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13 September 2024

A330 mrtt: the evolution of the world's leading air-to-air refuelling tanker.

With more than 300,000 flight hours and 15 customers worldwide, the A330 Multi Role Transport Aircraft (MRTT) is more than just a tanker. From pioneering automatic refuelling to taking connectivity to the next level, here are ten facts about the aircraft that help keep it ahead of the game.

1. Ready for mission

With ten operators and 15 user nations, the A330 Multi Role Transport Aircraft (MRTT) fleet has accumulated more than 300,000 flight hours. This operational readiness is reflected in the fact that the Airbus tanker is approved to refuel more than 25 different aircraft receivers, either using the hose and drogue or boom refuelling systems, or the fuselage refuelling unit for large probe-equipped aircraft such as the A400M . With a market share of over 90% (outside the US), the A330 MRTT has been ordered by launch customer Australia , France, NATO’s Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Spain and Canada. A total of 82 aircraft have been sold to date.

A330 MRTT: 300,000 flight hours and counting

2 .  Automatic refuelling, day and night!

The A330 MRTT features pioneering advances such as fly-by-wire control for the refuelling boom, and a high-resolution 2D/3D digital system that improves visibility for refuelling operators.  Together with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), Airbus launched the SMART MRTT project a few years ago. This saw  the world's first automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) using the boom system, with  certification for daytime operations achieved in 2022.  In July this year, Airbus continued the development by conducting more than 500 night automatic refuelling tests, which should enable certification for night operations by early next year. The RSAF is already using the A3R's groundbreaking daytime refuelling capability. Other operators are expected to follow.

VIDEO A330 MRTT Automatic Air-to-Air Refuelling (Night Ops)

3. The transition to the A330 MRTT+

Airbus is preparing a new major evolution of the tanker, through the A330 MRTT+ programme. The A330-200 baseline aircraft will be replaced by the A330neo (A330-800). The main changes are to the wings and engines, while the passenger cabin will also be improved. These aerodynamic and propulsion improvements are expected to reduce the aircraft's fuel burn by up to 8%, allowing for more range and/or offload capacity. Furthermore, Airbus is working at expanding the connectivity of the A330 MRTT, turning the tanker into a battlefield communications node. Following a development phase, the A330 MRTT+ is expected to be introduced to customers in the coming years.

4. Towards fully autonomous operations

Airbus is exploring further automation that would allow the tanker to control the aircraft being refuelled, with or without a crew. The  18-month  Auto'Mate campaign tested a technology demonstrator designed to explore and develop Autonomous Assets Air-to-Air Refuelling (A4R) and Autonomous Formation Flight (AF2) operations. The idea is to automate the entire refuelling process. This entails tankers autonomously guiding a 'receiver' aircraft into position, followed by fuel transfer and safe separation. Auto'Mate paves the way for in-flight refuelling of non-piloted combat aircraft such as drones, as well as reusing technologies in remote carrier and ‘ wingman ' operations - key unmanned elements of Europe's  Future Combat Air System (FCAS) .

Airbus used its A310 MRTT for the Auto'Mate flight campaign. Over the years, the company has used this flying testbed for air-to-air refuelling developments and in-house innovative projects, such as the A330 MRTT boom refuelling system. The boom introduced new technologies such as electric actuators, a hoist, flight controls, a high-resolution digital vision system and new capabilities such as a fuel flow rate of 1200 US gallons per minute, dual redundancy and envelope protection.   

5 . Enabling air power projection 

This summer, the A330 MRTT joined forces with other Airbus military aircraft to play a crucial role in the  Pacific Skies 24 major overseas joint airlift. France, Singapore, the UK and the German-led Multinational MRTT Unit (MMU) all relied on the aircraft for logistical support, in addition to its primary tanker role. 

Indeed, the MRTT's air-to-air refuelling capability has been a driving force behind the air forces' air power projection in recent years. The French Air and Space Force's annual long-range Pégase mission in the Indo-Pacific region in 2021 saw frontline fighters fly 17,000 km to Polynesia in 48 hours, while the Royal Air Force's Mobility Guardian exercise in 2023 saw an A400M make the longest flight ever undertaken by a propeller aircraft: a non-stop journey of over 11,000 km to the Pacific island of Guam. Both record flights were supported by in-flight refuelling from the A330 MRTT. 

