Refueling System Nears End Of Flight Test Schedule
With clouds of uncertainty looming over its KC-X win earlier
this year, Northrop Grumman reiterated Tuesday the company
continues to progress with its development schedule for the first
KC-45A it expects to deliver to the US Air Force. Northrop says the
advanced fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom destined for that
aircraft completed its 100th test flight in June.
Over the course of its extensive test and validation program,
the Advanced Refueling Boom System (ARBS) developed by EADS
accumulated over 300 flight hours, including over 60 separate "wet
and dry" contacts with an F-16 receiver aircraft. The boom also
successfully completed flight envelope expansion testing,
validating its fly-by-wire control laws.
EADS testers also executed proximity, pre-contact and contact
flight trials with five different aircraft -- the F-16, F-1,
F/A-18, C101 and the A330-based Royal Australian Air Force
Multi-role Tanker Transport, which shares significant commonality
with the KC-45A.
"The completion of these key milestones clearly demonstrates the
capability of our boom and provides tangible evidence that the
KC-45 is ready now to meet the US Air Force's refueling needs,"
said Paul Meyer, Northrop Grumman vice president and general
manager of Air Mobility Systems. "Unlike our competitor's offering
that has yet to leave the drawing board, we have a mature,
state-of-the-art boom that has logged over 100 flights, passed fuel
in the air, completed over 60 individual contacts and been
validated with multiple aircraft operating with US and allied air
forces."
As ANN reported, the Northrop/EADS win in
February of the KC-X tanker contract is in limbo, after the
Government Accountability Office ruled two weeks ago that a protest
filed by rival Boeing, stating the US Air Force improperly
calculated the true operating costs of both aircraft, had merit.
Though it did not recommend one aircraft over the other, the GAO's
findings indicate Boeing's KC-767 is the more efficient plane,
contrary to the Air Force's original contention the larger KC-45A
held that advantage.
The GAO ruling isn't legally binding... but sheer economics,
combined with significant public pressure, could force the USAF to
send the contract out for rebid. Meyer said if that happens, the
ones hurt the most are USAF airmen now flying an aging fleet of
Eisenhower-era KC-135s.
"The Air Force needs tankers now and had a choice between a yet
to be built tanker concept and boom system against a flight-proven
KC-45 to meet the critical, time-urgent refueling needs of the
warfighter. The Air Force selected the KC-45, the only system that
can fully meet these requirements today," he said.
The ARBS already is integrated on the first Royal Australian Air
Force A330 Multi-role Tanker Transport (MRTT), which is scheduled
for delivery by EADS in 2009, and will soon enter the second phase
of its flight testing and validation. The US Air Force's selection
of Northrop Grumman's KC-45 was the fifth straight win for the
A330-based tanker, having been selected by the air forces of
Australia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and United Arab
Emirates.