NO(^84) THE MAGAZINE 02 85
SCANDINAVIAN
AVIATION MAGAZINE
The future with the multinational MRTT
AAR is a strategic asset and then, is absolutely
necessary for air power projection. Tankers are
therefore required to sustain combat operations
when aircraft are on long-range missions as they
extend the payload and endurance of receiver
aircraft. Actually, modern day air power relies in
part on the tankers capacity, as the AAR enables
air operation to be projected and concentrated
around a strategic point.
EDA, with the cooperation of EATC, intends to
progressively develop EART by inviting other
nations to participate and by offering major
exercises.
EATC is currently studying possibilities to offer in
2019 a double-phased EART training. The basic
training would then be organised in first semester,
concurrently with Frisian Flag. As Frisian Flag is
a complex exercise, the AAR procedure must be
carried out in a very short time. Thus, everything
depends on the experience of the fighter pilots
and the control of all the parameters like the
approach, the contact, the separation, the flight
in formation, or even the weather.
In the second phase, led by another member
country of the EATC, crews would train
in advanced procedures, combined with
multinational exercises involving a larger number
of fighters, including Ocean Sky in Spain and
Volfa in France: “The server will be here in
Eindhoven. We have an objective training matrix.
All we need is airspace, we will make grid
software”, revealed Lieutenant-Colonel Franck.
For EATC, these exercises offer a unique
opportunity to train crews to plan and coordinate
missions in a multinational framework: “We
train in France to do daily work”, said Captain
Guillaume. “Here, on the contrary, we are working
in an international context. The crew is training,
we do not have a mentor, but we also have people
working at the operations level here. For young
people, this is the first experience in a framework
that is not yet operational... it’s simulated
operational. They can therefore understand a little
what happens, since same methods are used.”
Emergency medical evacuation
AAR activities will also intensify with the
progressive introduction of the Airbus A400M.
However, the military transport aircraft
accumulates failures in recent years. Airbus was
penalised by the European countries customers,
including France and Germany who are the two
main buyers.
But all these projects will not be enough in the
current state, because Europe needs 130 tankers
to be significantly operational. According to
another study conducted on this subject, two
A330 MRTTs flying twice a day would be able
to meet the demands of all European nations to
maintain the qualifications and initial training of
fighter pilots.
“Only two”, Lieutenant-Colonel Franck pointed
out, adding: “We are therefore thinking of making
hubs (AAR zones), one to the south and one to the
north of Europe. We will sell slots to the nations.
This will be managed in simple cost, since there
will be no transit, it will be an ATARES use. We will
manage the fleets here. And if other nations, like
the Poles, want to come with their slots, we would
do this a long time in advance because there are
behind diplomatic problems to manage. We will
have to check certification procedures.”
Moreover, the management of these aircraft in a
restricted area is not easy: “It is necessary to be
able to gather planes and it is especially necessary
to optimise them”, explained Lieutenant-Colonel
Franck. “Today we are optimising a C-135.
Tomorrow an A330, 110 tons to take off... it will
need people to optimise this plane. Moreover,
the A330 will not only be called for AAR as the
C-135 does it today. Tomorrow, it will carry out
strategic transport, Medevac (emergency medical
evacuation).”