¬² In development: In flight rearming

http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/2750_large_ABRA_big.jpg
In the future, pilots could get a fresh load of fuel and bombs mid-air

In-flight refueling has become a rather routine operation in military aviation for well over 50 years. With aerial refueling tankers, airplanes can stay aloft longer without the need to land to refuel. An Israeli company is tackling the next logical step with aerial rearming.

The Airborne Rearming System (ABRA) is currently being developed by Far Technologies and could be implemented on C-130, C-130c, C-17, or even a C-5 cargo planes. The ammunition is carried internally and a robotic arm would remove a bomb and deliver in to a ready and waiting fighter/bomber.


Related link:
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4587

That's rather interesting.

I can't imagine the plane (or UAV) being re-armed would be right behind the host aircraft as in the diagram, however. As they said in the article - the aerodynamics of the receiving plane would definetly be drastically affected by a straight-arm approach.

Currently, of course, the refueling hose dangles below the host plane and there isn't a jetwash issue. I'm sure these designers know that pilots wouldn't want ordinance dangling in front of them in the same way. Too heavy - and too much potential for...boom. Or wing break, etc.

Good post.

Yeah I wouldn't want to be the one to test it