Partnership makes for expanded air refueling capabilities

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tabitha M. Lee
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England (AFNS) --  A 100th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker crew participated in air refueling training here with a C-17 Globemaster III crew from the Heavy Airlift Wing at Papa Air Base, Hungary, Nov. 12.

Although no fuel was exchanged during the mission, both units received training they don't get the opportunity to do on a regular basis.

According to Col. Chad Manske, the 100th ARW commander and the aircraft commander for the mission, refueling heavy aircraft is not an easy requirement for boom operators to accomplish in Europe. Members of the 100th ARW typically refuel smaller, fighter-type aircraft, which are more maneuverable behind the tanker. Large receiver aircraft present a separate set of challenges to both the boom operators and the front end KC-135 crewmembers during the air refueling, due to the size of both aircraft flying in close vertical proximity to one another.

"This mutually beneficial arrangement comes down to the HAW's requirement for its pilots to accomplish air refueling receiver training and for our air refueling boom operator technicians to accomplish refueling of a large receiver aircraft like the HAW C-17," Colonel Manske said.

If refueling training for HAW pilots wasn't available in Europe, they would be required to travel to the U.S. to receive the training, which is less time and cost efficient. By keeping their pilots qualified, the HAW is ready to respond to whatever mission comes their way.

The HAW is home to three C-17 Globemaster IIIs that belong to the Strategic Airlift Capability, which is an understanding between 10 NATO countries and two Partnership for Peace nations. Those aircraft are employed to meet national needs, but can also be allocated for NATO, United Nations or European Union missions. They can also be used for international purposes such as humanitarian airlift and disaster relief, as agreed by the nations.

"When the Strategic Airlift Capability joined in a partnership to purchase, support and operate our three C-17s, the 12 nations were committed to training to the same standard as the United States Air Force and to maintaining the skills necessary to employ all aspects of C-17 capabilities," said Col. John Zazworsky, the Heavy Airlift Wing commander.

Partnership building between the 100th ARW and the HAW was another outcome of the mission.

"Expanding our mission capabilities is a side benefit to the partner capacity building and readiness aspects of this new relationship," Colonel Manske said. "By training together and forging this new relationship, we are building trust that may be put to the test in future conflicts where the HAW aircraft and our own are on the same side."

That relationship will continue to grow and allow both wings to achieve their goals and conquer any challenges that may come to pass.

"Like the HAW demonstrated last January in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, we are capable of responding quickly in crisis," Colonel Zazworsky said. "Maintaining our air refueling capability provides the maximum operational flexibility to our nations, no matter what challenge lies ahead."