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November 1, 2010 -
EADS North America has marked another step forward for its KC-45 aerial
refueling tanker program with the maiden flight of the second Airbus
Military A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) for the
United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF).
The KC-45 is the U.S. Air Force configuration of the A330 MRTT, and is
the only tanker offered in the Air Force’s tanker competition that is in
production and flying today.
Converted from a
basic A330-200 by Airbus Military, the aircraft flew for two hours from
Getafe,
Spain, on the
evening of Oct. 26.This is the fifth A330 MRTT currently flying, with
several more in production for the four
U.S.
allies that have chosen the A330 MRTT over Boeing 767 tankers in four
straight competitions. Deliveries of A330 MRTTs will begin before
year-end, with Australia
receiving the first aircraft.
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“By offering the
U.S. Air Force the same tanker platform that is proving its capabilities
today for allies like the United Kingdom and Australia, we’re providing
a low-risk solution for both the warfighter and the taxpayer," said
Ralph D. Crosby Jr., EADS North America Chairman. "And we’re going to
put 48,000 Americans to work building the KC-45 here in the
U.S.”
The KC-45, as well
as A330-based commercial freighter aircraft, will be assembled in a new
aerospace center of excellence in Mobile, Alabama,
using a nationwide network of hundreds of American suppliers. The
A330 MRTT configuration for the United Kingdom
is designated the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA), 14 of which
have been ordered for the RAF. The first FSTA made its maiden flight on
Sept. 16, beginning a flight-test program that will lead to first
delivery to the RAF by the end of 2011.
The
U.K.
configuration includes two digital hose-and-drogue refueling pods under
the wings, plus a hose-and-drogue fuselage refueling unit on the
centerline. Both of these systems will be on the KC-45, along with
Airbus Military’s’ advanced Aerial Refueling Boom System, which has
demonstrated in flight its ability to meet the U.S. Air Force
requirement for high fuel offload at 1,200 gallons a minute.
Altogether,
A330 MRTTs have logged nearly a thousand flight hours and passed 1.2
million pounds of fuel to a wide range of combat aircraft with the same
advanced refueling systems offered on the KC-45. Because of
the superior capabilities and efficiency of the tanker, the EADS North
America KC-45 will also provide the Air Force substantial savings in
operating costs compared to the concept aircraft that The Boeing Company
is offering the Air Force.
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