6 . Protecting national and European sovereignty 

The A330 MRTT is a key asset in strengthening Europe's strategic autonomy and security. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the tanker has supported NATO's  Air Shielding mission , which uses fighter jets and ground-based air defence systems to protect the skies and borders of eight member countries. The area represents over 2,500 kilometres of territory stretching from Estonia to Bulgaria. Playing its part,  NATO's MMU fleet, currently comprising eight of the ten aircraft ordered, provides air-to-air refuelling for allied fighters, increasing their interoperability, flight time and readiness.

Video A330 MRTT

7. Pooling and sharing, adding value for the customer

The Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) is a unique example of cooperation between NATO and the European Union in the provision of critical capabilities. The fleet includes aircraft belonging to  Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic under a pooling and sharing approach. Participating nations share costs in proportion to their annual flight hours, benefiting  from economies of scale. In the UK, the Air Tanker Consortium manages the maintenance, infrastructure, crew training and spares required to support the Royal Air Force's 14 MRTT aircraft. Created through a Private Finance Initiative pooling government and  private sector investment, this arrangement allows the Consortium to use any spare aircraft for short-term air charter or lease to other commercial airlines for commercial gain. 

8. Medical evacuation and humanitarian relief

The A330 MRTT does not require auxiliary fuel tanks. The main cabin and lower deck cargo areas can easily meet troop or equipment transport requirements, while providing in-flight refuelling, all in a single mission. The aircraft can be configured for medical evacuation of up to 40 light care patients. Operators such as the French Air and Space Force have developed a dedicated ‘Morphée’ intensive care module to enable the transport of six to 12 critically injured patients over a distance of 10,000 km.

The A330 MRTT is also a valuable tool in humanitarian relief operations. French A330 MRTTs, named ‘Phénix’, supported the deployment of firefighters and rescue teams following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023. Two months later France, Spain and the UK used the A330 MRTT to evacuate their nationals and other foreign citizens  from Sudan in a complex and highly critical situation, as a spiral of violence rapidly spread across the country. 

A French Air and Space Force A330 MRTT cabin configured for medical evacuation. 

9. Pioneering the use of sustainable aviation fuel

With the potential to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional fuel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will play an increasing role in the decarbonisation of the defence sector. In November 2022, the Royal Air Force became the  world’s first operational military aircraft to fly on pure sustainable aviation fuel. Since then, the RAF has conducted further SAF trials, including the first use onboard the Eurofighter of SAF blended with regular aviation fuel. The fighters received the blend as part of an  in-flight refuelling exercise from a Voyager MRTT aircraft in April 2023.

The Royal Air Force, Airbus and other industry partners carried out the world’s first 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel using an in-service military aircraft in 2022.

10. Made in Europe for the world

It all started 20 years ago when a group of bold people developed the first in-flight boom refuelling system in Airbus history, in a market that was then served by a single supplier. Few could have imagined that the A330 MRTT would go on to become the world's leading refuelling aircraft. The A330-200 is assembled at Airbus’ Toulouse, France final assembly line, before transferring to the MRTT conversion centre at Airbus' Getafe facility in Spain. The conversion takes approximately one year, from disassembly, mechanical and electrical modifications (wiring, avionics) to functional testing and refurbishment (re-installation of components). This optimised industrial process enables the conversion of about five aircraft per year. 

                                                    Discover more about A330 MRTT

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel - SAF
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In-flight refueling tanker aircraft, united kingdom | 2012, "the royal air force expects to lease some fourteen french airbus a330 mrtt tankers under the voyager kc2 and kc3 designations.".

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RAF A330MRTT: The Voyager in Action

The RAF variant of the A330MRTT is called the Voyager and was purchased through a public-pirvate partnership approach.

According to the RAF website , the Voyager and its role within the RAF is described as follows:

Voyager is the RAF’s sole air-to-air refuelling (AAR) tanker and also operates as a strategic air transport.  The aircraft is in service as the Voyager KC.Mk 2, equipped with two underwing pods for refuelling fast jets, and as the Voyager KC.Mk 3, with an additional centreline hose for use by large aircraft. 

Fuel offloaded during AAR is taken from the aircraft’s standard wing and fuselage tanks, leaving the cabin free for up to 291 personnel and the hold available for freight.  As a tanker, capabilities include the ability to operate a ‘towline’, where the Voyager orbits around a prescribed area awaiting ‘receivers’, or in a ‘trail’, where it flies with a number of fast jets, refuelling them over long ranges while taking responsibility for the formation’s fuel and navigation.

