EADS North America is planning to construct a mobile conversion centre in the US, where the KC-45 aerial refuelling tanker aircraft will be militarised for the US Air Force.

The KC-45 is the US configuration of the Airbus Military A330 multirole tanker transport, which is in production for four US allies, which selected it over Boeing tankers.

The KC-45 is the only tanker offered to the US Air Force that is flying and refuelling, with more than 1,300 aerial refuelling contacts and 1.2 million pounds of fuel transferred.

The conversion centre is one part of a large aircraft production facility that EADS North America will construct in Mobile, Alabama, US, to build the KC-45 if the Air Force selects it as its new aerial refueller.