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With the use of massive aerial refueling, sophisticated
target acquisition systems, and smart, precision weapons, modern air powers are capable of engaging
targets anywhere and anytime. Yet, ordnance release requires
terminating the aircraft's mission to re-arm for the following
mission. Flying to and from a
distant battlespace poses a "bottleneck" for massive airpower
operations.
According to Nir Padan, CEO of the Israeli
company FAR Technologies, the Air-Borne Re-Arming concept
is real and could dramatically enhance operational tempo of
combat aircraft and particularly UCAVs. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)
and FAR Technologies performed a successful technological feasibility
study anddesign of the Air-Borne Re-Arming (ABRA)
system. Padan
says
that airborne rearming could increase the
yield from any fleet of strike aircraft, particularly in long range
and extended duration missions, typical to those carried out by UCAVs.
Padan adds that on the long term, this mode of
operation will require less missions, fewer takeoff/landing cycles,
resulting in lower maintenance costs. A side benefit will be the
improved safety and survivability of the operating bases and carriers.
The system consists of a bomb storage and loading device , attached to
a boom at carried by the cargo plane and a smart pylon carried by the
attack aircraft, which obtains the weapon from the robotic arm,
attaching it to the weapon's bay or external weapon carrying pylons.
An aerial rearming aircraft such as a C-130C, can carry up to 16 MK-84
guided or unguided bombs or considerably more smaller weapons (C-17/5
may potentially carry 4-6 times more). Bombs can be stored in an
external or internal bay. The robotic uses an extendable boom,
operating from the cargo plane. Controlled by an automatic engagement
control (AEC) and supported aerodynamic lift surfaces, the robotic
weapon loader will transfer the ordnance from the cargo plane to the
attack aircraft. The smart pylon may include sensors and a camera for
day and night use. It will interface with the automatic engagement
control (AEC) system to automatically activate ordnance on the
pneumatic multi-action ejection mechanism and an active sway brace for
mid-air operation.
Based on the concept and technology, Professor Asher Tishler, from
Faculty of Management, Tel Aviv University,
conducted an analysis of the potential
contribution of airborne rearming on 3 – 9 hours bombing missions at
ranges of 250 to 1,000 nautical miles from the operating base. For
UCAVs, 12 – 30 hour mission durations were analyzed.
The analysis demonstrated a dramatic improvement and increase of
operational tempo, resulting in the number of attacks executed and
target killed without increasing the aircraft fleet. Improvement of up
to 100% was demonstrated for short range attacks and over 200% for
extended range operations. Since aircraft do not have to return to
base to rearm, the density of the attacks could be increased,
resulting in faster target neutralization (time required to drop a set
number of bombs on target could be reduced by up to 70%). Fielding
Airborne Rearming systems could introduce new economies for air
forces, where fewer resources can perform more missions, resulting in
lower acquisition and maintenance costs. Other attributes of airborne
rearming are more flexible use of forward operational bases, (as
aircraft can takeoff without loads) and higher survivability of the
home base and strike aircraft (reducing pressure from operating
bases).
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