Air Refueling Aircraft, First Deployment in Troop Rotation Operation

The refueling section of the KC-330, unveiled at the KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft commissioning event held at Gimhae Air Base on the 30th. / Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu]The Air Force's aerial refueling aircraft was deployed for the first time in the rotation operation of overseas dispatched troops.

On the 30th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the aerial refueling aircraft 'KC-330 Cygnus' was utilized for the rotation of the Ark Unit deployed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Cygnus took off from Incheon International Airport around 10 a.m. carrying about 130 members of the 17th rotation of the Ark Unit. After arriving at Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Cygnus is scheduled to arrive at Seoul Airport around 9 a.m. on the 3rd of next month, carrying about 130 members of the 16th rotation who had been performing missions locally. The Ark Unit has been deployed to the UAE since 2011 at the request of the UAE, conducting joint training with the UAE Special Forces. It also performs missions such as supporting UAE military training and protecting Korean nationals in the UAE in emergencies.

The 17th rotation of the Ark Unit was quarantined for two weeks before departure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. After arrival, they move to the Ark Unit's garrison by a separate vehicle without contact with outsiders. The returning 16th rotation will undergo PCR testing immediately upon return and will be quarantined at home for two weeks.

The Ministry of National Defense evaluated that the deployment of Cygnus reduced the budget compared to using civilian passenger planes and improved the operational capability of the aerial refueling aircraft. Cygnus, based on the Airbus civilian passenger aircraft A330-200, is operated by the Air Force with four units introduced.

Its main mission is aerial refueling of aircraft, but it can transport about 300 troops and 47 tons of cargo, making it deployable for missions such as evacuating overseas nationals and supporting transportation of overseas dispatched troops in emergencies. Cygnus has a range of 7,400 km, allowing it to operate worldwide without stopovers.

Cygnus was first deployed on an overseas mission on the 24th of this month when it repatriated 147 remains of fallen soldiers from Hawaii to Korea.