Aerospace and defence engineering firm Legionnaire International, in conjunction with its partners MatrixSpace, Sixdof Space and Target Arm, has been selected for a USD 3.19 million (EUR 2.91 million) contract by AFWERX – the innovation arm of the US Department of the Air Force – to develop a next-generation air-to-air refuelling system.

The effort, which comes under AFWERX’s Air-to-Air Refueling Mechanism (A2RM) Digital Design Challenge, is focused on developing a Small Hybrid Aerial Refueling Kit (SHARK) to address pressing challenges faced by the US Air Force.

“Rapid and sustained power projection depends upon the long reach of airpower which, in turn, hinges on the availability of sufficient in-flight air refuelling,” Legionnaire CEO J R ‘Flash’ Starch was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Our modular SHARK system will enable traditional and non-traditional tanker aircraft to safely refuel current and future military aircraft in flight – whether crewed or uncrewed. It also provides this critical capability to our tactical fleet as NGAS [the US Air Force’s future Next Generation Air-refueling System] matures. This is particularly valuable as the US and our allies depend increasingly upon Collaborative Combat Aircraft and other uncrewed, autonomous aircraft. The SHARK is a perfect example of how to reimagine a standard practice and we are thrilled to be involved in this project with our partners.”

Under the AFWERX A2RM Challenge the US Air Force (USAF) is seeking capabilities to enable US and joint coalition aircraft to transfer fuel from legacy and future aircraft to legacy and future tactical aircraft. The USAF aims to leverage recent technological advancements in automated aerial refuelling to modernise fuel transfer systems for smaller, more flexible refuelling capabilities. Initial scoping for design considerations are to focus on preliminary use for the F-15 Eagle fighter.

The key objectives of the AFWERX A2RM Challenge are: firstly, digitally design a new fuel transfer mechanism up to a conceptual design review (CoDR), at minimum, that is compact, modular and affordable for a significantly broader range of platforms at an acceptable tolerance to performance and safety relative to design intent; and secondly, expand the list of potential vendors and solution providers of aerial refuelling subsystems.

A directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX has since 2019 executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than USD 4.7 billion to strengthen the US defence-industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability.

Legionnaire International, meanwhile, is a veteran-owned small business group based in Denison, Texas. Its team of engineers, test pilots and aircraft technicians aim to “provide new technologies to make the warfighter more effective in their mission and to come home”, the company states.

A USAF KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling an F-16. The AFWERX A2RM Challenge is focused on developing smaller, more flexible refuelling capabilities. (Photo: USAF)