Issue 45 - July 18, 2008

In this issue of the EADS North America Tanker Activity Update:

•	Conversion begins for the Royal Australian Air Force’s no. 2 Multi-Role Tanker Transport
•	EADS and Northrop Grumman CEOs underscore their KC-45 Tanker commitment

Conversion begins for the Royal Australian Air Force’s no. 2
Multi-Role Tanker Transport

The second Royal Australian Air Force’s Multi-Role Tanker/Transport – designated the KC-30B – has begun its tanker conversion phase in preparation for the aircraft’s entry into service.

Outfitting of the no. 2 RAAF KC-30B started in early June after arriving at the Qantas Australian Conversion Centre at Brisbane Airport, Australia.  It is the first of four Airbus A330s to be modified to the KC-30B configuration by Qantas Engineering in Australia.  In order to ensure a low risk and on-time conversion, EADS has established a resident office at the Qantas facilities where a specialized staff will oversee the conversion.

© Australian Department of Defence

The KC-30B’s outfitting procedure in Australia – which includes the installation of EADS’ advanced Aerial Refueling Boom System (ARBS), underwing refueling pods and military mission systems – is similar to the process planned for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-45 Tankers, which will be assembled in Mobile, Alabama and delivered to Northrop Grumman for installation of the refueling and mission systems.

The Royal Australian Air Force’s KC-30B’s use of EADS’ advanced fly-by-wire ARBS and two underwing hose and drogue refueling pods will enable the Royal Australian Air Force to support its own fighters, airlifters and AWACS assets, while also offering full aerial refueling compatibility with other U.S., NATO and allied military aircraft.

EADS’ all-electric ARBS provides highly accurate, reliable in-flight refueling, with a maximum nominal fuel flow rate of 1,200 U.S. gallons per minute.  A high resolution, panoramic and 3D-vision surveillance system enables the boom operator to remotely control boom operations from the cockpit during air-to-air refueling during daylight or nighttime operations. 

The KC-30B and the KC-45 are derived from the highly popular Airbus A330 jetliner.  To date, more than 940 A330s have been ordered for civil, military and government customers, and the aircraft’s production rate is increasing to meet a growing international demand.

A total of five KC-30Bs have been ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force. The first RAAF aircraft already is outfitted with the full complement of aerial refueling systems, and has successfully completed Phase I flight testing to validate its handling qualities and performance. 

EADS and Northrop Grumman CEOs underscore their KC-45 Tanker commitment

The Chief Executive Officers of EADS and Northrop Grumman – Louis Gallois and Dr. Ronald Sugar – have reaffirmed their joint commitment to provide the United States Air Force with the most capable aerial refueling tanker in the world.

Northrop Grumman and EADS have established a strong track record of successful transatlantic cooperation.  Collaborative programs such as EuroHawk, a joint venture between Northrop Grumman and EADS to provide unmanned signals intelligence (SIGINT) surveillance and reconnaissance systems to the German Ministry of Defense, and the KC-45 tanker – a Northrop Grumman-led program based on the EADS A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) refueling aircraft – reflect the depth of experience and industrial commitment of the two companies.

Allied industrial partnerships result in increased competition, technological innovation and reduced cost on both sides of the Atlantic—benefits that support U.S. Executive and Congressional defense procurement objectives.  In addition, U.S. federal, state and local economies will directly benefit through increased industrial opportunities created by the KC-45 tanker program, including establishment of an aerospace corridor of excellence throughout the Southeastern United States.

The CEOs expressed their continued confidence in and support of the Northrop Grumman KC-45 tanker, emphasizing it is the only system that is ready now to recapitalize the aging U.S tanker fleet.  Based on the commercially successful A330 aircraft, the KC-45 benefits from the extensive flight testing and certification process already completed for the Australian MRTT program.  Along with the U.S. Air Force, in the last five competitions, key allies also have selected the tanker aircraft on which the KC-45 is based including the air forces of Australia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The CEOs declared: “We applaud the decision of the Secretary of Defense to complete the tanker recompetition in an expeditious timeframe, one properly focused on addressing the procedural flaws identified by the Government Accountability Office.  We look forward to meeting with DoD and Air Force officials and are prepared to respond quickly to the amended Request For Proposal.  As a team, we are ready to get back to work and begin delivering the world’s most capable tankers to the U.S. Air Force.

Contact:
Guy Hicks
Vice President – Communications and Public Relations
EADS North America
Tel: 703 236-3300
e-mail: guy.hicks@eads-na.com