Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Charles Givens | An A-10 Thunderbolt II refuels from a C-130 using a probe and drogue system for the first time in the aircraft's history, April 2, 2026. The Probe Refueling Adapter converts the A-10 from its standard boom refueling configuration, allowing the aircraft to refuel from drogue-equipped tankers and expanding operational refueling options. The capability was developed in response to a combatant command requirement to increase air refueling availability in theater. see less
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AATC leads multi-organization team, fields refueling probe for A-10s in record time
The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) led a rapid multi-organization effort that delivered probe and drogue air refueling capability to the A-10 Thunderbolt II, responding to an urgent combatant command requirement.
The Probe Refueling Adapter addresses operational availability of aerial refueling in theater, expanding refueling options for deployed A-10 units.
The adapter fits into the air refueling receptacle on the nose of the A-10, converting the aircraft from its standard boom refueling configuration to a probe and drogue system. The modification allows A-10s to refuel from HC-130 tankers, significantly expanding refueling options for deployed units.
The capability gap emerged from limited aerial refueling pairing options available to mission planners. With KC-10 tankers retired and KC-46 certification pending, A-10 units remained dependent on KC-135 aircraft for aerial refueling. The probe adapter enables A-10s to refuel from C-130 tankers, whose airspeeds and altitudes prove more compatible with A-10 operations and whose mission sets align more closely with close air support and combat search and rescue operations.
AATC coordinated the effort across multiple organizations to compress development timelines. An industry partner developed and built the probe adapter while the A-10 System Program Office provided engineering oversight for aircraft integration. ARCWERX enabled rapid contract acquisition, and Luke Air Force Base fabricated supporting components to accelerate delivery. The 418th Flight Test Squadron provided the HC-130 tanker and crew for the first refueling mission.
"Once the combatant command issued the requirement, all of the standard acquisition processes began immediately, but everyone involved understood the urgency," said Lt. Col. Luke Haywas, Director of Test for AATC. "The SPO, ARCWERX, industry partners, and supporting units each brought critical expertise to the effort. Nothing was shortcut or compromised from a technical or safety standpoint. We just accelerated every step we could."
The probe adapter represents a field-configurable solution designed for installation by operational flight line personnel. Units can install or remove the adapter in a matter of hours, allowing aircraft to be reconfigured between boom and probe refueling capability based on mission requirements.
"This project demonstrates that AATC can serve as a rapid response mechanism when combatant commanders face urgent capability gaps," said Col. Daniel Wittmer, AATC commander. "We maintained relationships with system program offices and industry partners, and we brought the test expertise needed to move from concept to fielded capability in weeks. That's not a one-time accomplishment. It's a model for how the Air Force can deliver operationally relevant capabilities to warfighters at the speed that modern conflict demands."
The compressed timeline reflects an operational reality where the speed of capability delivery increasingly determines whether the Air Force maintains its warfighting advantage.
The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center is responsible for operational flight test, tactics development, and evaluation for all Air Reserve Component weapons systems. The organization is also chartered to modernize the Air Reserve Component's Battlefield Airman Enterprise, which includes Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Cyber, Space, and all Combined Test Forces.
