India to Get Improved Version of Airbus Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft

[Indo-guy]

India to Get Improved Version of Airbus MRTT

Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) will sell India an improved variant of the A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, the contract for which has been “fully negotiated and pre-signed”, an Airbus executive was quoted as saying by Janes Defence review.
Named as the ‘The A330 MRTT Enhanced’, the aircraft features improvements to the aerodynamics, structure, and mission computer.
Work on the prototype aircraft will begin in October 2015, with the first flight scheduled for the end of July 2016. Starting from 2017, all future A330 MRTT customers will be offered this enhanced version, with retrofits being made available to current operators.

The first customer of the A330 Enhanced will be Singapore, according to Antonio Caramazana, VP Head of Military Derivative Programmes, who was quoted as saying by Janes Defence Review on June 10.
Regarding the Indian contract, Caramazana was quoted as saying that “the contract had been held up due to the elections. There is a sense of positiveness”, he said referring to getting the contract concluded early which had already been “fully negotiated and pre-signed”.
Improvements in the A330 Enhanced include upgrades to the mission system, mission planning system, the Aerial Refuelling Boom and the Boom Visual System.

Provisions for Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Mode 5 transponder and the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) tracking system will be among the other upgrades

 

[Abingdonboy]

India to Get Improved Version of Airbus MRTT

Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) will sell India an improved variant of the A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, the contract for which has been “fully negotiated and pre-signed”, an Airbus executive was quoted as saying by Janes Defence review.
Named as the ‘The A330 MRTT Enhanced’, the aircraft features improvements to the aerodynamics, structure, and mission computer.
Work on the prototype aircraft will begin in October 2015, with the first flight scheduled for the end of July 2016. Starting from 2017, all future A330 MRTT customers will be offered this enhanced version, with retrofits being made available to current operators.

Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) will sell India an improved variant of the A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, the contract for which has been “fully negotiated and pre-signed”, an Airbus executive was quoted as saying

Looks like this will be signed very soon then.

 

[Indo-guy]

Looks like this will be signed very soon then.

Comes with a price tag of 221.7 million $ per unit !

 

[Abingdonboy]

Comes with a price tag of 221.7 million $ per unit !

You get what you pay for.....

Also don't forget this is also a wide-bodied airliner that can transport 300+ passengers so the benefits to the IAF are two fold- boost to both the transport AND AAR fleet.

 

[Indo-guy]

You get what you pay for.....

Also don't forget this is also a wide-bodied airliner that can transport 300+ passengers so the benefits to the IAF are two fold- boost to both the transport AND AAR fleet.

Yes but we had been in two minds about buying that

" The Airbus 330 MRTT and Il-78 were competing for a global tender floated in 2006 by the Indian defence ministry for six refuellers to extend the operating radius of Indian fighter jets. In May 2009, India finally chose the Airbus A330 MRTT over the Il-78.[34] However in January 2010, the government cancelled the order citing high cost as the reason,[35] reportedly against the wishes of the Air Force.[36]
After rebidding, India selected Airbus as its "preferred vendor" in November 2012.[37][38] In January 2013, it was reported that India had again selected Airbus' A330MRTT as "preferred bid "

- Wikipedia

You get what you pay for.....

Also don't forget this is also a wide-bodied airliner that can transport 300+ passengers so the benefits to the IAF are two fold- boost to both the transport AND AAR fleet.

another amazing videos !

 

[Abingdonboy]

Yes but we had been in two minds about buying that

" The Airbus 330 MRTT and Il-78 were competing for a global tender floated in 2006 by the Indian defence ministry for six refuellers to extend the operating radius of Indian fighter jets. In May 2009, India finally chose the Airbus A330 MRTT over the Il-78.[34] However in January 2010, the government cancelled the order citing high cost as the reason,[35] reportedly against the wishes of the Air Force.[36]
After rebidding, India selected Airbus as its "preferred vendor" in November 2012.[37][38] In January 2013, it was reported that India had again selected Airbus' A330MRTT as "preferred bid "

- Wikipedia

The A330 MRTT is the better machine by FAR and when using the more mature method of life-cycle costs it came out on top. Availability rates will be higher for the A330 and they will prove far more useful to the IAF than the IL-78. India has enough experience with cheap yet inferior Russian military hardware.

 

[Indo-guy]

The A330 MRTT is the better machine by FAR and when using the more mature method of life-cycle costs it came out on top. Availability rates will be higher for the A330 and they will prove far more useful to the IAF than the IL-78. India has enough experience with cheap yet inferior Russian military hardware.

Russian military hardware has served us well in time of need .

It's cheaper but certainly not inferior ....they have their own niche in our armamentarium !

 

[Abingdonboy]

Russian military hardware has served us well in time of need .

In some cases sure.

It's cheaper but certainly not inferior ....they have their own niche in our armamentarium !

Well I'm talking mostly about the higher relative AOG rates of Russian-origin a/c and their abysmal after sales support to India over the years. Sure in certain niches the Russians are leaders in their own right but in some places there lower unit/upfront costs mask appallingly high life cycle costs.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I wonder if these A330 MRTTs for the IAF will come with booms for the likes of the C-17s and P-8Is (the latter especially so)?

Something to ponder, @sancho @Dillinger @Capt.Popeye thoughts?

 

[sancho]

Russian military hardware has served us well in time of need .

It's cheaper but certainly not inferior ....they have their own niche in our armamentarium !

They did seved us well, but mainly because we had no other available choices back then, nor that there wouldn't be better options available today and in this case there are. The A330 from Airbus or the KC 767 from Boeing are Multi Role Transport Tankers, which meanst they carry the complete fuel in the wing and fuselage tanks, while the cargo hold is open for passenger, cargo or MEDIVAC configurations. The IL 78MKI on the other side, has 3 fuel tanks fitted into the cargo hold, which limits it to tanker role only. The PAF has a MRTT varient of the IL 78, which makes space for cargo, by removing one of the fuel tanks, which then obviously reduces the fuel that can be carried.
The best example to see the difference in operations, is the IAF detachment that was sent to the Red Flag exercise, with 1 x IL 78 tanker and 1 x IL 76 transporter with spares and ground crews. Next time IAF could do the same with a single A330 MRTT, since it can carry fuel and can transport crew and spares.

So in this case, the higher unit cost is justified by fare more capability and usability, compared to a dedicated IL 78MKI.

I wonder if these A330 MRTTs for the IAF will come with booms for the likes of the C-17s and P-8Is (the latter especially so)?

It definitely would be good, if we get that capability to increase the range and endurance of the P8Is, but some reports suggested that IAF does not required it.