Italy is preparing to acquire six Airbus A330 MRTT aerial refueling aircraft in a deal valued at about €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion), a move away from Boeing tanker platforms after more than a decade operating KC-767 aircraft.
The procurement appeared in documents published through the European Union’s TED public procurement platform, which indicated the Airbus tanker was the only aircraft considered in the final competition.
The package includes the aircraft and 10 years of logistical support.
The Italian Air Force currently operates four KC-767 tankers based on the Boeing 767 platform. Italy became the launch customer for the type in 2002, although the aircraft only entered operational service in 2011 after years of development and certification delays.
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Rome initially planned to expand and modernize the KC-767 fleet. In 2021, Italy announced plans to upgrade the aircraft and purchase two additional examples.
That strategy later shifted toward the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, with Italy announcing plans in 2022 to acquire six factory-built tankers derived from the 767-2C platform.
However, the government suspended the KC-46 acquisition in 2024, citing changes in operational requirements. Italian defense media later linked the decision to rising costs and delivery schedule concerns.
The newly disclosed Airbus order suggests Italy has now fully redirected its tanker modernization effort toward the A330 MRTT, which is already operated by several European air forces including those of France, Spain and the United Kingdom.
NATO also operates a pooled fleet of A330 MRTTs used by countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.
According to reports, the Italian aircraft will not use the newer A330 MRTT+ configuration derived from the A330-800neo. Instead, they are expected to be based on standard A330-200 airframes converted for tanker operations.
