05:13 pm - Wednesday
Boeing demonstrates the technologies for the UAV Automated aerial refueling capability
Seattle, USA - Under a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory industry team
(WAPA) - Under a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory industry team, the Boeing Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) program successfully completed flight tests in August that demonstrated for the first time an unmanned air vehicle's ability to autonomously maintain a steady refueling station behind a tanker aircraft. With autonomous air refueling capabilities, unmanned aircraft will have greater combat radius and loiter time.
In August 2007, the AAR team will demonstrate autonomous maneuvering around the tanker. The Learjet will engage the AAR system at the observation position on the tanker wing and will be directed from a control station to go to the pre-contact and contact positions upon approval from the tanker crew.
"This can enable a quicker response for time-critical targets and will reduce the need for forward-staging refueling areas. Another benefit is increased in-theater military presence with fewer military assets" said David Riley, Boeing Phantom Works AAR program manager.
Boeing Phantom Works, along with the AAR national team, conducted the flight tests with the New York Air National Guard 107th Air Refueling Wing, which provided a KC-135R refueling tanker, and Calspan Corp., which provided a Learjet equipped with a special Boeing flight control system that allowed it to fly as an unmanned air vehicle. The flight tests integrate components on both the tanker and receiver aircraft to demonstrate that the receiver aircraft (the UAV) can autonomously hold position relative to the tanker while the tanker executes its standard air refueling maneuvers.
(Avionews)
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Direttore Clara Moschini