First Australian Tanking

Photo by Jonathan Case

A Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport crew successfully completed its first US Air Force F-35A boom receiver certification refueling flight on 28 September 2015 at Edwards AFB, California. A total of fifty-nine contacts were conducted of which five contacts transferred 43,200 pounds of fuel to F-35A test aircraft AF-4 during a four-hour sortie. The KC-30A has both a hose-and-drogue and a boom refueling system. The RAAF’s five KC-30As are based at RAAF Amberley near Brisbane, Queensland. Australia has committed to seventy-two F-35As to be assigned to RAAF Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales, and RAAF Tindal, near Katherine, Northern Territory. The first RAAF F-35A is scheduled to arrive in-country in late 2018.