Alternatively, it can operate as a passenger aircraft in much the same way as a civilian airliner, but delivering personnel safely into theatre thanks to its defensive aids suite.  Voyager also offers considerable capacity for the movement of palletised and/or bulk freight in its lower fuselage hold.  A versatile aeromedical configuration, including the ability to carry up to 40 stretchers and three critical care patients is available, as is a modest VIP passenger fit. 

TYPE HISTORY

Airbus Industrie launched its combined A340/A330 programme on June 5, 1987.  It aimed to produce a family of closely related widebody airliners based on the four-engined, long-haul A340 and twin-engined, medium-haul A330.  The latter achieved its first flight, with General Electric engines, on November 2, 1992, with the initial Rolls-Royce Trent-powered machine following on January 31, 1994.

Typically for Airbus, the A330’s pilots interact with its fly-by-wire system via sidestick controllers rather than the yoke traditionally associated with large aircraft.  The basic A330-200 and longer A330-300 have been developed into a wide range of subvariants offering revised performance and different maximum take-off weights.

The earlier A310 widebody had found favour with several air arms as the basis for conversion into a military transport or multi-role tanker transport (MRTT), and Airbus recognised the type’s potential as a possible TriStar/VC10 replacement in the early 1990s, trialling a modified aircraft alongside RAF fast jets in 1995.  

It was subsequently expected to offer the A310 MRTT against the UK’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) requirement, announced as a likely private finance initiative (PFI) programme in 2000.  In the event, the procurement process was delayed and although Airbus did not tender, in 2004 the Ministry of Defence announced its intention to acquire a variant of the A330 MRTT.

Under a March 2008 agreement, the AirTanker consortium was selected to provide 14 aircraft under a 27-year contract.  This includes a so-called ‘Core Fleet’ of eight military serialled and one civilian-registered aircraft, supplemented by a ‘Surge Fleet’ of five civilian-registered aircraft that AirTanker uses commercially to generate additional revenue.  The surge aircraft are demodified very close to A330-200 standard and can be recalled for military use if required.

AirTanker owns, manages and maintains the aircraft and provides infrastructure,  support, training facilities and some personnel, in particular Sponsored Reserve pilots and engineers.  Named Voyager in service, the A330 MRTT began RAF operations with 10 Sqn on May 12, 2012, flying an air transport sortie from its Brize Norton home base to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus.

Issues with the drogues, or ‘baskets’ into which receivers insert their probes during refuelling operations delayed Voyager’s debut in the tanker role, but these had been overcome by summer 2013 and the aircraft’s ability to deliver fuel to a variety of RAF and allied aircraft expanded very quickly.  Also in 2013, 101 Squadron retired the RAF’s final VC10s and began flying Voyager alongside 10 Sqn and AirTanker’s reservists.

Although it ranges worldwide, Voyager remains home-based at Brize Norton.  One aircraft is always available on the Falkland Islands, primarily in support of the Typhoon QRA jets, but also available to the Hercules.  Another of the type operates the regular airbridge to and from the Falklands and Voyager is making a major contribution to Operation Shader, offloading fuel to RAF Tornados and Typhoons, and a variety of Coalition jets, including US Marine Corps Harriers and F/A-18 Hornets.

The Voyager has provided global reach for the RAF as they have operated their Eurofighters globally.  As then RAF Lossiemouth base commander, Group Captain and now Air Commodore Paul Godfrey put it with regard to their global deployments:

“In my entire time in the Royal Air Force, I’ve not seen a global deployment as we managed at the end of last year with our deployment to Malaysia, Japan and Korea.

Throughout the period we visited the United Arab Emirates, India, Malaysia, Japan, The Republic of Korea, Brunei and back through India, UAE and Greece which is about as global a deployment as you can get.”

And flying with their Voyager is a key part of the global reach effort.

For example, in 2016, RAF Typhoons fly to South Korea to exercise with US and South Korean forces.

According to a news item on the RAF website published on November 8, 2016, between 4 and 10 November 2016, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Air Force hosted “Invincible Shield,” the first ever combined air exercise with the US and the UK.

