Airbus Military is within weeks of delivering its first A330-200-based multi role tanker transport (MRTT) to a Middle Eastern customer, having recently begun training of Royal Saudi Air Force personnel to operate the aircraft.
A first batch of crew began conversion activities to use the A330 MRTT at Airbus Military's Getafe site near Madrid in Spain on 25 October. The company will deliver a two-month package of instruction at the site to support the qualification of personnel to perform logistic transport and air-to-air refuelling tasks.
Saudi Arabia is scheduled to later this month take delivery of its first of six MRTTs, with the next examples to follow during 2012. The aircraft will be assigned to its air force's 13th Flying Wing, Airbus Military said.
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© Airbus Military Lessons: Crew have commenced conversion activities |
The service operates seven Boeing 707-based KE-3As and seven Lockheed Martin KC-130Hs in the tanker role, as recorded in Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.
Equipped with Cobham under-wing hose and drogue refuelling pods and an Airbus Military-developed advanced refuelling boom system, Saudi Arabia's new aircraft are powered by General Electric CF6-80E engines. Being converted in Spain, they retain a two-class cabin configuration capable of transporting up to 266 passengers.
The United Arab Emirates is to introduce the A330 MRTT to its inventory from next year, with three Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-powered examples on order. The new-generation tanker transport is also now in use with the air forces of Australia and the UK.
Reflecting the current busy nature of its development programmes, which also include flight testing the A400M "Grizzly" transport and a C-295-based airborne early warning technology demonstrator, Airbus Military will not be bringing any of its products at the show.
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Source: Flight Daily News
