[Defense Column] The Transport Aircraft 'Cygnus' That Rescued the Cheonghae Unit

[Kim Daeyoung, Military Analyst] On July 18th at 4 p.m., a KC-330 Cygnus aerial refueling aircraft of the Air Force took off from Busan Gimhae Airport. The operation, named ‘Oasis,’ was aimed at transporting the crew members of the 34th Cheonghae Unit’s Munmu the Great ship, who tested positive for COVID-19, back from Africa.

The Ministry of National Defense decided to deploy a special mission team of about 200 personnel to the site and safely evacuate the Cheonghae Unit members to Korea using the aerial refueling aircraft. The KC-330 used in this operation is an aerial refueling aircraft manufactured by the European company Airbus, with a wingspan of 60.3 meters, length of 58.8 meters, and height of 17.4 meters, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 0.86. Its maximum cruising altitude is 12,600 meters, maximum range is 15,320 km, and maximum fuel capacity is 245,000 pounds. The KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft, which was commissioned on January 30, 2019, has a total of four units in operation, with two deployed for this mission.

The KC-330, the Air Force’s first aerial refueling aircraft, hides versatile functions like a ‘multi-tool.’ Despite being an aerial refueling aircraft, its wide fuselage makes it suitable for carrying various military cargo. The interior is designed to optimize seating arrangements for all classes. It also guarantees high capacity and comfort. It offers various seating configurations, such as 253 seats divided into three classes like a passenger plane, 298 seats in two classes, or over 300 seats in a single class.

Additionally, the KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft can be easily converted for medical evacuation purposes, capable of carrying up to 130 medical stretchers inside. Notably, among the KC-330 aircraft introduced, there is reportedly a VIP version equipped with business-class seats. The KC-330 Cygnus is based on the Airbus A330 MRTT, which was developed by modifying the Airbus A330-200 passenger aircraft. The A330 passenger aircraft is a best-selling medium-to-long-range airliner, with over 1,700 units sold to more than 120 customers worldwide, and over 1,400 currently in operation.

The price of the A330 passenger aircraft varies between 100 billion and 200 billion Korean won depending on the model. The introduction of the KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft involved a budget of 1.5 trillion Korean won. This includes the base aircraft price plus modification and development costs, as well as survival equipment capable of jamming and evading enemy surface-to-air missiles. Because of this, the KC-330 commands a higher price than the standard A330 passenger aircraft. It is estimated that each aircraft costs between 300 billion and 400 billion Korean won. The budget also covers facility construction costs necessary for operation and maintenance.

The flying boom installed on the KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft can refuel flying combat aircraft with up to 1,200 gallons of aviation fuel per minute. For reference, 1,200 gallons equals 4,542 liters, and considering that a mid-sized car’s fuel tank holds about 55 liters, this amount can fill approximately 80 mid-sized cars. The name Cygnus for the KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft was chosen through a contest among Air Force personnel and means ‘Swan Constellation.’