The British company Cobham has been commissioned to develop a system that will allow the MV-22B Ospreys to refuel the entire Marine Corps air force, including F-35Bs, in flight.
The company announced a few hours ago the contract with Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office to develop a roll-on / roll-off system, known as VARS or V-22 Aerial Refueling System, based on the FR-300 used on the KC- 130.
The VARS fleet will be able to refuel all of the Marines' fixed-wing aircraft, including F-35Bs and F / A-18 Hornets, extending their operational range.
The refueling system will be developed at Cobham's Mission Systems facility in Davenport, Iowa. The first kits will be delivered in 2018. Each VARS unit will be capable of carrying up to 10.000 pounds of fuel.
(Photo: US Marine Corps)
