Teams competing for the UK's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme are providing the Ministry of Defence with more data on their strategic transport capabilities.
The consortia - AirTanker and Tanker Transport Services (TTSC) - are offering new Airbus A330s and ex-British Airways Boeing 767s, respectively. Earlier this year, the MoD delayed service entry by 15 months to late 2008, and postponed selecting a winning bidder. The 27-year requirement is for around 20 tankers, which the MoD will fund using a private finance initiative, paying for a "hoses-in-the-sky service" rather than for the aircraft and their operating and support costs.
The Royal Air Force's tankers, (BAC VC10s and Lockheed TriStars) are used for strategic transport as well as in-flight refuelling.
The teams say air transport has been taken into consideration. Richard Huckle, AirTanker managing director, says the A330s will retain passenger seating for all flights and "no fuel tanks impinge on the cargo bay". AirTanker comprises Cobham, EADS, KBR, Rolls-Royce and Thales.
TTSC, consisting of BAE Systems, Boeing, Serco and Spectrum Capital, has become a single company, assuming more risk, according to bid director Keith Archer-Jones, but providing better management - "important for the RAF and to exploit third-party revenue".
Industry observers say that the delay could benefit TTSC, as Boeing is working on its first 767 tankers for the Italian air force, and expects this year to finalise a deal with the US Air Force for 100 "KC-767s".
UK defence secretary Geoffrey Hoon has recently committed to boosting UK armed forces' "reach", which the observers say will favour the larger A330.
Source: Flight International
