IAI Reveals Tanker Proposal

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is proposing aerial tanker versions of business jets such as the Gulfstream G550. At the Singapore Airshow earlier this month, a company official told AIN that its small and smart tactical tanker (SSTT) is still only a proposal, aimed at reducing the costs of aerial refueling training. But the idea has obvious application to long-range strike operations by combat jets, such as the Israeli Air Force might be tasked to carry out against Iranian nuclear sites. An IAI brochure depicts an SSTT refueling from a bigger tanker before proceeding in formation with four fighters to refuel them further within 100 miles of a target. The IAI official also told AIN that the company’s first Boeing 767 Multi-Mission Tanker Transport would fly within the next few months. The Israeli Air Force is interested in using IAI-converted 767s in a dual role as a tanker and VIP transport, he added.