First Mission in Red Flag 2018
Nellis AFB, Las Vegas Nevada, USA
The FAC Tanker KC-768 "Jupiter" for the first time performs a refueling mission in flight of a US Navy aircraft. The KFirs of the FAC and the EA / 18C Growler s worked together as a team and achieved their goals.
The KC767 of the Colombian Air Force carries out a refueling mission with "Super Hornet" aircraft of the United States Navy.
The first flight mission in Red Flag 18-3 was accomplished with an important milestone for the Colombian Air Force, having made for the first time refueling in flight of US warplanes, complying with the NATO standards after applying meticulously the procedures required to interoperate with military forces of other allied countries.
After making a preliminary planning to establish the necessary coordination in this complex exercise, the Kfir Squadron of the Colombian Air Force and the Growler Squadron of the US Navy had to fulfill the objective of reducing the enemy's air defense systems, as well as escorting to the other aircraft during the flight, would attack the enemy as planned within the plan.
So it was, that once they required the fuel to extend their range of operation and autonomy during the flight, they met in the determined area so that the KC767 "Jupiter" of the Colombian Air Force, delivered to each one of the Kfir 700 gallons of fuel and then, for the first time, delivered 1045 gallons of fuel to the Growlers squadron consisting of three aircraft EA18 Super Hornet of the United States Navy, who spotted the Colombian tanker at 22,000 feet (6.7 kilometers of height on the ground), they asked for authorization to meet in flight and received the fuel from the Colombian aircraft.
Complying with the ordered mission, the aircraft of both nations successfully completed their goal thanks to "Jupiter", which consolidates the role of the Colombian Air Force to meet all NATO standards for this type of flights, involving aircraft from several countries and in which it has been preparing itself to obtain ever more demanding goals, thanks to the experience, training and logistics equipment that the Transport Squadron No.811 of the Military Air Transport Command (CATAM)