3 August 2023
Flying high over northern Australian skies, air-to-air refuelling is an essential component of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 as a force multiplier to enable mission success.
For the first time, Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft have worked together domestically with United States Air Force KC-46A Pegasus to provide coordinated refuelling for the deployed Air Task Group.
Deployed out of RAAF Base Darwin, SQNLDR Craig Whiting, the Detachment Commander for No. 33 Squadron, explained the combined procedures both tankers are implementing to coordinate refuelling in the airspace.
“Exercise Talisman Sabre provides an interoperability that you cannot get when you’re operating dislocated,” he said.
“When we’re operating together, we learn about each other’s systems, processes, and infrastructure.”
Many US and Australian aircraft rely on the KC-30A and KC-46A to enable the long-range strike capability include the USAF F-22 Raptors, United States Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, and RAAF F-35s Lightning II.
These aircraft are refuelled using the Advanced Refuelling Boom System mounted on the tail or a pair of air refuelling pods under each wing of the KC-30A and centreline of the KC-46A.
Detachment Commander Major John Webb said that this is the first time the KC-46s have staged out of Darwin in this magnitude, with seven aircraft and 150 unit personnel.
“The importance of our tankers on a large exercise like Talisman Sabre is that if air-to-air refuelling didn’t exist, we wouldn’t be able to conduct this exercise,” he said.
“I’ve always described air refuelling as the lashing for the tip of the spear.”
The KC-46A and KC-30A are able to refuel both USAF and RAAF aircraft due to the similarities with how the refuelling systems are designed.
This enables both aircraft to fly in formation and use different training and operating systems alongside common procedures in order to succeed.
This integration has been excellent, said Major Webb.
“I feel that our relationship is growing between both tanker communities and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the RAAF KC-30s.”
Exercise Talisman Sabre runs from 21 July to 04 August and tests Air Force’s ability to deploy to forward operating bases and sustain high-intensity air operations, including employing large forces over distance.
