FR Bids for RAF Tanker Contract

British air-to-air refueling specialist Flight Refuelling is bidding with Rolls-Royce and Thomson-CSF to finance, supply and run the RAF's future fleet of "gas-passers" within the Eurotanker and other consortia.

Australia has shown interest in the UK program but has launched its own industry survey on private financing of RAAF tankers. The Australian Department of Defence launched the survey on February 18 with a response deadline April 14 for the so-called Project Air 5402.

The minimum requirement is for air-to-air refueling of RAAF F/A-18 Hornets and Royal New Zealand Air Force A-4 Skyhawks using probe and drogue techniques. If privatization gets the green light, the DoD will decide on whether the term should run for 10-, 20- or 30-year periods.