Air Force Research Laboratory Air Vehicles Directorate scientists completed flight tests Aug. 31 on the first autonomous aircraft in the refueling position, which successfully engaged during each of the 15 flights.

The Automated Aerial Refueling Station Keeping Flight Test demonstrated the capability to perform boom and receptacle refueling of unmanned air vehicle systems behind a KC-135 tanker using operationally representative subsystems.

"The Station Keeping flight tests were a major step forward for automated aerial refueling technology," said Jake Hinchman, Air Force Research Laboratory automated aerial refueling program manager. "The next step for the program is to mature the technology into an operational capability."

The test integrates components on both the tanker and receiver aircraft to demonstrate the ability for the receiver aircraft to autonomously hold position relative to the tanker while the tanker executes its standard maneuvers.

During the Aug. 15 flight, at the contact position where Air Force aircraft could start receiving fuel from the tanker, the learjet's automated aerial refueling flight control system was engaged enabling the aircraft to autonomously hold the contact position while the tanker executed both straight and level flight and turns.

During the flight, the automated aerial refueling system was engaged at the contact position for 23 consecutive minutes, allowing the learjet to follow the KC-135 through two full orbits.

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