EADS Starts Military Conversion of First Airbus A330 Tanker For Australia

Defense Daily, June 8, 2006 by Michael Sirak

By Michael Sirak

The first of five Airbus A330 aircraft being converted to multi-role aerial refueling platforms for Australia arrived at the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) facility in Spain, where it will undergo its final military modifications before entry into service in two years, the European aerospace giant announced earlier this week.

Delivery of the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to EADS CASA's outfitting facility in Getafe, Spain, occurred during a ceremony on June 6, according to a statement issued by the company to mark the occasion. In attendance were senior company officials as well as high-ranking representatives from the Australian Ministry of Defence, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Australian Embassy in Spain, EADS said. Officials from Northrop Grumman [NOC], which leads a team with EADS North America that is competing to build next- generation tankers for the U.S. Air Force, were also there, the statement said.

EADS said the delivery of the aircraft was another important milestone for its A330-based tanker programs, and, in particular, for its efforts to be positioned optimally in the coming year to compete against U.S. aerospace behemoth Boeing [BA] for the rights to replace the U.S. Air Force's aging KC- 135s. Northrop and EADS are offering the KC-30 tanker, which is based on the A330. In addition to Australia, the United Kingdom is acquiring the A330 MRTT (Defense Daily, Jan. 27, 2004).

"This aircraft platform delivery reinforces the fact that EADS' newest next-generation tanker is well underway and moving forward in production," Ralph Crosby, chairman and chief executive officer of EADS North America, said at the ceremony. "Today's milestone follows recent in-flight evaluations of the A330 MRTT's advanced fly-by-wire refueling boom, a key element of Northrop Grumman's KC-30 offering to the U.S. Air Force."

At Getafe, EADS will mate the aircraft with the centerline boom, which is formally known as the Air Refueling Boom System (ARBS). The aircraft will also receive the hose-and-drogue pods that will be mounted under each wing as well as a centerline hose-and-drogue refueling unit, the company said.

Australia chose the A330 MRTT in April 2004 over Boeing's KC-767A tanker to replace the RAAF's ageing Boeing 707 aerial refueling aircraft (Defense Daily, April 19, 2004). The new tankers will support the country's F/A-18s, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, F-111s and its airborne warning and control aircraft.

Because the five A330 MRTTs will carry both the centerline boom and the hose-and-drogue equipment, they will be able to refuel coalition aircraft in addition to Australian platforms, EADS said in its statement.

The Australian tankers will come with an equipment kit including hospital beds so that they can perform medical evacuations. They will also have the capacity to haul up to 272 passengers or commercial and military cargo pallets. They will also be fitted with a defensive suite of electronics to protect against surface-to-air missiles, according to EADS.

Deliveries of the five Australian A330 MRTTs are scheduled to begin in 2008. The tanker will enter service the following year after completing operational test and evaluation, according to the EADS statement.

The first A330 MRTT, now at Getafe, is already painted in RAAF colors, according to the company. This aircraft completed an initial series of flight tests in April that included trials during which it positioned itself behind a French Air Force C-135FR tanker. These exercises validated the ability of the A330 to receive fuel in flight from another tanker via its upper fuselage- mounted receptacle, the company said.

Northrop Grumman and EADS announced their partnership in September 2005 (Defense Daily, Sept. 8, 2005).

The successful integration of the boom on the Australian tankers is seen by outside observers as critical to the KC-30's chances in the U.S. market since the Australian aircraft will be the first Airbus tankers to carry the ARBS. U.K. Royal Air Force A330 MRTTs, for which deliveries are expected to commence in the next several years, will carry only hose-and-drogue systems to offload fuel.

[Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]

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