Australia's First KC-30A Lands in Amberley

01 Juni 2011

A330 MRTT (photo : Australian DoD)

The first KC-30A tanker to have been delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force has touched down at the service's Amberley air base in Queensland, following its transfer from Airbus Military's Getafe site near Madrid, Spain.

Carrying the temporary registration MRTT003, aircraft A39-003 is the third of five modified

Airbus A330-200s on order for the RAAF. It is also the first of three to be converted for air-to-air refuelling tasks by local contractor Qantas Defence Services.

The aircraft landed at Amberley on 30 May, three days after leaving Getafe. Its delivery flight included stops in the mainland USA and Hawaii.

Airbus Military in mid-May said that Australia could receive two of its delayed multi-role tanker/transports during June, with two more to follow late this year. The programme's fifth aircraft should be accepted during 2012.

The RAAF's new KC-30As are being delivered in a 270-seat, two-class configuration, in addition to their two under-wing hose and drogue refuelling pods and air refuelling boom system. The aircraft has a maximum fuel capacity of 111t.

(Flight Global)