'Cygnus' Deployed in Operation to Rescue Israeli Overseas Nationals

Fifth Deployment for Transport Missions Including Overseas Korean Residents

The 'Cygnus (KC-330)' deployed for transporting Korean residents in Israel is an Air Force aerial refueling tanker and large transport aircraft capable of carrying about 300 personnel.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Cygnus departed Korea on the 13th and left for Korea on the early morning of the 14th carrying a total of 220 people, including 163 Korean nationals, 51 Japanese, and 6 Singaporeans.

Cygnus is a modified civilian passenger aircraft Airbus A330-200 that can transport about 300 personnel and 47 tons of cargo.

It has a wingspan of 60.3m, length of 58.8m, height of 17.4m, a maximum speed of Mach 0.86, a maximum cruising altitude of about 12,600m, and a maximum range of about 14,800km.

The first Cygnus was delivered in November 2018, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th units were additionally introduced the following year, enabling the Air Force to conduct normal aerial refueling operations with a total of four aircraft since July 2020.

Compared to the C-130 transport aircraft owned by the Air Force, Cygnus has a longer range and can carry more personnel, which is why it was deployed for this Korean resident transport operation in Israel.

This is the fifth time Cygnus has been deployed for transporting overseas personnel such as Korean residents. In July 2020, it was used to transport workers dispatched to Iraq due to the spread of COVID-19, and in July 2021, it transported Cheonghae Unit soldiers performing missions in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.

In August 2021, during the Taliban's capture of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, it carried out the 'Miracle Operation' to bring local collaborators back to Korea, and in April this year, it was deployed in the 'Promise Operation' to transport local Korean residents during the Sudan civil war.

It was also deployed for the repatriation of General Hong Beom-do's remains and the urgent airlift operation of urea solution in 2021, and in February this year, it conducted a humanitarian support operation sending emergency relief teams and supplies to T?rkiye, which suffered from an earthquake.

The primary mission of Cygnus as an aerial refueling tanker is to supply fuel to fighter jets operating in the air. Cygnus can carry 111 tons of fuel, allowing it to refuel up to 15 F-35A jets, 10 F-15K jets, and 20 KF-16 jets.

An Air Force official explained, "Cygnus plays a significant role in expanding the operational radius of fighter jets, increasing their loiter time, and enhancing their armament capacity, and it has also made remarkable contributions to transporting overseas Korean residents and humanitarian support."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.