Will Emerge From Bournmouth Facility As An RAF Voyager

The first of 12 Airbus Military A330-200 aircraft has been received by Cobham at its Bournemouth facility for conversion into "Voyager," the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) for the Royal Air Force. This  variant of the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is the first to be converted by Cobham in the United Kingdom.

In recognition of this program milestone, Cobham Aviation Services hosted an opening ceremony today for its newly refurbished A330 Conversion Centre at Bournemouth International Airport. Representatives from the UK Ministry of Defence, Airbus Military, AirTanker, and other key companies attended.
 
The Voyager conversion effort will create and maintain in excess of 100 direct jobs at Cobham into 2016, to be further increased through indirect jobs. The activity also provides an excellent opportunity to train graduates and apprentices and help prepare them for a career in aerospace engineering. As part of the Voyager conversion, Cobham will install a pair of its fifth generation wing-mounted 905E aerial refuelling pods to all 12 aircraft; seven Voyagers will also be fitted for Cobham's 805E center-line mounted fuselage refuelling units.

The first two Voyager aircraft underwent conversion at Airbus Military's facility in Getafe, Spain. In all, the RAF will operate a fleet of 14 Voyagers by the second half of this decade to replace its existing fleets of TriStar and VC10 aerial refuelling aircraft. "Cobham looks forward to playing a key role in the AirTanker supply chain by providing and embodying its state-of-the-art air refuelling systems into the very capable A330 platform," said Des Taylor, general manager of Cobham Aviation Services. "Under this five-year contract, Cobham has created more than 100 new, high-tech jobs in the Bournemouth area, including graduates and apprentices, to ensure that the RAF receives a 21st Century in-flight refuelling capability."

RAF MRTT

Air Marshal Kevin Leeson, Chief of Materiel (Air), said: "The conversions carried out at this tremendous new Cobham facility will turn Airbus A330s into the most capable military tanker transport aircraft of its type in the world. Today we celebrate the arrival of the first aircraft into the Cobham Conversion Centre. Voyager will provide enhanced levels of availability, reliability and comfort for its passengers. Its 4000 mile range carrying 291 passengers and freight will allow the UK to respond to world events with great speed. The air-to-air refuelling systems will provide access to an impressive 111 tonne fuel capacity and enable Voyager to refuel a large variety of platforms, from Typhoon jets to A400M transports."

FMI: www.cobham.com