Airbus has announced that its A330 multi-role tanker aircraft successfully completed an automatic air-to-air refueling mission at night.
The company described the milestone as a “world first” in aviation, as the plane only did daytime aerial refueling before.
According to Airbus, more than 500 contacts with receiver aircraft were performed from May to June this year, out of which 150 were under night conditions.
An A330 aircraft from the Singapore Air Force was used in the tests, alongside Portuguese F-16s and Singaporean F-16 and F-15SG fighters.
For better assessment of its efficiency, contacts were carried out under various night illumination conditions and receiver external configurations.
The Airbus #A330MRTT has achieved a world first aviation milestone by completing an automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) flight test campaign in night conditions – a key step towards certification in 2025. Between May and June this year, @TheRSAF A330 MRTT embodying the latest… pic.twitter.com/XhaAZhQnq9
— Airbus Newsroom (@AirbusPRESS) July 23, 2024
About the A330
Developed in 2007, the A330 is the military version of the civilian A330-200 aircraft.
It is powered by two General Electric engines, enabling a maximum speed of 912 kilometers (567 miles) per hour.
It also boasts a maximum fuel capacity of 111 tons and a “97-percent air-to-air refueling success rate.”
The aircraft has been equipped with the new A3R night operation algorithms and camera, enhancing its vision system.
In July 2022, Airbus announced that the A330 became the first tanker to be certified for automatic air-to-air refueling.
