Airbus Defence and Space has signed two contracts with the French government’s Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) and Direction de la Maintenance Aéronautique (DMAé) for a total value of € 1.2 billion. These contracts are to enhance the capabilities of the French A330 MRTTs (Multi Role Tanker Transport) fleet and provide in-service support for these aircraft.
According to Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, the company is preparing for the future with this new capability of the aircraft by transforming the MRTT into an in-flight communications node as the first building block of the Multi Role Tanker Transport of the future, which will be embedded in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
The Standard 2 contract is an important stepping stone towards developing multi-role tanker transportation in the future
The Standard 2 contract includes provisions for enhancing the capabilities of the French MRTTs, with a primary emphasis on the capabilities of connectivity and self-protection as fundamental pillars. The MELISSA satellite communication station will be installed on board the aircraft to maintain connectivity at all times, regardless of the surrounding environment or the severity of the weather.
With the new capabilities, the French A330 MRTT can function as a high-bandwidth communication relay node with command and control capabilities. This will establish the foundation for the A330 MRTT’s eventual incorporation into the future air combat cloud that will be a part of the FCAS.
The A330 MRTT No. 15, which is scheduled to have its conversion completed at the Airbus military facilities in Getafe, will be the first aircraft to be upgraded to Standard 2. It is anticipated that the French Air Force will be able to qualify it in 2028. After that, the Istres Air Base in France will bring the other 14 French A330 MRTTs up to the Standard 2 level of maintenance and repair.
Ten years of support during in-service training
At the Istres Air Base in the south of France, which is home to the 31st Strategic Air Refuelling and Transport Wing, the second contract provides for the In-Service Support of the ‘Phénix’ fleet for ten years, with a further two years of extension available. Airbus, in its capacity as the prime contractor, with its preferred partners in France, will be in charge of the fleet modernisation, maintenance, logistics, and technical support necessary to ensure that the aircraft are available for operational use. To better support these operations, the local Airbus workforce in France will be increased by 50 per cent.
The support services implemented as a result of these contracts guarantee a degree of availability, reactivity, and resilience compatible with the requirements of the Strategic Air Forces and the French Air Force. This includes providing support for aircraft stationed in countries other than France.
More than 18,000 hours of flying time have been logged on the French Air and Space Force’s twelve A330 MRTTs, which go by the codename “Phénix.” With 15 A330 MRTT on order, France is the largest customer for Airbus’s medium-range tactical transport aircraft.
Outside of the United States of America, the A330 MRTT has received 79 orders from 15 nations, giving it a market share of 90% and more than 270,000 hours spent in the air.
