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AFRL completes flight tests for unmanned aerial systems refueling

  • Published
  • By Susan A. Murphy
  • Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Air Force Research Laboratory Air Vehicles Directorate scientists completed flight tests Aug. 31 on the first autonomous aircraft in the refueling position, which successfully engaged during each of the 15 flights.

The Automated Aerial Refueling Station Keeping Flight Test demonstrated the capability to perform boom and receptacle refueling of unmanned air vehicle systems behind a KC-135 tanker using operationally representative subsystems.

"The Station Keeping flight tests were a major step forward for automated aerial refueling technology," said Jake Hinchman, AFRL Automated Aerial Refueling program manager. "The next step for the AAR program is to mature the technology into an operational capability."

The test integrates components on both the tanker and receiver aircraft to demonstrate the ability for the receiver aircraft to autonomously hold position relative to the tanker while the tanker executes its standard maneuvers.

During the Aug. 15 flight, at the contact position where Air Force aircraft could start receiving fuel from the tanker, the Learjet's AAR flight control system was engaged enabling the aircraft to autonomously hold the contact position while the tanker executed both straight and level flight and turns. During the flight, the AAR system was engaged at the contact position for 23 consecutive minutes, allowing the Learjet to follow the KC-135 through two full orbits.

"The benefits of aerial UAS refueling are numerous," said Mr. Hinchmen. "We fully expect an increase in combat radius, increase in mission time, reduction of response time for time-critical targets, and a reduced need for forward staging areas. An increase of in-theater presence is another advantage."

Over the next year, the AAR team will build upon the success of this flight test towards enabling new automated refueling capabilities. Within the next year, 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 be directed from a control station to go to the pre-contact and contact positions upon approval from the tanker crew. This test will be combined with simulations of both multi-ship operations around the tanker and long distance tanker rendezvous to demonstrate that the AAR capability is ready for transition from the Learjet testbed to Air Force assets.