Airbus A330 MRTT

Even if the Middle East is no longer the only game in town for defense exports, it still has ample appetite for advanced equipment, from drones to transports.

France has begun taking delivery of Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters ordered as part of a stimulus package to support the country’s aerospace industry.

Airbus will be converting a secondhand A330 into a technology testbed for its Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) product.

Warsaw is looking to translate large fighter, helicopter and weapons purchases into a stronger defense industrial footprint.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

NATO looks set to purchase a further three Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft to bolster the alliance’s Multinational MRTT Unit.

Can Airbus land an upgraded tanker in the U.S.?

Airbus expects to deliver the first of its A330neo-based aerial refueling tankers before the end of the decade through the MRTT+ upgrade.

Airbus expects to pursue its ambition to develop an upgraded A330-based tanker this year, according to the OEM's head of defense, Michael Scheollhorn.

Airbus’ combined tanker programs boast more in-service aircraft than the Boeng KC-46A, and the company’s acceptance across diverse regional markets is a sign of its healthier outlook in the space.

Saudi Arabia is set to become the largest operator of Airbus’ A330 MRTT outside Europe after Riyadh signed a top-up order.

Taiwan’s Air Force is still evaluating aerial tanker options after 2023 visits from U.S. and French military delegations.

The conflict in Ukraine is reshaping Poland’s air force, but the service is facing challenges as it grows.

Airbus is set to launch a new version of the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) based on the airframe and new engines of the A330neo commercial aircraft.

Acquisitions of new helicopters and airborne early warning aircraft are funded, while other capabilities will be “explored.”

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Korea Aerospace Industries’ KF-21 has conducted its first air-to-air refueling test, joining up with an A330 MRTT.

The announcements came during a visit by Defense Minister Bill Blair to CFB Trenton, the main operating base for the CE-145C Vigilance and a hub for CC-330s.

The U.S. Air Force is evaluating bids from Airbus and Boeing for a planned replacement of the KC-135 ahead of a future tanker.

The models are the result of a 2018 memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at pooling engineering resources.

Embraer is confident that its KC-390 transport aircraft is compatible with the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, its simulations have shown.

Despite the conflict in Gaza, the Middle East’s military modernization is continuing.

Airbus is building a road map of technologies for automated aerial refueling that will pave the way for a second-generation MRTT.

Airbus has begun de-risking work to develop a second-generation Multi-Role Tanker Transport version based on its A330neo.

Airbus Defense and Space has agreed to upgrade France’s A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports.