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Australia and Japan have conducted a joint air-to-air refuelling exercise for the first time.
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft has completed an air-to-air refuelling operation with a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF, or Koku-Jieitai) Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jet.
The flight test, conducted in April over the course of three weeks, aimed to ensure mechanical compatibility between the aircraft, while also ensuring they can be flown safely in a range of configurations and lighting conditions.
Air Vice-Marshal Darren Goldie, Air Commander Australia, said the teat represented a key milestone in building defence ties between Australia and Japan, helping to strengthen interoperability.
“This is the first time that a RAAF aircraft has refuelled a JASDF aircraft, and will help build the special strategic partnership between Australia and Japan,” AVM Goldie said.
The successful air-to-air refuelling exercise is expected to facilitate Japan’s participation in Exercise Pitch Black 22 — a biennial warfare exercise hosted by the RAAF.
The exercise is set to take place in the Northern Territory in August and September this year.
“Working together will ensure we can continue to uphold and reinforce a secure, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region,” AVM Goldie added.
The RAAF flight test team has experience with KC-30A refuelling trials in Australia, the US and Singapore.
“The flight test program represents two years of close co-operation between our own Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU), and the JASDF Air Development and Test Wing (ADTW),” AVM Goldie said.
This is the latest of a number of collaborations between the RAAF and JASDF, which has included work in response to natural disasters in Tonga and Australia.
Moreover, the counterparts trained alongside each other during Exercise Cope North in Guam, and Exercise Bushido Guardian in Japan.
The RAAF is also building relationships with other regional partners including Vietnam.
A RAAF C-17A Globemaster is set to transport Vietnam People’s Army personnel, equipment and medical supplies to and from Juba, South Sudan throughout April and May 2022.
This forms part of Vietnam’s contribution to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which involves the delivery of specialist peacekeeping training, equipment, and strategic airlift support.
[Related: RAAF to support Vietnamese peacekeeping mission]
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