The Government of Canada has this week placed an order for four new Airbus A330MRTT aircraft, valued at CAD$3.1bn, as well as on five A330-200 conversions too.
It is understood that the new fleet of aircraft, totaling 9 units, will replace the CC-150 Polaris fleet, which is equivalent to the A310 in passenger terms.
The existing A310 fleet is being used to perform air-to-air refueling operations, military and personnel and cargo airlift, medical evacuations, as well as strategic transport of Government of Canada officials.
Airbus: Order from Canada Is About Protecting NATO & NORAD Sovereignty…
Commenting on the order was Mike Schoellhorn, the CEO of Airbus Defence & Space:
“As the world’s most advanced multirole tanker aircraft, the A330 MRTT perfectly matches Canada’s needs to protect its sovereignty as well as to enhance operations both in the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) as well as in NATO”.
“Canada achieves this enhancement of operations not only by improving interoperability with other allied A330 MRTT customer nations but also due to the aircraft’s technological primacy ahead of the global competition.”
What Next for the A330MRTTs?
The A330-200s that have been built will be assembled in Toulouse and will be scheduled to enter conversion in Getafe by mid-2025, with entry into service expected by 2027.
Airbus said a little more about the deal with Canada in its press release:
“Under the agreement, the A330 MRTTs will be equipped with both the hose and drogue and a boom as refueling options, cybersecurity solutions, and countermeasures.”
“All of them could be installed with the also included Airbus Medical Evacuation kit solution, consisting of 2 Intensive Care Units and additional stretchers.”
“The contract covers a full suite of training services including the most advanced training devices such as the Full Flight Simulator to prepare and maintain crew readiness as part of the modernization of the Canadian Armed Forces’ air operational training infrastructure.”
“Following an open procurement process, in April 2021, Airbus was selected as the only qualified supplier for the CC-150 tanker replacement.”
In all, this is big news for Airbus, and even more so for the Government of Canada, as military protection ramp-up continues due to continued global tensions.
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