-Altitude Deployments and Operations.
it can hang around for hours and hours feeding recovering a/c and sending themDefence experts are unanimous that fighter aircraft support can make the difference between victory and defeat in high altitude battlefields, but not everyone believes fighters should be placed so close to the border, vulnerable to enemy attack.
Air Commodore Jasjit Singh who heads the Centre for Air Power Studies, the IAF’s think tank, says, “While there is no denying the utility of aerial resupply and close air support, fighter aircraft should be based a safe distance away from the border. India has mid-air refuelling aircraft, which can extend the fighters’ operating ranges.”
While Nyoma was initially activated, in mid-2009, as a transport airfield to which troops and equipment could be quickly airlifted in a border crisis, the August floods in Leh, which submerged the airfield, led the IAF to conclude that an alternative to Leh was essential. Says Air Marshal Browne, “We need more options in that area if Leh is shut down because of landslides and floods… Besides, the (northern Ladakh) airfields of Leh and Thoise often get shut down because of (bad weather caused by) western disturbances. The weather pattern is far easier for us around Nyoma.”
Before settling on Nyoma, the IAF has evaluated several other potential air bases in Ladakh. But Daulat Beg Oldi was too high (16,200 feet); Chushul was too close to the border; and Fukche could not have its runway extended because of water bodies at both ends.
My thoughts exactly.smpratik wrote:IAF can kick out the Il-78 by tweaking the requirements in RFP, they should just add the requirement of "boom" on the aircraft to refuel the P-8I's and the C-17's.
True.. But do they require to be refueled in air at all??? I mean they have enough range with internal fuel to cover the entire length of the country on internal fuel alone, with full payload... I mean its useful if you have an expeditionary role but i don't think they'll be earmarked for that kind of roles....smpratik wrote:IAF can kick out the Il-78 by tweaking the requirements in RFP, they should just add the requirement of "boom" on the aircraft to refuel the P-8I's and the C-17's.
Airbus A330 MRTTcivilian conversion cargo ac have large side doors. none have nose section opening upwards to my knowledge. side doors do
need a X type lifting truck or moving belt to load up pallets...not very expensive..all commercial airports have it.
yes it would indeed make sense to have some removeable fuel tanks/bladders down in the cargo hold to increase
the time on station and fuel capacity.
..
Giving a new dimension to defence ties, Russia signed a pact with India early september to jointly produce and design multi-purpose transport aircraft. It’s a flying machine that will stretch limits of aeronautical engineering. With a payload capacity of 20 tons and speed of 810 km per hour, the multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) is set to be another milestone in decades-old India-Russia defence relationship that is evolving from a buyer-seller to co-developers of cutting-edge military equipments.
The project has been on the drawing board for quite some time, but it took wings early September when India and Russia inked an agreement to form a $600 million joint enterprise for designing and producing MTA. This plane will first appear in the Air Forces of India and Russia.
The aircraft, which may serve various functions, including that of a fairly economical civilian cargo plane, will be developed by a joint Indo-Russian team of engineers. The first flight of the aircraft is expected to take place within six years. The shareholders' agreement for setting up the joint enterprise include: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) with 50 per cent ownership; the Russian concern OAK-Transportnye Samolety with 25 per cent; and Rosoboroneksport with 25 per cent. The joint enterprise, to be called MTA Limited, will be registered in India within the next two months. A branch of MTA Limited will be registered in Russia. On the Russian side, the airplane’s de- sign will be managed by specialists from Ilyushin, maker of one of the 20th century’s best transport planes, the Il-76.
According to The Voice of Russia radio, the aircraft would be developed at Aviastar-SP plant based in Ulyanovsk city on Volga. The Indian Air Force is expected to order at least 35 and Russian Air Force as many as 100 medium lift transport aircrafts. MTA can be used to transport army sub-units to evacuate the wounded, including civilians, in case of a natural disaster, and to transport military technology and cargos stowed in special containers. Going by the record of multi- faceted Russian military- technical cooperation, the ambitious MTA project is set to be a success.
Its not possible to rule out air to air refueling on any type of aircraft. Demands on Indian Navy is ever increasing, it not only has tasks of protecting Indian shores but also of other small countries in the Arabian-IOR. Vessels are slow, a P-8I can help track enemy movements near africa and horn of africa only with mid air refueling. Also the C-17's could need mid-air refueling while travelling vast distances to participate in exercises.Bala Vignesh wrote:True.. But do they require to be refueled in air at all??? I mean they have enough range with internal fuel to cover the entire length of the country on internal fuel alone, with full payload... I mean its useful if you have an expeditionary role but i don't think they'll be earmarked for that kind of roles....
JMO...
The deal never got materialized because India wanted to 'lease the planes' and Russia wanted an outright 'sale of the same.Bala Vignesh wrote:I remember that we had negotiated a possible lease for 4-6 Tu-22M's... The Wiki says that the lease was actually executed but i am not sure on how authentic that fact is...
But AFAIK we were never interested in buying/leasing the Tu-160...
With air mishaps dogging its fleet, the IAF will buy a Search and Rescue System (SRS) for post-crash recovery of crew, aircraft and helicopters, be it during war or peace.
"The Defence Ministry intends to procure SRS for carrying out secure rescue of aircrew and aircraft during combat as well as peace time for which a Request for Information has been issued," a senior IAF officer told PTI here today.
"The IAF intends to employ the equipment for recovering downed aircrew and aircraft. The system being bought will be put to use by IAF for over 20 years," the officer said.
On an average, the IAF suffers about 10 air crashes a year involving its fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters. It had recorded 14 mishaps in 2009, including two Sukhoi fighter jet crashes. This year, it has already had over half-a-dozen mishaps, including three MiG-27 crashes.
The light weight SRS would consist of personal rescue beacons, emergency locator transmitters, automatic locator transmitter and programming units based on 406 MHz frequency.
"SRS is an equipment that can be carried on person by fighter and helicopter crew flight jackets, be fitted on airframe of various transport aircraft and helicopters, be these slow prop or fast jets," the officer said.
The IAF was looking at an equipment with operational capabilities to undertake missions at altitudes between less than 1,000 feet to 60,000 feet at speed of 90 to 600 knots.
The SRS would get automatically or manually activated by pilots or once it came in contact with saline water, transmitting distress data through satellites using 406 MHz frequency and position data using GPS signals.
"It must be light weight and be capable of single-hand operations. Its must be programmable at frequencies including 406 MHz with encryption codes and have built-in GPS with capability to transmit position data and also usable as normal GPS with map display for aircrew," the officer said, giving details of what the IAF was looking for in SRS.
"It must be capable of transmission on being interrogated by airborne stations with matching codes, have lighting on the sensors. It can be carried in flying jacket (NATO standards) as well as in survival pack as a single unit," he added.
With rechargeable maintenance-free batteries capable of minimum of 72 hours operations in standby mode, the system would provide pilots the facility for voice communication with a talk time of one hour with rechargeable solar cells.
"The SRS should have a power output of minimum two watts and be capable of satellite communication and ground-to-air range of 200 km," the officer added.
The airborne locator interrogators and automatic locator system on SRS would display ranges, bearings and co-ordinates in latitude and longitude format of the location of distress with a range of 200 km along with a positional accuracy of not less than 100 metres and directional accuracy of not less than 2 degrees.
