🔷 SHARK in the Air

SHARK in the Air

The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) is working on a project to re-think how the Air Force performs aerial refueling.

The effort is called SHARK (Small Hybrid Area Refueling Kit), and it's part of AFWERX’s Air-to-Air Refueling Mechanism (A2RM) Challenge.

SHARK aims to design a small form factor fuel transfer mechanism that fits inside a modular, platform-agnostic pod that could be outfitted to many aircraft, designed around a size that can fit on the F-15E Strike Eagle.

How it Started

ICYMI: The Air Force uses boom-receptable refueling while the Navy (and most of the world) uses probe and drogue. The reason for this is worth understanding.

Post WWII, nuclear bombers became central to military power. To reach the Soviet Union, the US Air Force developed high-altitude jet-powered bombers—the B-47 Stratojet and the B-52 Stratofortress.

Concurrently, it was developing a way to refuel them. The probe-and-drogue system was the first design, and it worked for fighters but was unsuitable for bombers, which required a more stable platform and a much higher fuel transfer rate.

This led to the flying boom, an innovative solution that necessitated a dedicated tanker design to integrate it. The first to use the boom were the KC-97 Stratofreighter and the KC-135 Stratotanker (get the ‘strato’ name theme?).

How it’s Going

This is the Air Force system and operating model that exists today. The Navy, with no bombers to consider, adopted the simpler and cheaper probe-and-drogue system.

Probe-and-drogue has been adapted into pod configurations by multiple companies, providing platform flexibility (jets, prop planes, and even other fighters) and the capability to refuel 2 fighters simultaneously.

In contrast, the boom-receptacle system has seen minimal innovation over the years.

So What

Today, the Air Force needs more tankers, which is true, but there is some value on the margins to explore.

It all presumes 1 tanker = 1 boom—but it’s all about the receptacle, not the boom. The problem to solve is how to get more fuel into more refueling receptacles.

Designing a modular refueling receptacle that can be flown on non-tanker platforms could kickstart the innovation that has already happened with probe-and-drogue systems.

That’s what SHARK is.

AFRL awarded contracts to Legionnaire ($3.1m) and Dynetics ($2.6m), but the subcontractors provide some insights on how they are thinking of solving the problem.

The Legionnaire team includes partners MatrixSpace, Sixdof Space, and Target Arm. Matrix Space specializes in cell-phone size radars for object tracking; Sixdof Space specializes in high precision, low-latency IR beacon optical tracking; and Target Arm specializes in mobile autonomous launch and recovery systems. Now imagine a flyable/guidable drone-based connector tethered with a refueling hose and guided by optics and radar to the receptacle of an aircraft below it.

MTSI has been looking at this concept for a few years under its Autonomous Air to Air Refueling (A3R) initiative and even had a commercial-customer flight test campaign. It’s unclear why they aren’t on a SHARK contract, though.

What Now

Don’t get hung up on the F-15E as a refueling platform—that’s a flawed take.

The F-15E is the target platform to drive the designs, but the intent is for the modular pods to be used on platforms like the C-130 (like the drogue pods currently are).

It also opens the door for an unmanned tanker like Boeing’s MQ-25 drone, which could service Air Force platforms—manned or unmanned. Something like this:

— Caleb B w/ Mike B

In That Number

118.6 seconds

Dawn Hypersonics’ prototype Mk-II Aurora spaceplane completed a 66,000-foot ascent from takeoff in just 118.6 seconds, beating the F-15 Streak Eagle record set in 1975.

TRIVIA

When was the first air-to-air refueling conducted?

A) 1913
B) 1923
C) 1933
D) 1943

On the Radar

South Korea is set for an F-15K upgrade. The State Department approved $6.2B package to upgrading its 59 F-15K fighter fleet with new computers, radars (APG-82), and EW (ALQ-250 EPAWSS), and missile warning systems (AAR-57). The upgrades will keep the fleet flying into the 2040s.

• The Merge’s Take: This is an extensive upgrade, one that will take 10 years to complete. That’s a ton of time—and time is money. We’d prefer to see them pull the trigger on new F-15EX variants. Based on the recent Israeli F-15IA deal, South Korea could have used the $6.2B to buy 50 brand-new jets—ones with even more capabilities (engines, digital flight controls, full glass cockpits, more smart weapon stations, etc.)—and they would get them faster. Side note: this is the first known export approval for BAE’s EPAWSS system, a system being fielded in US F-15E/EX variants now.

Another Replicator update. Last week, we told you about the Replicator 1.2 drone selections. This week DIU announced 7 companies were tapped to compete on 2 software prototype projects to support the Replicator initiative. The autonomy/C2 is being competed amongst Anduril, L3Harris, and Swarm Aero. The network to connect them is being competed between Aalyria, Higher Ground, IoT/AI, and Viasat.

• The Merge’s Take: Keep an eye on this, especially once the administration changes. Replicator is Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks’ pet project, and we’re not confident it has the support it needs in the Pentagon or Congress to survive without her. Good news: even if the hardware aspect of Replicator dies or is curtailed, these software programs have promise—so it’s best to start thinking of them in 2 buckets.

Canada wants your help to name its 1st moon rover. The rover will launch in 2026, but you have until Dec 20th to submit your name ideas here.

• The Merge’s Take: There are 4 choices but no write-in option, so there’s no chance of another Boaty McBoatface incident.

Ukraine updates. The Pentagon is sending Ukraine anti-personnel land mines, citing changing dynamics on the front lines. Ukraine struck a Russian weapons arsenal with long-range US ATACMS missiles for the first time. Then Russia responded by firing an intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine, while Ukraine fired British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia. Speaking of cruise missiles, Ukraine has ramped up production of upgraded 250-mile R-360 Neptune cruise missiles with plans on producing 3,000 missiles in 2025 and more upgrades coming (600-mile range).

• The Merge’s Take: Expect more hostilities leading up to the US presidential inauguration. For some levity, the IRBM attack reminded us of this.

They Said It
“Oh let’s just quit on everything. We’ve got some drones. Alright, well, they’ve got 2,100 fighters. They’ve got three aircraft carriers. They have a battle force of 200 destroyers. Oh well roger, we’ve got a couple drones. No problem. You know, we’ve got that Ukraine thing licked.”

— Adm. Sam Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, sarcastically comparing be prepared for war in Ukraine with being prepared for China

Knowledge Bombs

• Romania signed a deal to buy 32 F-35 jets for an estimated $6.5B

• Northrop Grumman delivered the first Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) missile delivered to the Air Force (a derivative of the AGM-88G AARGM-ER)

• The UK test-fired the new SPEAR 3 cruise missile (planned for F-35B integration)

• Notre Dame, in partnership with the Navy, unveiled the first-ever hypersonic Mach 10 wind tunnel

• Ukraine using its T10 drone as a mother ship to launch FPV kamikaze drones (video)

• The US, Japan, and Australia agreed to adopt autonomous systems and other advanced technologies

• AeroVironment is acquiring BlueHalo (counter-drone company) for $4.1B, right after BlueHalo acquired VideoRay (underwater drones)

• Germany is buying more meteor missiles and jointly funding (with the UK and Italy) a new Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) for the Eurofighter

• Silent Arrow was awarded a $1.8m contract to build and test 6 air-launched long-range cargo drones (deliver 500 pounds 200+ miles)

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ANSWER
B. The first midair refueling was conducted between two DH-4B aircraft in 1923.