IN ESTONIAN AIRSPACE — For most people cruising along at 30,000 feet, it’s pretty unusual to look out the window on a flight and see fighter jets.
But for the crew of this Royal Air Force Voyager, a British aerial refueling tanker, it’s just a regular day. They’re tasked with linking up with fighters in flight, matching their speed, and pumping fuel midair to keep those jets airborne and on mission for longer than their tanks alone allow.
Business Insider joined a Voyager crew in late November for a nearly nine-hour mission that launched from an RAF base in England, crossed the Baltic Sea to the edge of Eastern Europe, and looped past Russian territory on the way home.
During the fight, the Voyager refueled several British Eurofighter Typhoons, twin-engine multirole fighter jets manufactured by a consortium of European aerospace companies.
The Typhoon was introduced in 2003 and is operated by several NATO countries in addition to the UK, including Spain, Germany, and Italy.
The Voyager also refueled JAS 39 Gripens, single-engine multirole fighter jets manufactured by the Swedish aerospace firm Saab.
The Gripen, which was introduced in the mid-1990s, is operated by fewer countries than the Typhoon. Ukraine is set to procure dozens of these aircraft, widely seen as an ideal fit for Kyiv’s needs in its fight against Russia.
Refueling a fighter jet in the air takes roughly 10 minutes, a process that can be longer for larger aircraft, such as the E-3 Sentry, a surveillance plane. The Voyager offloaded about 20 of the 109 metric tons it can carry to the various aircraft during last week’s flight.
The Voyager aircraft features two underwing pods equipped with retractable hoses and small baskets at their ends. These connect to a mechanical arm at the front of the fighter jet. At this point in the refueling process, both aircraft are flying at around 300 miles per hour.
The fighter jets move carefully as they approach the Voyager’s trailing hose, inching closer until a locking mechanism connects the basket with the mechanical arm that receives the fuel.
When a fighter jet finishes refueling, it breaks away, and another one takes its place. The entire process happens just a few feet away from the tanker, making it a highly hazardous task that requires extensive training and a calm demeanor.
At certain points during the flight, Business Insider observed several fighter jets flying alongside the one refueling.
The Voyager’s interior resembles that of a commercial aircraft, with rows of economy seating, overhead luggage bins, toilets, and even a heated meal service.
The tanker — based on the Airbus A330-200 — can carry nearly 300 passengers, which is why it doubles as a cargo or personnel transport aircraft in addition to its refueling missions.
Tankers like the Voyager are crucial for military airpower, as they can significantly extend the range of fighter jets and other military aircraft, thus enabling longer-distance and duration air operations. It is an essential logistics and support capability.
The November flight supported Eastern Sentry, defensive operations that NATO launched in September following Russian drone incursions.
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