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| Airbus A330 MRTT |
Militarymedia.net - The A330 MRTT is a military version of the civilian A330 aircraft, made by the European multinational aerospace company Airbus. The abbreviation, MRTT, stands for Multi Role Tanker Transport, which describes this aircraft perfectly. The MRTT A330 can be used as a cargo or troop transport aircraft, or an air refueling tanker. It made its first flight in 2007. Since 2011 at least 26 of these aircraft have been produced. It is used by 4 different countries. The Australian Air Force has 5 of them (KC-30A), the Royal Saudi Air Force has 6, the United Arab Emirates Air Force currently has 3, while the largest A330 MRTT fleet is part of the United Kingdom Air Force. France, Singapore and South Korea have also booked the aircraft. Several more countries are interested in acquiring these military aircraft.
The Royal Air Force uses a version, locally called Voyager KC2 and Voyager KC3. There are currently 12 units, while aircraft are still being ordered. It is planned that the RAF will use the aircraft for the next three decades.
The United States made an offer to purchase a variant of the Airbus A330 MRTT, which was specially modified to suit their needs. The prototype was called the KC-45, but they canceled the deal before it was produced. However, the U.S. may still be interested in these aircraft, such as India, the Netherlands, etc.
The reason why this aircraft is in demand is simple. Many countries need powerful military aircraft, capable of handling many loads. The Airbus A330 MRTT has a capacity for 291 passengers and 8 military pallets, as well as two lower deck containers; the total weight can be more than 100 t. Alternatively, it can serve as a refueling tanker with a maximum fuel capacity of 111 t. Carrying 65 tons of fuel, the aircraft has a range of 1,852 km, plus can fly 2 hours at the station.
A Multi-role Airbus A330 Tanker Transport is estimated to cost about $200 Million.
