Singapore has reached a “world-first” milestone with the full certification of the Automatic Air-to-Air Refueling (A3R) capability on its Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet.
Issued by the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology, the certification confirms the system’s maturity, safety, and reliability across diverse operational conditions, enabling Singapore’s A330 MRTTs to conduct fully automatic air-to-air refueling operations both day and night.
The achievement follows a comprehensive flight test and qualification program carried out in partnership with Airbus, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).
Introduced in 2020 under Airbus’s SMART MRTT initiative, the A3R system leverages automation and computer vision technologies to reduce operator workload by automatically detecting, tracking, and refueling receiver aircraft.
The certification campaign included day and night missions, multiple receiver aircraft types, and expanded operational envelopes, with flight testing conducted in Spain and Singapore to validate full operational readiness.
In 2022, the A330 MRTT became the first international tanker certified for daylight automatic refueling, followed by a 2023 campaign that successfully demonstrated night-time operations and hundreds of automated contacts with F-15SG and F-16 fighters.
Earlier trials also confirmed successful integration with Portuguese F-16 aircraft, demonstrating interoperability with allied air forces.
