The second Airbus Military A330 MRTT new generation tanker/transport has been formally delivered to the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Amberley, Queensland, Australia.
Australian Air Force A330-MRTT at Le Bourget 2007 (c) 2007 ZAPP
The third aircraft is under conversion in Brisbane by QDS and will be delivered later this year. The fourth aircraft to be delivered is under refurbishment in Madrid, following completion of developmental, certification and qualification testing and will be delivered to the DMO by the end of the year. The fifth and final aircraft for the RAAF, also converted by QDS, will be delivered in 2012 and the fleet will serve with 33 Squadron RAAF.
In RAAF service, the A330 MRTT will be equipped with two underwing refuelling pods, the fly-by-wire Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS), and a Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI) enabling it to be refuelled from another tanker. It is powered by two General Electric CF6-80E engines, has an optimized cabin layout of 270 seats, crew rest compartment and integral airstairs, and underfloor cargo hold for both military pallets and civil cargo containers.
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