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U.S. Air Force released yesterday (Jan.
30, 2007) the Request for Proposal for the KC-X Aerial Refueling
Aircraft, officially launching the Air Force's highest priority
acquisition program in recent years. According to Sue C. Payton,
the Air Force's senior acquisition executive, the RFP reflects
the Air Force effort to minimize development risk among differing
aircraft manufacturers and types. The KC-X program is the first
of three acquisition programs the Air Force will need to replace
the entire fleet of aging KC-135 Stratotankers, which have been
in service for more than 50 years. The KC-X program will be
worth $30-40 billion. The projected life cycle cost of the new
tankers has been estimated at $200 billion. The Air Force plans
spending about $8.2 billion until 2010 on development and testing,
and expects the first squadron of 16 aircraft to become operational
by 2013. Two teams are running for the program, one led by Boeing,
offering the KC-767 and the other, led by Northrop
Grumman teamed with EADS offering a militarized version
of the Airbus A330 designated KC-30.
Boeing formally announced
it will offer an advanced tanker based on the KC-767-200 Long
Range Freighter for the USAF KC-X program. Boeing's Global Tanker
Team producing the KC-767 Advanced Tanker includes Smiths Aerospace,
Rockwell Collins, Vought Aircraft Industries, Honeywell and
the newest member - Spirit AeroSystems. AMong the innovations
included in the aircraft are advanced fly-by-wire boom, new
wing refueling pods, a centerline hose drum refueling unit,
and advanced 777 commercial digital flight deck and a third-generation
remote vision refueling system.
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 The
primary mission of the KC-X will be to provide aerial refueling
to United States military and coalition aircraft in the war
on terrorism and other missions. However, the Air Force also
intends to take full advantage of the other capabilities inherent
in the platform, and make it an integral part of the Defense
Transportation System.
"The Air Force aerial tanker is essential to all Air Force
and joint global operations," said Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman,
the military deputy for acquisition. "It allows the joint
force to project mobility, strike and surveillance forces anywhere
and anytime without relying on intermediate bases for refueling."
The RFP identified nine primary key performance parameters:
addressing air refueling capabilities, including fuel, receiving
fuel by aerial refueling from other platforms, and range at
least equal to those of the existing KC-135. A new capability
addressing joint operations will be the provisioning for a multi-point
refueling system, to support Navy and allied aircraft. "Tankers
put the 'global' in global power" Said General Hoffman.
In addition to its primary refueling capability, KC-X will be
able to provide airlift capability and have the means to network
into the information available in the battle space. The aircraft
will be equipped with advanced avionics suite, compliant to
Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management
(CNS/ATM); self protection and force protection means will include
defensive systems and electro-magnetic pulse hardening and chemical/biological
protection measures.
Boeing is currently building four KC-767 tankers each for Italy
and Japan. The aircraft has logged more than 200 flights and
600 hours during its flight test program. It is equipped with
two wing mounted aerial refueling pod systems and an advanced
boom system, derived from existing designs. The new boom can
transfer 900 U.S. gallons (3,400 liters) of fuel per minute.
Providing more precise and responsive controls to the operator,
the boom automatically corrects its position to reduce potential
damage to the receiver aircraft.
 The
KC-30 is expected to use the new Air Refueling Boom System (ARBS)
developed by EADS. It also will soon equip the fleet of five
EADS KC-30B tanker aircraft ordered by the Royal Australian
Air Force. With a maximum nominal fuel flow rate of 1,200 U.S.
gallons per minute, the ARBS utilizes fly-by-wire controls and
features an automatic load alleviation system that provides
a larger refueling envelope and enhanced controllability. The
system’s all electric design significantly reduces traditional
failure rates and subsequent down times. Using a 3D-vision surveillance
system, the boom operator can remotely control ARBS operations
from the cockpit during air-to-air refueling.
The Royal Australian Air Force’s first KC-30B Multi-Role
Tanker Transport currently is undergoing its outfitting process,
during which the aircraft will be equipped with a centerline
ARBS, a pair of under-wing pods with hose and drogue refueling
systems (the same fourth-generation model series as currently
in operational service on the U.S. Air Force MC-130 and the
EADS A310 tankers flown by Canada and Germany), and an electronic
warfare self-protection suite for defense against surface-to-air
missiles.
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