The Royal Air Force’s (RAF) first A330 MRTT future strategic tanker aircraft (FSTA) has completed indoor trials in preparation for its first flight.

The A330 MRTT has been rolled out of its hangar at Airbus Military’s Getafe, Madrid, facility in Spain and will continue with outdoor trials such as fuel trials.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The tanker aircraft will be handed over to the flight test team for its maiden flight later this month once all trials are successfully completed.

Airbus Military has converted the aircraft from a basic A330-200 airframe.

The A330 will be delivered to the AirTanker consortium by the end of 2011, which will operate the aircraft on behalf of the RAF.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact