Airbus Defence and Space has released images of the first Airbus A330 MRTT being built for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), showing the aircraft in an advanced stage of conversion at the company's facility in Getafe, Spain.
The aircraft, carrying the temporary registration EC-357, remains unpainted and shown in primer colors. However, the tanker already features its aerial refueling systems, including the centerline boom and the two underwing hose-and-drogue pods.
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Canada ordered four newly built A330 MRTTs from Airbus in 2023 and also contracted the company to convert five additional A330s to the same configuration. The fleet will replace the RCAF's aging CC-150 Polaris aircraft, a military variant of the Airbus A310.
RCAF first A330 MRTT | a 
RCAF first A330 MRTT | a 
RCAF first A330 MRTT | a
The program is valued at approximately C$3 billion and is scheduled to begin deliveries in 2027.
Once operational, the aircraft will support aerial refueling, strategic transport, medical evacuation and government transport missions. The fleet will also be available for operations supporting both NORAD and NATO requirements.
The A330 MRTT is based on the Airbus A330-200 and has become one of the most widely used tanker aircraft in service. More than a dozen air forces currently operate the type, including Australia, France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Singapore and Spain.
Canada selected the Airbus platform in 2021 following a procurement process that also considered Boeing's KC-46A Pegasus.