Four Eurofighter Typhoons from Royal Air Force (RAF) No. 2 Squadron deployed to Osan Air Base in Korea after conducting exercises in Malaysia and Japan. C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, Voyager tanker aircraft, and around 200 RAF personnel will also participate.

And the Voyager carried personnel inside the aircraft and refueled during the deployment from its wings to provide both a lift and tanking capability during the flight to the mission.

Clearly, the Voyager and the A330MRTT are now part of the global allied tanking efforts.

For example, this May, RAF Mildenhall hosted the 5th annual European Tanker Symposium where Voyager was a key participant.

The symposium, held every year since 2012, allows NATO allies to share their experiences, discuss mixed tanker formation standards, and build on tanker integration.

The week-long event included mixed formation academics, discussions and flights in a KC-135 Stratotanker and a Royal Air Force Voyager. Ultimately, the event was to establish and initialize best practices when flying in a multinational formation, and the goal was once again achieved.

“This is one of the first times that we’ve gotten together as European partners to specifically concentrate on these tactics, techniques and procedures on how we operate together,” said Lt. Col. Timothy Mach, 100th Operations Group deputy commander. “Being able to fly on the airplanes, we can all get an idea of the countries that don’t normally do formation flying together, and we can start building those procedures.”

Flying in a multinational tanker formation is something the ETS is trying to safely create. During the days leading to the formation flight, aircrew shared differences in the terminology and procedures they each use.

“I think the procedures have remained largely the same,” said RAF Flt. Lt. Elizabeth Herbert, RAF Voyager captain. “It’s the fundamental basics that are important — remaining a safe distance from each other when you meet up, and ensuring that you can remain in a close formation. It doesn’t really matter what large aircraft you have in that scenario; providing we maintain these techniques, the type of large aircraft – whether currently or in the future – doesn’t matter.” 

The featured photo shows the Voyager bringing the first four F-35s home to Britain from the United States.

The first of Britain’s next-generation fighter jets are set to arrive home tonight, two months ahead of schedule, in a major milestone for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

The F-35s took off from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and were flown by British pilots of the newly-reformed 617 Squadron, which was immortalised by the famous Dambusters’ raid during World War II.

RAF surges reserve Voyagers into service as operational demands grow

For the first time, the Royal Air Force (RAF) has surged two reserve Airbus A330-243 Voyager KC2/KC3 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) – operated by the AirTanker consortium – into active service to cater for growing operational demands over Eastern Europe.

The recently enacted move will temporarily increase the RAF’s eight-strong fleet of Voyager KC2/KC3 MRTTs to ten operational air-to-air refuelling (AAR)-capable aircraft, allowing the air arm to provide increased support to the NATO alliance, which is actively bolstering the security of its eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The two aircraft that have been added to the RAF’s core fleet were already fitted for AAR operations and did not require any modifications before starting military operations from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

Confirming the move to Key.Aero , an RAF spokesperson said: “Two AAR-capable aircraft have been temporarily added to the core fleet from AirTanker’s surge fleet, alongside members of the Sponsored Reserve aircrew, who are now flying as part of No 10 and 101 Squadrons… This is the first time the RAF has made use of contractual clauses that increase the number of Voyager aircraft available for operations.”

In March 2008, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced it had selected the AirTanker consortium to provide 14 A330-243MRTTs to the RAF under a 27-year leasing contract, allowing the air arm to withdraw its ageing VC10 and TriStar tanker fleets from operational service.

This agreement included a so-called ‘core fleet’ – comprising eight military registered, AAR-capable aircraft (operated by the RAF) and a civil-registered example configured for passenger flights (employed by AirTanker) – which is supplemented by a ‘surge fleet’ of five civil-registered, AAR-capable A330-243s that are operated by the consortium to generate additional commercial revenue. These aircraft are held in reserve and can be called up to support military operations, when required.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the RAF’s Voyager KC2/KC3 force has been busy supporting NATO operations over Eastern Europe, such as providing fuel to alliance fighters carrying out combat air patrols (CAPs) and ferrying troops and equipment to the region to bolster defences on the ground. Alongside this, the Voyager force has to maintain its other operational commitments, such as supporting the domestic Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission and RAF-operated Typhoon FGR4s that are deployed to support Operation Shader – the UK’s contribution to the collective fight against so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

• United Kingdom (UK)
• Airbus A330 MRTT
• Royal Air Force (RAF)
• Multi-Role Tanker Transport

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Originally published in Key.Aero

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