2nd A330 MRTT for Australia Departs Brisbane

• After Conversion and Completion of Initial Flight-test Programme

Following conversion and completion of its initial flight-test programme in Brisbane, the second A330 Multi-Role Tanker-Transport (MRTT) for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) - the first to have been converted in Australia - has departed Australia on 28th October. It is now returning to the Airbus Military facility in Getafe (Madrid) via the USA where it will join the first RAAF MRTT for a final series of test flights.

The aircraft is the second of five ordered by the RAAF and the first to be converted at an industrial centre outside Airbus Military's home base in Madrid. The conversion task was successfully performed by Qantas Aviation Services with the support of Airbus Military, underscoring the capability of the manufacturer to transfer complex industrial processes around the globe. Conversion of the three remaining aircraft will also be performed by Qantas in Brisbane.


This second MRTT for Australia is scheduled to arrive in Madrid on the 30th October and undergo further modifications prior to joining the first Australian MRTT in the certification and qualification flight programme. The first aircraft will be ready for hand-over by mid-2010.

The Royal Australian Air Force A330 MRTTs are outfitted with the Airbus Military state-of-the-art Air Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) with fly-by-wire controls, plus two latest generation under-wing hose-and-drogue pods. In addition, the aircraft will carry an advanced military mission system comprising the latest communications, navigation and identification equipment, along with a Link 16 network system that provides real-time airborne connectivity.

Source : European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (Paris: EAD.PA)