Royal Air Force Tests Expeditionary Fueling System in Arctic Circle

During the exercise in adverse weather, the service refueled an Atlas A400M heavy-lift transporter using a fabric fuel tank.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 05:47 PM ET

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The expeditionary refueling of the Atlas A400M occurred during Exercise Arctic Phoenix at Bardufoss Air Station , Norway. [Courtesy: Royal Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The Royal Air Force (RAF) successfully tested a tactical fuel system in northern Norway, performing the first-ever refueling of a heavy-lift Atlas A400M transport aircraft in harsh Arctic conditions (minus-20°C).
Conducted during Exercise Arctic Phoenix, this demonstrated the RAF's capability to maintain flying operations from remote and austere locations, supporting "Agile Combat Employment."
The exercise also involved building a temporary Air Landed Aircraft Refuelling System and testing aeromedical evacuation equipment and personnel's cold weather survival skills in extreme Arctic temperatures.

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The Royal Air Force tested a tactical fuel system in northern Norway, marking the first time the service refueled a heavy-lift military transport aircraft during harsh, adverse weather conditions inside the Arctic Circle.

The expeditionary refueling of the Atlas A400M occurred during Exercise Arctic Phoenix at Bardufoss Air Station (ENDU), RAF said Monday. The extreme cold weather exercise began earlier this month to train RAF personnel and test a range of service capabilities, including aeromedical evacuations and cold weather survival skills amid extreme arctic conditions with temperatures reaching minus-20 degrees Celsius (minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and with limited daylight.