The Singapore Air Force (RSAF) conducts air-to-air refueling training with the US Air Force during a stopover at Paya Lebar Air Base on January 18, 2024.
The RSAF has facilitated stops for aircraft from a variety of countries over the years, including Australia, France, Malaysia, and in the last year alone.
“these [exercises] “It will provide the RSAF with valuable training and professional exchange opportunities with a variety of aircraft and aircrews,” Singapore’s Ministry of Defense said.
The exercise will bring together disparate aircraft: a Singaporean A330 tanker and two American B-1B bombers.
Different types of aircraft gather together
The A330 is a new generation multi-purpose tanker transport aircraft manufactured by European aerospace giant Airbus. This aircraft has a considerable fuel capacity that allows him to fly 4,000 kilometers, and at a station with a range of 1,000 nautical miles he can release 68 tons of fuel in two hours.
The RSAF received its first A330 in September 2018 and has since acquired a total of six aircraft, according to GlobalData intelligence.
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Aerial refueling boom systems, on the other hand, can be used to refuel receptacle-equipped aircraft such as the F-35A Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Maximum fuel flow is 4,542.49 liters per minute.
In contrast, the B-1B Lancer long-range bomber was first manufactured by Boeing in 1986 and is a container that allows refueling from the KC-10 or KC-135 tanker aircraft, aircraft operated by the RSAF. Equipped with:
However, in the spirit of having two different aircraft fight together, the exercise will allow for interoperability of both services. As we begin to enter a new era of conflict, agility and openness to working with strategic allies and partners will be the norm.
In 2023, NATO air forces across Europe scrambled more than 300 times to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching alliance airspace. This collective air security mission brought together a variety of aircraft, from the French Rafale to the Swedish Gripen to the more popular F-35.
More global, hybrid air warfare will take place, and coalition forces will have to learn how to adapt.
Already, the U.S. Air Force has conducted similar refueling exercises with the Royal Australian Air Force this month, bringing in Australian KC-30s and RC-135s, and, with less success, A-10C Warthogs.
