Airbus delivers first MRTT to NATO group
On 29 June Airbus confirmed that it had delivered the first A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft to the NATO Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF).
The aircraft was handed over at a special ceremony held at the company’s Getafe site in Spain but will be based at Eindhoven, Netherlands. It will be jointly operated by crews from the MMF participant nations, comprised of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway.
Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence & Space, said: ‘The NATO MMF programme perfectly represents the future of defence cooperation and shows the true success of the pooling and sharing concept.’
The European Defence Agency (EDA) initiated the MMF programme in 2012 with the MRTTs being configured for in-flight refuelling, transporting cargo and passengers and performing medical evacuations.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Panama approves $187 million purchase of Airbus and Embraer aircraft]()
Panama approves $187 million purchase of Airbus and Embraer aircraft
The C295 and Super Tucano deals for its National Aeronaval Service were approved as part of an emergency procedure by the government on 11 March.
-
![US Navy tests new comms pod for Marine Corps’ MQ-9A Reaper]()
US Navy tests new comms pod for Marine Corps’ MQ-9A Reaper
The pod, named SkyTower II (STII) was tested ahead of the system’s initial operational capability (IOC) in 2026.
-
![US Air Force and Air National Guard test Northrop Grumman solution to increase performance for air tankers]()
US Air Force and Air National Guard test Northrop Grumman solution to increase performance for air tankers
The voice and data interoperability system has been built to enable operations in contested environments.
-
![US Navy Next-Generation Jammer approaches full-rate production]()
US Navy Next-Generation Jammer approaches full-rate production
Raytheon is currently finalising the production of NGJ-MB lot 5 while working with the US Navy on contract requirements over multiple years.
-
![Australian Army aviation veers heavily towards the US]()
Australian Army aviation veers heavily towards the US
Sikorsky’s UH-60M Black Hawk and Boeing’s AH-46 Apache will soon form the bedrock of the Australian Army’s rotorcraft capabilities, as the army awaits further delivery of both types.
