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Close encounters in the Giant Mountains. Gripen's first air-to-air refuelling with Airbus A330 MRTT

Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

Author: by CAPT Hana Havrdová
14.2.2024

On Tuesday afternoon, the airspace over the Giant Mountains in the Czech Republic hosted the unique union of the Czech Air Force JAS-39 Gripen aircraft and the Airbus A330 MRTT tanker. This was the very first time fighter pilots from the Čáslav Air Force Base had their try with air-to-air refuelling (AAR) from the multirole tanker aircraft of the MMF program (Multinational MRTT Fleet), which is home-stationed in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The successful test shall be followed with additional training of the Czech pilots with the multirole aircraft.

The Czech Republic has been a member of MMF since 2019. The project brings together six European countries and is designed to build a multinational multirole squadron of eight Airbus A-330 MRTT aircraft to bridge capability shortfalls and provide medical evacuation when needed.

The pilots from the Čáslav AFB have trained air-to-air refuelling in the past with the German A-400M, Italian KC-767, Swedish C-130 Hercules and for example a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker.

Fighter aircraft at walking speed

The pilots described the air-to-air refuelling procedure as very challenging. The manoeuvre requires high precision as the aircraft travel at a speed over 500 km per hour and the brim of the drogue is only several dozen centimetres from the cockpit. "In the final phase, the pilot needs to carefully approach the tanker at walking speed. The tanker unreels the hose with the drogue and the Gripen pilot needs to properly position the refuelling probe into it," said a pilot from the Čáslav AFB.

The exercise above the Giant Mountains trained the dry contact that verified the Czech Air Force JAS-39 Gripen pilots' ability to make close encounter with the tanker without actually refuelling.

The very first contact with the tanker designated KC-30M was performed by an experienced air-to-air refuelling instructor from the 21st Tactical Wing. The second approach was conducted by the aircraft of the 211th Tactical Squadron Commander, LTC Vladimír Málek. The premiere shall be followed by training of other pilots as soon as end of February.

First experience with a large tanker

"Refuelling with this tanker is not significantly different from other tankers, especially other turbofan planes, as the procedures are standardized and so is the refuelling device. However, this aircraft is the largest of all the aircraft we are qualified for. This slightly changes the perspective when you move around the tanker," added the Squadron Commander.

The multirole Airbus A-330 MRTT tankers use two refuelling methods, the boom system, as well as the hose-drogue system which is used by JAS-39 Gripen aircraft.

"Having the chance to practice with the tanker is vital for the qualification of the pilot. It is defined by maximum permitted breaks, but the more training you get, the higher is the success rate and speed of connection and refuelling, and indeed the growth of the pilot's operational abilities," said LTC Vladimír Málek. Currently, most Czech Gripen pilots are trained for air-to-air refuelling and they maintain the qualification.

Given its membership in MMF, the Czech Republic can use up to 100 flight hours per year for air-to-air refuelling, as well as for airlifting cargo and passengers and for medical evacuation. "This enables us to introduce a great precision into our planning and performance of air-to-air refuelling within the tanker's flight hours we have available as part of our membership," added LTC Málek.