AIR TANKER SECTOR

AIR TANKER SECTOR REPORT 2009

Mise à jour 2009/ALGERIE-DEFENSE/by Denfense IQ a division of IQPC.

———-27 Countries (excluding China) currently operate airborne tanker aircraft, based on 10 basic
airframes – The C-130; C-135; A.310; A.330; DC-10; AN-74; IL-78; B.767; VC-10 and Tristar.

   The Boeing planned successor to the KC-135/707 tankers was initially a derivative of the 767-300
airliner, known as the KC-767 Global Tanker Transport Aircraft GTTA), which traces its origins back to
1995, and was specifically aimed at a Japanese requirement. In the event, Italy was the first
customer (for four aircraft, by now based on the 767-200ER extended-range variant) having placed
its order in 2002, followed by Japan in 2004 (four, with another four in prospect). Boeing has two
KC-767s in flight test for the Italian air force, the first of which flew on the 21st May 2005. The first
two KC-767 tankers for the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) were delivered in late February and
early march 2008. The third and fourth aircraft are due to be delivered on schedule to Itochu which
will deliver to the Japanese MoD during Q1-09 and Q1-10, respectively.

 From EADS/Airbus is the smaller A310 which is available in Multi-Role Tanker/Transport (MRTT)
form. Canada and Germany have already had their multirole transport aircraft converted to MRTT.

 The U.K.’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) is a version of the generic EADS Military Transport
Aircraft (MTA) division’s A.330 (MRTT), also ordered by Australia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

 Much of the world’s hose-and-drogue AAR (Air-to-Air Refuelling) equipment and technology
originates from UK-based FRL. The company’s current pod work focuses on the A330 MRTT versions
and the A400M Airlifter. While the RAF has declared it does not intend to operate A400M in the AAR
role, three customers (France, Germany and Spain) will operate some as tankers.

 While working hard on what might be referred to as ‘traditional AAR’, FRL and the Cobham Mission
Systems division are already looking to the future and autonomous AAR Systems for UAVs.

 Another aspect of FRL’s product line is the ‘buddy’ refuelling pod. The company has, however,
produced a new generation ‘buddy’ pod – the 750-series – for the Su-30 ‘Flanker’. The company has
delivered over 25 pods to two undisclosed customers (one of which sources believe to be India).
Working with its former US rival, Sargent Fletcher (acquired by Cobham in 1994), the two companies
have produced the multi-staged telescopic probes for both the JAS 39 Gripen and the V-22 Osprey.
Sargent Fletcher’s current pod product is the Model 48-000-6 for the US Marine Corps KC-130J and
USAF Special Operations Command MC-130P aircraft, which uses a hydraulically driven hose reel
and delivers fuel at a rate of 300 US gal/min. The company’s other expertise is in ‘we’ buddy
refuelling pods with the Model 31-3900 buddy pod used by the USN on its F/A-18 series Hornets and
by international customers. Over 600 of these buddy pods have been delivered to date.

 The Bedek group of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) also led a team of Israeli companies proposing
what is described as a ‘Tactical Smart Tanker’, using the Gulfstream G550 business jet (already in
IASF service in the Conformal Airborne Early Warning, CAEW, configuration). The G550 would be
fitted with either a single boom or single hose-and-drogue facility and used to refuel fighters,
helicopters or UAVs.

 AUSTRALIA

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the first customer to bring the A330-200 MRTT (Multi-Role
Tanker-Transport) into service. Formal selection of the KC-30A (as the A330-200 MRTT is designated
by the RAAF) was announced on 16 April 2004, three months after the RAF’s decision. Five KC-30A
MRTT’s are being acquired. In the past five years, EADS has seen its A330 MRTT win the lion’s share
of new tanker aircraft contracts.

COLOMBIA

In a deal reported in December 2007, Colombia will receive a Boeing 767 upgraded to AAR tanker
configuration as part of a package for 24 upgraded IAI Kir C10 fighters.

FRANCE

The French armaments board, Delegation Generale pour L’Armament (DGA) plans to order 14 A330
MRTT’s during the current 2009-14 military spending programme, with first deliveries due in 2015.
Until then, the French Air Force will continue operating its 14 C/KC-135FR tankers. To ensure this,
the DGA awarded a EUR37 million ($48 million) contract to Air France Industrie on the 14th January
2009 to upgrade the avionics of the C/KC-135 fleet.

INDIA

More tankers are reportedly required.

JAPAN

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is involved in converting some (or all) JASDF C-130Hs to add an AAR
capability.

PAKISTAN

Pakistan is one of the latest countries to acquire an AAR capability with the arrival, in December
2008, of two Ilyushin Il-78MP ‘Midas’ tankers from the Ukraine.

POLAND

Stated tanker requirement.

SOUTH KOREA

Stated tanker requirement.

U.K.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) finally signed a contract for the new Royal Air Force (RAF)
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) on 27 March 2008, in a deal worth up to £13 billion ($25.6
billion at March 2008 rates) over 27 years.

U.S.A

Maintaining a robust aerial-refuelling capability is a cornerstone of US military strategy. Keeping the
US tanker fleet up and running is considered vital to global power projection, which the US military
judges essential to protecting the interests of America and its allies worldwide.

The US Air Force (USAF) will issue a new request for proposals (RfP) for the KC-X aerial-refuelling
aircraft competition later this month. The release of the RfP will probably re-ignite an intense
competition between the two tanker bidders: Boeing and a team of Northrop Grumman and EADS.
At stake is a contract worth as much as US$40 billion to build 179 new tankers. US Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates terminated the USAF’s KC-X tanker acquisition programme in 2008 after the
US Government Accountability Office (GAO) upheld Boeing’s protest against the USAF’s decision to
award the contract to the Northrop Grumman/EADS team.

Meanwhile, the Boeing Company continues to work with the USAF to maintain and sustain a viable
and safe KC-135 fleet, numbering over 400 (over two variants) plus the 59-strong KC-10A Extender
fleet (inherited with its McDonnell Douglas acquisition).

In December 2008, Boeing’s Global Services & Support group was awarded an extension to the
current KC-135 Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) bridge contract, worth $154 million.

A similar bridge contract is in place for the KC-10A

AIR TANKERS IN SERVICE/ON ORDER;

KC-130(160); Operated by Argentina(5), Brazil(2), Canada(5), Israel(4), Japan(16), Malaysia(4),
Morocco(2), Saudi Arabia(7), Singapore(5), Spain(5), Sweden(1) and U.S.A.(104)

 
KC-135(479); Operated by Argentina (1), Brazil(4), Chile(1), Colombia(1), France(14), Iran(12),
Israel(7), Italy(1), Saudi Arabia(7), Singapore(4), Spain(1), Turkey(7),USA(417), Venezuela (2)

A.310(8); Operated by Canada(2), Germany(4), Spain(2)

A.330(25); On order for Australia(5), U.K.(14), Saudi Arabia(3), UAE(3)

DC-10(61); Operated by Netherlands(2); U.S.A.(59)

AN-74(1?); Operated by Egypt(1?)

IL-78(40); Operated by Algeria(6), India(6), Pakistan(4), Russia(21), Ukraine(3)

VC-10(17); Operated by U.K.(17)

Tristar(6); Operated by U.K.(6)

B.767(9); Operated by Colombia(1), Italy(4), Japan(4)

TOTAL – 806

U.S. AIR FORCE AIR TANKER UNITS /

NON-U.S. MILTARY AIR TANKER UNITS /

 

NON-U.S. MILTARY AIR TANKER UNITS /ALGERIE-DEFENSE.