The French procurement agency Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) has commissioned Airbus to equip the Armée de l'air et de l'espace's A330 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) multi-role transport aircraft with MELISSA satellite stations that can operate under all circumstances, including disrupted ones environments and in extreme weather conditions. The A330 MRTT are operated in France under the name Phénix.
“With this new aircraft capability, we are preparing for the future by transforming the MRTT into an in-flight communications hub, as the first building block of tomorrow’s Multi Role Tanker Transport, embedded in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS),” said Jean -Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defense and Space.
According to Airbus, these new capabilities will transform the French A330 MRTT into a high-bandwidth communications relay node with command and control capabilities and provide the springboard for the integration of the A330 MRTT into the future Combat Cloud within the FCAS.
According to Airbus, the first aircraft to receive Standard 2 is the A330 MRTT No. 15, the conversion of which will be carried out at Airbus' military facilities in Getafe. It is expected to be qualified for the French Air Force in 2028. The remaining 14 French A330 MRTTs will then be converted to Standard 2 at Istres air base in France.
At the same time, Airbus signed a contract with the Direction de la Maintenance Aéronautique (DMAé) for in-service support of the Phénix fleet for ten years, plus two optional years, at Istres air base in the south of France, home of the 31st Strategic Air Refueling and Air Refueling Unit Transport squadron. As prime contractor, Airbus, together with its preferred partners in France, will be responsible for fleet modernization, maintenance, logistics and technical support to ensure the operational readiness of the aircraft, the company writes. The local Airbus team in France will be doubled to support these activities.
With the support services introduced, Airbus aims to guarantee a level of availability, reactivity and resilience compatible with the requirements of the French Air Force and the Strategic Air Force. This also applies to the support of aircraft that are used outside France.
The volume of the two contracts amounts to 1.2 billion euros.
Editorial staff / gwh
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