Royal Australian Air Force Tanker Concludes First Refueling Trials With Japanese F-15s
The Royal Australian Air Force announced on April 29 that the service had successfully concluded its first air-to-air refueling trials with Japan Air Self-Defence Force F-15 Eagles.
From March 29 to April 26, a RAAF KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) performed 325 contacts across 11 flights over Japan with an F-15J and a twin-seat DJ of the JASDF’s Air Development and Test Wing. The refueling contacts were performed across a range of maneuvers, and in different conditions by day and night, providing engineering data for RAAF work to authorize and train its KC-30A crews to refuel F-15s in the future.
In addition to the F-15s, further refueling trials were conducted with ADTW F-2s, building on similar trials with the experimental unit’s F-2s last year and the refueling of operational JASDF F-2s during the 2022 edition of Exercise Pitch Black. The RAAF KC-30A departed Komaki Air Base for Australia on April 27, following the conclusion of the trials.
Air Vice-Marshal Darren Goldie, Air Commander Australia, said the success of the trials would further enhance air cooperation between Australia and Japan.
“Cooperation between our air forces is dependent on overcoming great distances, and air-to-air refuelling is an essential part of how we accomplish this,” said the RAAF chief. “The success of these latest refuelling trials reflects our commitment to building on our deep and enduring relationship, understanding each other’s strengths, and further elevating our interoperability.”
“This cooperation and mutual understanding is an essential part of ensuring a secure, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Air Vice-Marshal Goldie said.
The RAAF’s No. 33 Squadron operates seven KC-30As from RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, having received their first MRTT in 2011. The squadron’s KC-30As were operationally deployed between September 2014 and September 2020 as part of Operation Okra, Australia’s contribution to the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria . During Operation Okra deployments across those six years, the squadron’s KC-30As flew a combined total of 11,332 hours and completed 1440 missions, delivering over 47,000 tonnes of fuel to receiver aircraft from seven Coalition partner nations.