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Aerial refueling tanker

Aerial refueling tanker

Extracted from the Wikipedia article Aerial refueling.

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The US Navy, Marine Corps, and some US Army aircraft refuel using the "hose-and-drogue" system, as do most aircraft flown by western European militaries. The Soviet Union also used a hose-and-drogue system, dubbed UPAZ, and thus later Russian aircraft may be equipped with probe and drogue. The Chinese PLAF has a fleet of Xian H-6 bombers modified for aerial refueling, and plans to add Russian Ilyushin Il-78 aerial refueling tankers. Tankers can be equipped with multipoint hose-and-drogue systems, allowing them to refuel two (or more) aircraft simultaneously, reducing time spent refueling by as much as 75% for a four-aircraft strike package.