Cobham has been awarded a contract by the Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office to develop a palletized aerial refuelling system to give the the US Marine Corps’ MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft the ability refuel other aircraft while inflight.
Known as V-22 Aerial Refueling System (VARS), the system will
utilize Cobham's existing FR300 Hose Drum Unit with some
modifications. The roll-on/roll-off kit will enable the
Marines to use their land- and carrier-based MV-22B aircraft to
refuel F-35B Lightning II and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, thereby
extending their operational range and loiter times.
Design and production of VARS will occur at the Cobham Mission
Systems facility in Davenport, Iowa. Deliveries of VARS will
commence in 2018, upon completion of rigorous analysis and testing
of the system.
Kevin McKeown, Vice President and General Manager of Cobham
Mission Systems, said: "With VARS we continue the tradition of
providing industry leading aerial refueling capability to war
fighters. This program will enable the Marines to extend the
flying range of their fighter aircraft and allow for efficient
shipboard operations."
About Cobham Mission Systems
The most capable critical control solutions for extreme
environments.
As the world's leading supplier of critical control solutions,
we help our customers to increase the safety and mission
capabilities of their personnel and equipment in extreme
environments.
Our proven and trusted solutions in air-to-air refuelling, life
support, weapons carriage and unmanned systems, deliver assured
performance and class-leading through-life costs that enable our
customers to bring complex projects to market quickly, and with
minimal risk.
About Cobham
The most important thing we build is trust.
Cobham is a leading global technology and services innovator,
respected for providing solutions to the most challenging problems,
from deep space to the depths of the ocean.
We employ around 11,000 people on five continents, and have
customers and partners in over 100 countries, with market leading
positions in: wireless, audio, video and data communications,
including satellite communications; defence electronics; air-to-air
refuelling; aviation services; life support and mission
equipment.
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