A Royal Australia Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport has completed successful refuelling trials with the F-35A Lightning II, better known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Operating from Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert, the RAAF KC-30A flew 12 sorties with a United States Air Force F-35A from 23 September to 26 October. Using the 18-metre-long Advanced Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) mounted on the tail of the KC-30A, the RAAF crew made a total of 479 ‘dry’ and 24 ‘wet’ contacts with the refuelling receptacle on the F-35A, and transferred more than 95 tonnes of fuel over the course of the trial. These flights will enable RAAF KC-30As to refuel Australian and foreign F-35As alike. Air-to-air refuelling is an important ‘force multiplier’ for the F-35A fleet, considerably boosting the aircraft's range and endurance, or allowing them to carry bigger payloads. A single KC-30A can carry a fuel load of more than 100 tonnes and remain 1800 kilometres from its home base with 50 tonnes of fuel available for offload, for four hours. Throughout the trials at Edwards Air Force Base, the KC-30A was operated by personnel from No. 33 Squadron. A flight test team from the RAAF’s Aircraft Research and Development Unit, supported by flight test instrumentation engineers from the Aerospace Systems Engineering Squadron, was integrated within the USAF Test Centre to work on a dynamic test program.

Imagery provided by Lockheed Martin.