Tue, Feb 26, 2008
UAE Signs Formal Contract For MRTT(s)
The United Arab Emirates announced Monday the purchase from
EADS, through its Military Transport Aircraft Division, of the A330
MRTT (Multi Role Transport Tanker) as the new air-to-air refueling
aircraft for the UAE Air Force & Air Defense. The A330 MRTT
will be fitted with under wings pods and the EADS CASA Boom
system.
EADS states following the contracts signed with the Royal
Australian Air Force, Saudi Arabia and after being selected as
preferred bidder for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) in
the UK, the UAE decision "consolidates further the A330 MRTT
position as the most advanced and capable air-to-air refueling
aircraft available in the market. The Military Transport Aircraft
Division of EADS, responsible for the design and production of the
MRTTs, is positioned as the key worldwide supplier in the field of
tanking and transport aircraft."
As ANN reported, the UAE
agreed to purchase three MRTTs last year, with deliveries beginning
in 2011. However, that deal hadn't been formally signed until this
week -- and an EADS spokesman declined to tell Thomson Financial
the exact number of MRTTs signed for.
Despite the ambiguity, the European consortium notes the latest
selection of its A330 MRTT gives the aircraft momentum leading into
the US Air Force's much-anticipated decision on the KC-X tanker
bid.
"Nothing speaks louder than success. The fourth selection in a
row of the A330 MRTT in international competitive processes
underscores its exceptional value and capability for the full range
of tanker and transport requirements," said Carlos Suarez, Head of
EADS Military Transport Aircraft Division and Chairman of EADS
CASA.
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