A330 MRTT Receives Military Certification

Spanish military certification authority Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Aerospacial (INTA) has awarded military certification to the A330 multirole tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft.

Airbus Military will deliver the first A330 MRTT aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the coming weeks.

The certification covers the design and operation of all the military systems added to the aircraft, the basic civil design, the hose and drogue, as well as the all-new aerial refuelling boom system (ARBS).

Equipped with two underwing hose-and-drogue refuelling pods and the ARBS, the A330 MRTT will be operated by 33 Squadron at RAAF Amberley.

The MRTT can also carry 270 passengers in a two-class configuration.

Airbus Military will deliver two MRTTs to the RAAF by the end of 2010.