Airbus in Automatic Air-to-Air Refuelling contacts

Airbus Defence and Space have demonstrated automatic airto-air refuelling (AAR) contacts with a fighter aircraft from a tanker’s refuelling boom the first time that this has been done. The Airbus’ A310 MRTT development aircraft performed six automatic contacts with a F-16 of the Portuguese Air Force in a demonstration of a technique which the company believes holds great promise for enhancing in-service AAR operations.