The first Airbus A330 aircraft platform slated for the United Kingdom’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) program has arrived ahead of schedule to begin its conversion into a Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) at Airbus Military facilities in Madrid, Spain. The Royal Air Force (RAF) tanker uses the same basic airframe as Northrop Grumman’s KC-45, which is proposed for the U.S. Air Force’s tanker fleet modernization. EADS North America is a principal subcontractor with responsibility for delivering the KC-45 aircraft platform, which will be produced at a new aviation center of excellence to be built in Mobile, Ala.
The United Kingdom’s FSTA program involves the acquisition of 14 A330 MRTT-based tanker/transports for the RAF. With a service entry planned for 2011, the new aircraft will progressively replace the country’s fleet of aging VC-10 and TriStar refueling aircraft.
