Transforming Flight: How Airbus SmartForce Elevates the Royal Australian Air Force
Airbus has recently finalized a contract to deliver a digital services approach for the upkeep of the Air Refueling Boom System (ARBS) on the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (A330 MRTT) fleet.
Utilizing Airbus’s SmartForce digital services suite, this initiative aims to aid the operator in minimizing maintenance expenses and enhancing fleet readiness by refining fault diagnosis and troubleshooting procedures for the ARBS of the tanker aircraft, driven by data analytics applications.
The Central Data System is pivotal, enabling operators to leverage the flight data captured by the Mission Recording System and providing insights regarding issues noted during flight along with recommended maintenance actions to address them.
Within the KC-30A Enterprise, the Central Data System is a collaborative project resulting from a prosperous, long-term partnership between Airbus, the Commonwealth of Australia (CoA), and the Australian KC-30A Through Life Support (TLS) provider Northrop Grumman Australia, focusing on data sharing and the system architecture definition.
Future enhancements to this capability will allow customers applying this technology to extend ARBS analytics to comprehensive aircraft-level diagnostics.
Stephan Miegel, Head of Military Aircraft Services at Airbus Defence and Space, stated: “Since the inception of SmartForce in 2018, Airbus is dedicated to supporting the digital transformation initiatives of our clients. Collaborating closely with them, we have executed five agreements for the co-development of new services and technologies. We take pride in witnessing military operators increasingly join us on this digital expedition.”
Jake Adams, Northrop Grumman Australia KC-30A Program Manager, remarked: “The rollout of the Central Data System has brought substantial advantages regarding the heightened availability of the ARBS. The recent agreement between Airbus and Northrop Grumman Australia ensures that the RAAF continues to gain from this capability and fosters ongoing collaboration and data sharing to boost the ARBS’s effectiveness.”
Group Captain Scott Parry, Officer Commanding Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office, commented: “The Central Data System provides a significant capability advantage for the KC-30A aircraft and reflects the robust commitment within the KC-30A enterprise to innovation and enhancement.”
SmartForce is a collection of services enabling military operators to utilize aircraft data to enhance troubleshooting, optimize maintenance efforts, forecast maintenance needs, and efficiently plan for material requirements, thereby improving fleet availability. SmartForce harnesses the potential of big data analytics combined with secure connectivity to maximize mission readiness.
