Palestine Action has claimed that RAF aircraft based at Brize Norton are involved in refuelling Israeli fighter jets, citing this as justification for their recent sabotage of two RAF Voyagers.
However, the technical basis of this claim is false. The Royal Air Force’s Voyager tankers are physically incompatible with Israeli Air Force aircraft.
The RAF operates the Voyager KC2 and KC3, which use the probe-and-drogue method of aerial refuelling. This system involves a flexible hose with a drogue basket that extends from the tanker. Receiving aircraft must be fitted with a refuelling probe that connects with the drogue to take on fuel. This method is standard across the UK and NATO for aircraft such as the Typhoon, F-35B, and other compatible platforms.
Israeli fighter aircraft, including the F-15 and F-16, use the flying boom method. This involves a rigid, steerable boom extending from the tanker aircraft, which connects to a receptacle on the receiving jet. Israel uses converted Boeing 707s and has recently begun operating KC-46 tankers, both of which are equipped with flying boom systems.
The two systems are not interchangeable. RAF Voyagers do not have booms and cannot be modified to carry them without extensive structural redesign. It is not a matter of operational secrecy or political alignment. It is a basic question of engineering. A Voyager cannot refuel an Israeli F-15 any more than a diesel pump can refuel a petrol engine.
A defence source familiar with RAF refuelling operations said: “There is no compatibility between British and Israeli refuelling systems. Even if there were political will, the equipment simply does not work together.”
The claim that British tankers are supporting Israeli missions from RAF Akrotiri or elsewhere is therefore not supported by either operational evidence or mechanical feasibility. In practice, RAF Voyagers are used to support UK operations in the Middle East, including Operation Shader against Islamic State, and to refuel British aircraft such as Typhoons on Quick Reaction Alert duty.
While Palestine Action may believe the aircraft are involved in Israeli military activity, their claims do not stand up to scrutiny. The RAF does not refuel Israeli aircraft.
I heard a defence commentator on Sky News say that Voyagers could act as a force multiplier for the Israelis if we were dragged in. I was livid.
1) Voyagers are not capable of refuelling IAF combat aircraft.
2) It implies if that if we were to enter we’d be an enabler for others rather than an independent actor on our own. Clearly the Voyagers would be needed to support the Typhoons on any operations.
3) It implies that our priority would be assisting Israel in its objectives, rather than protecting the UK’s own interests. There is obviously some overlap, but they are still different.
‘Defence commentator’ say no more🙄
Classic response. A huge number of these defence commentators are utter morons- they actually know bog all about the subject matter and haven’t even undertaken the most basic of cross referencing or checks before sprouting their BS and making the whole thing up, which then gets repeated and people actually believe what they have heard.
Additionally, they’ve seen that the Voyager is similar to the RAAF A330-300MRTT and jumped to the conclusion that it can perform the same tasks as the RAAF, even though the IAF F-15, F-16, and F-35I “Adir” require a boom. Even though the Voyagers can have a boom installed, I doubt the government will fund it. It may be the same aircraft, but the fuelling method is different. This is most likely why, due to the incorrect information, the Voyagers were targeted. At least we know what the terrorists watch. Correct me if I’m wrong.
I know it says it in the article, but it was important to relate to the latter half of my comment. Oh, and didn’t accidentally scroll past the important part of the article on my phone. lol
I agree with your point 3. There is obviously some overlap between our and Israel’s interests (Iran getting nuclear weapons can’t be in the interest of many countries!) but I can’t see that it’s in our interest to get involved militarily in the conflict. What’s more, even if it was in the UK’s interests to do so, it certainly not necessary that we do.
Israel’s military is streets ahead of its near peers and it’s clear that the USA will go to enormous lengths to protect what it obviously sees as its most important ally (sorry Mr. Putin but them’s the facts). The increasingly powerful Evangelical caucus in the US has been a tremendous advocate of Netanyahu and the Greater Israel movement; well you would too if you thought it presaged the Second Coming of You-Know-Who and eternal cosmic bliss for the righteous i.e. them).
I suspect that I’m not the only one who has lost all regard for Israel in this last year but, given their recent actions in Gaza, I highly doubt that they give a damn about what outsiders like me think about them so I guess that puts us about even.
So in summary, my view is that the Israelis don’t need our help and we don’t need to offer them any support; so let’s make sure we keep the focus on helping Ukraine defeat Russia.
We can but watch and hope the whole sorry saga in the ME doesn’t cascade into something even worse from our perspective (e.g. North Korea gifting Iran and perhaps even terrorist groups nuclear weapons).
Why no details of this sabotage?
Just made the same point…
Previous article Grshsm. We have all let off steam there.
It was one reason why the US was so keen for Britain to take part in the dreadful Iraq business, as they could refuel USN aircraft which use the same system. However, I was told that there were at least trials to adapt to the boom system which were successful. No voyagers then of course, so I don’t know if the same thing is possible. I didn’t see what damage had been done by ‘Palestine Action’ in the article.
Voyager can have boom refuelling – it does in AUS service….it doesn’t in UK service….
KC10s could also refuel USN aircraft…
I’m afraid the truth never actually matters to the offended, just their own dialogues.
As usual – abysmal security from MPG and further inditement of service cuts. We can’t even secure the FEW remaining bases! Goodness knows what would happen if aircraft are ‘dispersed’!
The only people who care about this issue are Brits … does one really imagine that anyone in Israel could care less what the UK does, let alone blathers, about the current conflict?
I did hear something about equipping the Voyagers with probes to enable them to refuel allied aircraft. It would also make sense for some of our larger aircraft I thin (I seem to recall the E3s had both systems, not sure about our EC135s, P8s and the E7s
Damaging military aircraft should be regarded as treasonous especially as their justification is entirely invalid.
The resident Rock apes need to be reprimanded and the perpetrators jailed.