French Ministry of the Armed Forces orders three Airbus A330 planes to be converted into the MRTT version

[Vergennes]

French Minister of the Armed Forces Ms Florence Parly welcomes the order on 25 August 2020 by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) of 3 Airbus A330 planes, announced on 9 June as part of the government plan to support the aeronautical industry. The contract is worth 200 million euros. The first two aircraft will be delivered at the end of 2020 and the third one in 2022.


These three A330s will eventually be converted into Phenix MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) military aircraft. They will then complete the 12 MRTTs expected by 2023, bringing the Air Force’s MRTT fleet to 15 aircraft, in accordance with the final objective enshrined in the Military Planning Law (LPM).


This order will make it possible to anticipate the withdrawal from service of the 2 A340s and 2 A310s of the French Air Force, and ultimately simplify the management of the fleet of these strategic military aircraft on the basis of the unique MRTT Phenix model.


The advance order for these 3 A330 aircraft is a concrete and immediate measure of the support of the Ministry of the Armed Forces for the aeronautical industrial sector. The total amount of orders that will be placed by the DGA as part of the support of the Ministry of the Armed Forces to the aeronautics industry (advance orders for planes, helicopters and drones) will amount to 600 million euros, completed by more than 230 million euros for the acquisition of helicopters for the benefit of Civil Protection and the National Gendarmerie.

French Ministry of the Armed Forces orders three Airbus A330 planes to be converted into the MRTT version

French Minister of the Armed Forces Ms Florence Parly welcomes the order on 25 August 2020 by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) of 3 Airbus A330

www.aviation24.be

 

[Vergennes]

The French Air Force received its third A330 MRTT on the 10th of july. 3 are now in active service.

 

[Sinan]

French Minister of the Armed Forces Ms Florence Parly welcomes the order on 25 August 2020 by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) of 3 Airbus A330 planes, announced on 9 June as part of the government plan to support the aeronautical industry. The contract is worth 200 million euros. The first two aircraft will be delivered at the end of 2020 and the third one in 2022.


These three A330s will eventually be converted into Phenix MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) military aircraft. They will then complete the 12 MRTTs expected by 2023, bringing the Air Force’s MRTT fleet to 15 aircraft, in accordance with the final objective enshrined in the Military Planning Law (LPM).


This order will make it possible to anticipate the withdrawal from service of the 2 A340s and 2 A310s of the French Air Force, and ultimately simplify the management of the fleet of these strategic military aircraft on the basis of the unique MRTT Phenix model.


The advance order for these 3 A330 aircraft is a concrete and immediate measure of the support of the Ministry of the Armed Forces for the aeronautical industrial sector. The total amount of orders that will be placed by the DGA as part of the support of the Ministry of the Armed Forces to the aeronautics industry (advance orders for planes, helicopters and drones) will amount to 600 million euros, completed by more than 230 million euros for the acquisition of helicopters for the benefit of Civil Protection and the National Gendarmerie.

French Ministry of the Armed Forces orders three Airbus A330 planes to be converted into the MRTT version

French Minister of the Armed Forces Ms Florence Parly welcomes the order on 25 August 2020 by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) of 3 Airbus A330

www.aviation24.be

So, it will be a both tanker and transport plane?

 

[Ghost soldier]

The French Air Force received its third A330 MRTT on the 10th of july. 3 are now in active service.

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Doesn't France already have c-135F and why it needs tankers when it has Charles de galles aircraft carrier

 

[Vergennes]

Those 15 A330 MRTT will greatly improve the French Air Force refuelling and strategic airlift capabilities.

They are replacing 12 ageing KC135.

2 A310

2 A340

 

[TR_123456]

They will then complete the 12 MRTTs expected by 2023, bringing the Air Force’s MRTT fleet to 15 aircraft, in accordance with the final objective enshrined in the Military Planning Law (LPM).

Why would you need 15 tankers?

 

[Vergennes]

So, it will be a both tanker and transport plane?

The A330 MRTT is actually a multi-role aircraft with refuelling,transport of personnels and finally strategic airlift capabilities at the same time.

Doesn't France already have c-135F and why it needs tankers when it has Charles de galles aircraft carrier

The KC135 are ageing,the first aircraft entered service during the De Gaulle's era.... (In 1964!). I don't quite understand the point of not needing tankers when we have an aircraft carrier. Tankers allow the French Air Force to project its power and conduct operations overseas from mainland France,something that was done quite a couple times.

But above all those tankers provide a projection capability for the strategic air forces of the French nuclear deterrent. We need tankers to project our Rafales in case of an hypothetical nuclear strike using ASMP/A missiles. (Some sort of last warning before the SSBNs and their M51 missiles "enter the dance".)

 

[Vergennes]

A first KC-135FR was withdrawn from service three days ago. The n°475 entered service in january 1964.

 

[Vergennes]

The first of the three ordered A330. The aircraft will be later modified to the MRTT standard.

 

[BordoEnes]

A first KC-135FR was withdrawn from service three days ago. The n°475 entered service in january 1964.

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That deserves to be in a museum. Truelly a workhorse if it was used for that long.

 

[Vergennes]

A first aircraft was delivered on the 28th of november.

 

[Vergennes]

Former French Government Airbus A340s On Sale For €80k A Piece​

Former French Government Airbus A340s On Sale For €80k A Piece

simpleflying.com

 

[Vergennes]

A first aircraft was delivered on the 28th of november.

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A second aircraft was delivered today.