Arlington, Virginia, June 15, 2007
Aircraft will fly to the Paris Air Show
The Royal Australian Air Force’s KC-30B Multi-role Tanker/Transport completed its first flight today several weeks ahead of the planned flight test schedule, marking a major milestone in EADS’ development of the world’s most advanced aerial tanker platform. In addition, the aircraft will also make its public debut during next week’s Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport.
The 3-hour flight conducted with the EADS advanced boom installed marks the beginning of in-flight validation testing – ultimately including refueling contacts with a variety of receiver aircraft – prior to the KC-30B’s delivery to the Royal Australian Air Force’s 33 Squadron.
“The successful first flight of the Australian A330 tanker, ahead of schedule, marks another significant milestone in the KC-30B MRTT program, taking this superb aircraft one step closer to its service entry with the Royal Australian Air Force,” said John H. Young, Jr., CEO of EADS North America Tankers – a business unit of EADS North America. “The advances of this program directly benefit the Northrop Grumman KC-30 Tanker that is being offered as a replacement for the U.S. Air Force KC-135.”
The KC-30B is equipped with the EADS fly-by-wire Aerial Refueling Boom System, along with two underwing hose and drogue refueling pods. The advanced centerline boom and underwing pod combination enables the Royal Australian Air Force to support its own fighters, airlifters and AWACS assets, while also offering full aerial refueling compatibility with U.S., NATO and allied military aircraft.
EADS’ all-electric Aerial Refueling Boom System provides highly accurate, reliable in-flight refueling, with a maximum nominal fuel flow rate of 1,200 U.S. gallons per minute. A high resolution, panoramic and 3D-vision surveillance system enables the boom operator to remotely control boom operations from the cockpit during air-to-air refueling during daylight or nighttime operations.
Five KC-30Bs have been ordered by Australia, and these aircraft have a high degree of commonality with the KC-30 Tanker – which is proposed by Northrop Grumman for the recapitalization of the U.S. Air Force’s aging tanker fleet. This commonality ensures a low-risk approach for the Air Force tanker program.
The KC-30 multi-role tanker/transport family is derived from the highly popular A330 jetliner. To date, more than 700 A330s have been ordered for civil, military and government customers, and the aircraft’s production rate is increasing to meet a growing international demand.
In addition to its acquisition by the Royal Australian Air Force, the A330-based tanker also has been ordered by the United Arab Emirates, and is selected by Britain for the Royal Air Force’s replacement of its VC10 and TriStar tanker/transport fleet. This marks the aircraft’s sweep of all recent international competitions for next-generation aerial refueling aircraft.
About EADS North America (www.eadsnorthamerica.com)
EADS North America is the North American operations of EADS, the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security, EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over $10 billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 190,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers and services. With 12 operating companies located in 30 cities and 17 states, EADS North America offers a broad array of advanced solutions to its customers in the commercial, homeland security, aerospace and defense markets.
