The Canadian government has contracted Airbus Defence and Space to supply four newly built Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and convert five used A330-200s into MRTT platforms for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), the company announced on 25 July 2023.
The order is worth approximately CAD 3 Bn or (EUR 2.1 Bn) excluding taxes).
Known as the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability (STTC), this new fleet of aircraft will replace the RCAF’s ageing CC-150 Polaris (A310 MRTT) fleet, which is used to perform air-to-air refuelling operations, military and personnel and cargo airlift, medical evacuations, as well as transport Canadian government VIPs.
“As the world’s most advanced multirole tanker aircraft, the A330 MRTT perfectly matches Canada’s needs to protect its sovereignty as well as to enhance operations both in the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) as well as in NATO,” Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Canada achieves this enhancement of operations not only by improving interoperability with other allied A330 MRTT customer nations but also due to the aircraft’s technological primacy ahead of the global competition.”
The newly built A330-200s will be assembled at the A330 final assembly line in Toulouse, France, and are scheduled to enter the conversion process at the A330 MRTT facilities in Getafe, Spain, in mid-2025. The first completed MRTT is to be delivered to the RCAF in 2027.
Under the agreement the A330 MRTTs will be equipped with both hose-and-drogue and boom refuelling options, maximising their compatibility with allied aircraft. The aircraft will additionally feature cyber security solutions and countermeasures and could also receive Airbus Medical Evacuation kit solutions, which consist of two intensive care units and additional stretchers.
The contract covers a full suite of training services, including full flight simulators, to prepare and maintain crew readiness as part of the modernisation of the Canadian armed forces’ air operational training infrastructure.
Airbus was selected as the only qualified supplier for the RCAF’s CC-150 tanker replacement in April 2021 following an open procurement process.
The A330 MRTT now has 76 orders from 15 customers, representing a market share outside the United States of 90%, according to Airbus. The aircraft, which can carry up to 300 troops, has clocked up more than 270,000 flight hours.
As an aerial refuelling platform the A330 MRTT can carry up to 111 tonnes of fuel – the highest capacity of all tanker aircraft, according to Airbus – and can offload 50,000 kg of fuel to a broad range of receivers during a four-hour loitering mission at over 1,000 n miles from its take-off point.
Airbus noted in its press release that it has been a leading industrial player in Canada’s aerospace sector for almost 40 years. The company employs over 4,000 people locally and sources around CAD 2 Bn from Canadian companies.
Peter Felstead
