Spain’s first of three A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has entered into service as part of a defense ministry order from Airbus in November 2021.
The MRTT was flown from the Airbus facility in Getafe to the Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base — both located in Madrid — to be operated by the 45th Wing of the Spanish Air and Space Forces.
Meanwhile, the two remaining A330s are undergoing conversion at the Getafe facility.
“With the entry into service of this first A330 MRTT, the Spanish Air and Space Force now has the world’s best tanker aircraft in its fleet,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space.
It will “significantly increase projection, aerial evacuation and in-flight refuelling capabilities,” and provide strategic autonomy and interoperability with allied nations who operate the same aircraft.
Allies who fly the A330 include France, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
A330 MRTT
The multi-role tanker transport features an endurance of more than 18 flight hours and a range of 16,000 kilometers (9,941 miles).
Its large basic fuel load capacity of 111 tonnes (244,713 pounds) enables it to perform aerial refueling missions without additional fuel tanks.
The A330 MRTT was the world’s first tanker to be certified for daytime automatic air-to-air refueling in July 2022. Two years later, it completed another aviation milestone by successfully completing an automatic air-to-air refueling mission at night.
For its transport function, the aircraft has a wide-body fuselage with a capacity for up to 300 troops or an up to 45-tonne (99,000-pound) payload.
It can also be reconfigured for medical evacuation missions, where different stretcher modules and intensive-care stations can be installed.
