IAI Reveals Tanker Proposal
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is proposing aerial tanker versions of business jets such as the Gulfstream G550.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is proposing aerial tanker versions of business jets such as the Gulfstream G550. At the Singapore Airshow earlier this month, a company official told AIN that its small and smart tactical tanker (SSTT) is still only a proposal, aimed at reducing the costs of aerial refueling training. But the idea has obvious application to long-range strike operations by combat jets, such as the Israeli Air Force might be tasked to carry out against Iranian nuclear sites. An IAI brochure depicts an SSTT refueling from a bigger tanker before proceeding in formation with four fighters to refuel them further within 100 miles of a target. The IAI official also told AIN that the company’s first Boeing 767 Multi-Mission Tanker Transport would fly within the next few months. The Israeli Air Force is interested in using IAI-converted 767s in a dual role as a tanker and VIP transport, he added.