A French Air and Space Force A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (Phénix) successfully refuelled US and UK RC-135 aircraft in a coordinated exercise over central France, marking the first instance of multinational air-to-air refuelling integration among the three nations within the RC-135 enterprise.
The exercise, titled Ravitaillement en Vol, involved a US Air Force (USAF) TC-135 training aircraft, a Royal Air Force (RAF) RC-135 Rivet Joint and the French A330 MRTT Phénix.
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According to the USAF, the event demonstrated that aircraft, crews, and support staff from three Nato members can operate collectively as a more integrated force.
This development opens access for US and UK RC-135 fleets to more than 30 allied A330 MRTT tankers worldwide, expanding the reach and flexibility of a key Nato intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
For the USAF’s 55th Wing, which organises and equips the RC-135 fleet, the integration is expected to give greater operational reach, increased refuelling options, and more time on station for ISR missions.
Participants in the exercise included personnel from the 55th Wing, the 55th Operations Group, the Nebraska Air National Guard’s 170th Group, the RAF’s 51 and 56 Squadrons at RAF Waddington, and the French Air and Space Force’s 31st Air Refuelling and Strategic Transport Wing.
The teams planned missions together, conducted simulator training, undertook briefings, and executed live aerial refuelling sorties after several days of joint preparation.
Operating in French airspace required careful diplomatic coordination between the US, UK, and France to secure clearances and to align airspace requirements, emergency procedures, communications, and command arrangements.
The process underscored that interoperability requires more than technical compatibility between aircraft; it depends on harmonising operational procedures and response protocols.
The milestone built on a previous integration test conducted in October 2023, when a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A, similar to the French A330 MRTT, performed an air-to-air refuelling with a US RC-135 at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
Data and lessons from that US-Australian test informed the French-hosted exercise, and a member of the 170th Group involved in California contributed to coordinating June’s operation.
By expanding the tanker network available to the RC-135 enterprise, operational flexibility for the US and UK is increased, allowing these fleets to maintain ISR coverage even when access or availability is limited.
This distributed support network enables commanders to sustain operations in more theatres, and is particularly valuable for extending coverage along Nato’s eastern flank or throughout the Indo-Pacific.
“The United States, United Kingdom and France did not simply place three national capabilities in the same airspace. They combined them into a single, mutually supporting force. That integration strengthens collective deterrence, increases NATO’s ability to sustain operations and complicates adversary planning and decision-making,” the USAF said.
The exercise also enabled greater readiness across the combined RC-135 force by adding new training opportunities with allied tankers.
Broader access to partner refuelling platforms is expected to support crew development and maintain advanced qualifications for the RAF and its partners.
