The presence of Airbus Defence and Space did not go unnoticed at the International Air Show 2022, to which they brought a great variety of aerial means, and among them, the A330 MRTT, visible from any place on the platform.
During a briefing to the specialized press, in its chalet at FIDAE 2022, the company explained the features and advantages of the model. The presentation was given by Mr. José Luis de Miguel, Product Marketing Director of Airbus Defence.
The Multi-Role Transport Tanker is a solution that Airbus believes could be of great interest to governments in the Latin American and Caribbean region, due to the ability to adapt the same platform to a wide variety of critical missions. Brazil is the launch customer for the model in the region, from which it will acquire two aircraft.
MRTT’s outstanding features
Tanker aircraft
The A330 MRTT is based on the A330-200. Between the different models of the A330 family, more than 1,500 units have been sold to customers worldwide. For the MRTT variant, Airbus has placed 68 firm orders for 14 Air Forces, of which 50 have already been delivered.
The MRTT, in its in-flight refueling configuration, carries up to 111 tons of fuel on the wings. It can be equipped with a boom under the rear fuselage to fuel US Air Force-designed aircraft. In addition, it has 2 other points on the wings for the probe and basket pods to supply the rest of the existing military aircraft.
Automation
Airbus is tuning its automatic refueling technology for autonomous operation of the lance/boom. The upgrade only requires the installation of specialized software that, using the optical sensors already installed, «sees» and makes decisions as if it were the traditional human operator, but with greater accuracy and shorter execution times.
Strategic transport
The A330 MRTT can carry, over long distances, a heavy and varied cargo of up to 45 tons in its under-deck holds, and still maintain full tanker capacity.
It can also be configured as a passenger transport in a high-density configuration, accommodating more than 300 people.
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation is another of the model’s qualities, and it can be configured to accommodate up to 130 stretchers for transporting sick or injured people, as well as nursing personnel for in-flight care.
The white A330
Despite what first appearances might suggest, the white A330 on the FIDAE 2022 platform was indeed an MRTT. The aircraft belongs to the Air Tanker company, which provides transport and in-flight refueling services to the Royal Air Force (RAF).
To this end, the company acquired 14 A330 MRTTs from Airbus, of which 9 aircraft are used for strictly military functions and are fully equipped for this purpose, and 5 units have the essential piping and equipment installed, allowing them to transfer fuel when the pods are installed on the wings, although when they are not installed, there are no visible modifications.
MRTT for Latin America
Airbus Defence & Space’s choice of having brought precisely this white A330 was not accidental. Bearing in mind the budgetary realities of the region, the company intends to emphasize the A330 MRTT’s ability to fulfill a wide variety of roles beyond the strictly military.
A small fleet of A330s can be acquired first as passenger and cargo aircraft. Then, as needs and budget arise, incremental modifications would be made to tanker aircraft and the necessary equipment added to fully perform their military role.
The realities imposed by the COVID 19 pandemic, natural disasters, and high-intensity armed conflicts such as the evacuation of Afghanistan or the war in Ukraine, impose the need for strategic aerial deployment means.
But as Airbus recognizes that given the budgetary constraints of the defense portfolios of the countries in the region, the presentation of the white aircraft sends a message to the governments and delegations visiting the show. The A330 MRTT, more than a military aircraft, is a powerful multifunctional state asset.
