Eaton selected by U.S. AFRL to design aerial refueling system

Intelligent power management company Eaton (ETN) was awarded a $3.5M Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) contract to design a new podded refueling boom, enabling traditional and non-traditional tanker aircraft to perform safe in-flight refueling. Eaton received the contract from the AFRL Transformational Capabilities Office (TCO) after participation in the Air-to-Air Refueling Mechanism Digital Design Challenge by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Department of the Air Force. Under the contract, Eaton will work closely with TCO, a unit that oversees planning and execution of innovative science and technology for AFRL, to develop the Small Hybrid Aerial Refueling Kit (SHARK). Eaton’s platform agnostic SHARK design will provide critical aerial refueling capability to a wide range of current and next-generation aircraft, including autonomous systems. “We are proud to build upon our strong relationship with the U.S. Air Force by delivering a highly adaptable, platform agnostic refueling system that strengthens their operational capabilities and long-range power projection,” said John Sapp, president, Eaton’s Aerospace Group. “We look forward to redefining what’s possible for aerial refueling with this new technology.”