Completion of the UK's first Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) wingset
London/Madrid, 25 February 2009
A special event took place today at Airbus' Broughton facility to mark the completion of the first Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) wingset.
Along with a number of RAF officers and MOD senior officials, the UK’s Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, MP, witnessed the wings being rolled-out of the factory and into the hold of the Airbus Beluga transport aircraft where it will be shipped to Bremen prior to final assembly in Toulouse.
AirTanker, the EADS-led consortium, signed in March 2008 a 27-year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence for the provision of air transport and air refuelling capability to the Royal Air Force. The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) programme includes the provision of a fleet of 14 new tanker aircraft, based on the latest generation Airbus A330-200 to enter service from 2011, replacing the previous fleet of VC-10 and Tristar refuelling aircraft. The contract also includes provision for all necessary infrastructure, training, maintenance, flight management, fleet management and ground services to enable the RAF to fly air-to-air refuelling and transport missions worldwide.
In the world’s largest Private Finance Initiative (PFI), the fleet will be owned and supported by AirTanker from its main operating base at RAF Brize Norton. The RAF will have complete operational control, and will fly the military missions. AirTanker will be paid according to the extent of the RAF’s use of the service.
The Airbus A330 MRTT is based on the successful A330-200, a medium-to-long range, twin aisle, twin engine, commercial aircraft of the Airbus family. Its design combines the proven fly-by-wire control system and advanced avionics with the most up-to-date manufacturing techniques. In its category the A330-200 offers the best value for money, at a competitive price, in terms of state-of-the art aircraft technology available today.
The A330-200 is considerably more capable and reliable than its predecessors. In the tanker role, the A330-200 provides twice as much fuel to receiver aircraft as the VC10. And, without any reconfiguration, in air transportation mode the A330 can fly around 300 troops and 8 tonnes of their equipment some 4,700 miles in a modern, comfortable, fully equipped passenger cabin.
The advantages of the A330 MRTT have been recognised worldwide, as it has won the last five international competitions for multi role tanker transports: The Royal Australian Air Force (5 a/c, the first A330 MRTT is in the final phase of the test programme), Royal Saudi Air Force (3 a/c), UAE Air Force (undisclosed), Royal Air Force UK, (14 a/c), US Air Force (179 a/c. September 10, 2008 the US Secretary of Defense announced the DoD had terminated the tanker RFP along with the Northrop/EADS contract. The new US Administration will confirm the requirements, evaluation criteria, and appropriate allocation of defence budget before starting a new competition. EADS and Northrop Grumman are committed to re-compete).
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2007, EADS generated revenues of € 39.1 billion and employed a workforce of about 116,000. The Group includes Airbus as the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft, with Airbus Military covering tanker, transport and mission aircraft, Eurocopter as the world's largest helicopter supplier and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programmes from Ariane to Galileo. Its Defence & Security Division is a provider of comprehensive systems solutions and makes EADS the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium as well as a stakeholder in the missile systems provider MBDA.
Media contacts
Jeremy Greaves
EADS UK
Tel.: +44 788 750 6338
mailto: jeremy.greaves@eads-uk.com
Jose María Palomino
Airbus Military
Tel.: +34 91 585 77 89
Eduardo Galicia
Airbus Military
Tel.: +34 91 585 77 89
mailto: eduardo.galicia@casa.eads.net
Barbara Kracht
Airbus Military
Tel.: +34 91 585 77 89
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