Airbus Military delivers first A330 for MRTT conversion to Cobham
-for-the-RAF.jpg)
This aircraft is the third of the 14 A330 MRTTs the Royal Air Force has contracted through AirTanker, a joint venture company also in charge of operating the aircraft. The first two aircraft have already been converted at Airbus Military´s facility in Getafe (Madrid), Spain.
To mark the arrival of the aircraft on their premises, Cobham hosted a ceremony today at their newly refurbished facility. Representatives from the RAF, UK Ministry of Defence, Airbus Military and AirTanker attended.
As part of the conversion programme, all the A330 MRTTs - which will be known in RAF service as 'Voyager' - will be fitted with two wing-mounted 905E aerial refuelling pods; additionally seven 'Voyagers' will be fitted for 805E centre-line mounted fuselage refuelling units. The first aircraft will commence operations by the end of this year, with the RAF operating the full fleet of 14 aircraft by the second half of the decade to replace its existing TriStar and VC10 aerial refuelling aircraft.
Head of Airbus Military Derivatives Antonio Caramazana said: "This is another important milestone in the A330 MRTT Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme. It is an enormous pleasure to see the programme moving into the next phase with the conversion of the aircraft now beginning with Cobham in the home country of our biggest customer".
Air Marshal Kevin Leeson, Chief of Materiel (Air), said: "The conversions carried out at this tremendous new Cobham facility will turn Airbus A330s into the most capable military tanker transport aircraft of its type in the world. Today we celebrate the arrival of the first aircraft into the Cobham Conversion Centre.
"Voyager will provide enhanced levels of availability, reliability and comfort for its passengers. Its 4,000 mile range carrying 291 passengers and freight will allow the UK to respond to world events with great speed. The air-to-air refuelling systems will provide access to an impressive 111 tonne fuel capacity and enable Voyager to refuel a large variety of platforms, from Typhoon jets to A400M transports".
The Voyager conversion effort will create and maintain in excess of 100 direct jobs at Cobham into 2016, to be further increased through indirect jobs. The activity also provides an excellent opportunity to train graduates and apprentices and help prepare them for a career in aerospace engineering.
Des Taylor, general manager of Cobham Aviation Services, said: "Cobham looks forward to playing a key role in the AirTanker supply chain by providing and embodying its state-of-the-art air refuelling systems into the very capable A330 platform. Under this five-year contract, Cobham has created more than 100 new, high-tech jobs in the Bournemouth area, including graduates and apprentices, to ensure that the RAF receives a 21st Century in-flight refuelling capability."
(Image: Copyright AIRBUS MILITARY 2010 - First A330 to be converted into Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) for the RAF)
