Korea's refueling aircraft begins operation

Seen above is the KC-330 refueling tanker. / Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

By Lee Min-hyung

The Air Force put its first KC-330 in-flight refueling aircraft into operation Wednesday amid expectations for improved aerial readiness.

South Korea acquired the multi-role refueling tanker in November last year from Airbus and plans to introduce three more refueling tankers by the end of this year, according to the Air Force.

"The refueling aircraft, which began its aerial mission as of Wednesday, will further tighten the military's capabilities, allowing us to remain agile against possible threats amid the rapidly changing security environment," Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said in an event to celebrate the launch of the aircraft at an air base in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.

Aside from reinforcing internal security readiness, the Air Force should make all-out efforts for regional stability and peace with the tanker, Jeong said.

In particular, the refueling aircraft is expected to widen the scope of the Air Force's operational capability into broader areas with a longer loiter time.

Without the aircraft, an F-15K fighter jet can carry out its mission for up to 30 minutes. But when it is refueled by the KC-330, the tactical flight time for the jet increases by one more hour, according to the Air Force.

The KC-330 tanker can refuel up to 10 F-15K jets or 20 KF-16 fighters in the air.

"The operation of the refueling aircraft is expected to allow the Air Force to deal more effectively with any possible accidental threats from aircrafts of other countries," an official from the Air Force said.

A defense procurement committee from the Ministry of National Defense decided to introduce four tankers in June 2015, and about a month later, the committee signed a contract with Airbus.

In September last year, the Air Force established the 261st Air Tanker squadron to speed up the deployment of the aircraft in a more systemic way.

The second tanker will arrive here in this April, with the remaining two set to be introduced this August and December. Starting from July 2020, the Air Force plans to carry out full-fledged aerial missions with the four tanks.

"On top of that, the tankers are expected to make a huge contribution when the Air Force performs overseas humanitarian missions, such as relief operations and international disaster support," the official said.

Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Wang-keun said during the tanker's fielding ceremony that the introduction of the tanker is a "major turning point" in strengthening the Air Force's strategic air defense operations.

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