The Royal Air Force's first modified Airbus A330 tanker has made its first flight equipped with Cobham hose and drogue refuelling pods.
Flown from Airbus Military's Getafe site near Madrid, the Rolls-Royce Trent 700-powered aircraft is the first of 14 A330-200s due to be converted under the UK's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) deal.
Airbus Military says the tanker followed "a routine acceptance flight profile" for its 16 September debut, but that no refuelling activity took place. The sortie lasted just under two hours, it adds.
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The milestone comes as the UK's private finance initiative deal for FSTA with EADS UK-led AirTanker Services is facing fresh scrutiny over its projected £13 billion ($20.3 billion) price tag.
“I am confident that we will deliver the reliable and efficient refuelling and transport service that the RAF and wider armed forces deserve and need, with the new FSTA fleet at the core,” says AirTanker chief executive Phill Blundell.
The company says the first group of RAF engineers to be prepared to support operations with the new aircraft will enter training next January, with flight trials with receiver aircraft to commence at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire “in spring”.
Source: Flight International
