France and Spain Team for Caracal Refueling Tests | Aviation International News

France and Spain Team for Caracal Refueling Tests

As the French air force awaits its KC-130J tankers, the service has proved the ability of the Caracal helicopter to refuel from Spain's KC-130Hs

The Caracal receiver's view of a Spanish air force KC-130H Hercules. (photo: Ejército del Aire)

By Charles Roderick

October 18, 2018

According to a statement released on October 15, the Ejército del Aire (EdA, Spanish Air Force) has successfully completed initial air-to-air refueling (AAR) trials with the Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal helicopter of the Armée de l'Air (AA, French air force), as the two NATO nations look to boost interoperability on operations. The trials used a KC-130H (locally designated TK-10) from the EdA’s Ala 31 (31st wing) based in Zaragoza in northern Spain. Flights took place between October 1 and 5 and were conducted from Istres air base in the south of France.

In Spanish service, the TK-10 Hercules aircraft are mainly used to pass fuel to the air force’s Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing F/A-18 fleet, and not generally employed for refueling helicopters. According to the EdA, the H225M trials required modifications to the Hercules’s refueling drogues to permit operation at slower speeds of between 137 and 161 mph (220 and 260 km/h).

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