Air Force Agency – Lieutenant Valverde
The First Troop Transport Group (1º GTT) – Zeus Squadron carried out the first night refueling in-flight mission (Reabastecimento em Voo – REVO) of the KC-390 Millennium. During the mission, which took place on Monday (June 26), in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), the KC-390 Millennium took off from Galeão Air Base (BAGL) at 9:00 p.m. and transferred a total of 3,000 pounds of fuel to the F5-M fighters of the First Fighter Aviation Group (1°GAVCA), based at Santa Cruz Air Base (BASC).
The fact represented a significant advance in the possibilities of employment and doctrine development of the multi-mission freighter. According to the commander of the 1st GTT, Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Américo Pereira, the objective of the training was to incorporate one more capability of the aircraft, capable of acting in complex missions at any time of the day or night. “The mission represented an important doctrinal and operational leap for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), since it will expand even more the possibilities of using this vector,” said the officer.
According to the Commander of Anápolis Air Base (BAAN), Aviator Colonel Renato Leal Leite, the capacity to perform night REVO missions brings a new operational dimension to KC-390 Millennium operators. “The incorporation and consolidation of this capability represents a major advance for the Brazilian Armed Forces, which now have at their disposal a new transport aircraft capable of operating effectively at any time, day or night, in in-flight refueling missions, allowing FAB to enhance its strategic capabilities,” he concluded.
In-flight refueling
REVO is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight and allows the receiving aircraft to remain on mission for longer, extending its autonomy and range. The KC-390 can transfer up to 25 tons of fuel to other aircraft at a minimum ratio of approximately 800 liters per minute.
Photos: Petty Officer Nery and Sergeant Muller Marin / CECOMSAER