Airbus Defence and Space has signed a 10-year contract with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for a simulation and training package for the A330 Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) Fleet (MMF), including the provision of a full mission simulator, the company announced on 23 July 2024.
The contract, signed after an open tender, consists of several services packages with the main one being the full mission simulator, comprising a full flight simulator, an air-to-air refuelling operation station and an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) data package.
The full flight simulator, with CAE as the main subcontractor, and the air-to-air refuelling operation station will be linked together to form a full mission simulator that will replicate A330 MRTT’s flight and refuelling operations. The simulator will be located at the Air Mobility Training Center (AMTC) in Rijen, the Netherlands.
The OEM data package contains software and simulation data from Airbus systems, providing the simulator with the necessary elements to be certified according to the Dutch Military Aviation Authority (MAA-NLD).
Airbus will be responsible for the delivery and set-up of these simulators during the first three years of the contract, followed by maintenance and operation activities for the next two years after the ready-for-training phase. Additional services for the operation and training of pilots and air-to-air refuelling operators (AROs) may be added at any time for up to 10 years.
“The Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) stands out as a unique example of effective co-operation between NATO and the European Union in delivering critical capabilities,” Airbus stated in a press release. “It is owned by NATO, managed by NPSA through a dedicated support partnership, and it includes Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic under a pooling and sharing concept, in which participating nations benefit from economies of scale.”
The MMF currently consists of eight of the 10 aircraft ordered, with Eindhoven in the Netherlands as the main operating base and Cologne in Germany as the forward operating base. Since the start of the programme, MMF pilots and AROs have been trained at the International Training Centre (ITC) in Seville.
