Israel Bolsters KC-707 Refueling Fleet

[GOOSE]

From Aviation Week -

With the threat of a conflict with Iran looming, the Israeli air force has augmented its fleet of KC-707 (“Re’em”) aerial refueling aircraft with an eighth tanker, bolstering the strike capacity the country would have if it tries to undertake a raid on Teheran’s nuclear facilities.

The $23-million contract to reconfigure the aircraft was awarded to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in late 2008, as part of a strategic effort to rapidly enhance the country’s long-range strike capabilities.

“Many of the air force’s current missions require extended range and that means more fuel,” Lt. Col. Amir, commander of the IAF’s 120 “International” squadron told Aviation Week & Space Technology (for security reasons, Israel does not release last names of operational personnel). Refusing to discuss specific strike scenarios, he added: “I can gladly say that as an organization we have come to a point where we are ready to perform any mission in any range within a very short notice.”

Iran’s nuclear facilities and the conflict such a strike would likely unleash have become the IAF’s primary mission in recent years. As such, IAF fighter squadrons are constantly training in aerial refueling scenarios.

For the last two decades, Israel has been developing its strategic arm by procuring fighter aircraft with long-range strike capabilities, such as the F‑15I and F-16I. Last year, it also qualified its two squadrons of F-15A/B/C/D air-superiority aircraft to carry out ground-attack missions. However, notes Amir, “aerial refueling will allow any fighter, regardless of its range, to carry more munitions instead of fuel.”

Iran has a widely dispersed and deeply buried nuclear program. Whereas Israel was able to destroy Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor with a strike package of eight F‑16s with two bombs each (six F‑15As provided fighter support), attacks against Iran would require heavier bunker busters and more aircraft. Owing to the greater distance to Iran, mission duration would also be significantly longer. Such a scenario would stretch the limit of the fighters, placing a premium on the ability to refuel them en route.

In June 2008, Israel held a massive air maneuver above the Mediterranean in what was perceived as a “dress rehearsal” for an attack on Iran. Dozens of F-15s and F-16s participated in the exercise, conducted jointly with Greece, with several KC-707s providing the fuel.

Budgetary constraints, as well as the U.S. Air Force’s long delay in selecting its future aerial tanker, have forced Israel to rely on its existing Boeing 707 platforms, the youngest of which is 36 years old—the oldest just celebrated 50 years of flying. “We realized that we have to make-do with the current fleet for at least another decade,” says Amir.

The IAF launched a life-extension program for the aging fleet in 2004, with IAI as prime contractor replacing the legacy analog cockpit with new six multi-function displays and installing new communications equipment. In addition, the Israeli-designed refueling boom is replaced with a boom identical to the one used by the USAF in its KC-135s.

The first upgraded KC-707 was delivered to the IAF in November 2009, following a series of malfunctions in the new systems that delayed the project. The aircraft is currently being tested by the IAF at Nevatim AB; IAI personnel are attempting to fix the remaining flaws without returning the aircraft to IAI.

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