According to a press release from the alliance, an Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft arrived in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on Monday.
NATO plans to assemble a fleet of eight of the aircraft by the end of 2024, but there's a contract option to expand the number of aircraft in the fleet to 11.
The first aircraft in the fleet was delivered at the end of June.
The A330 MRTT, a derivative of Airbus' A330-220 civilian airliner, can carry up to 245,000 pounds of fuel for refueling operations and its own use.
It's configured for in-flight refueling, the transport of passengers and cargo and medical evacuation operations, according to Airbus.
The plane is used by militaries in South Korea, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, United Arab Emirates and Singapore.
Six NATO allies -- Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway -- pooled resources for NATO's aircraft initiative.
The aircraft are owned by NATO and will be operated by a multinational unit comprised of military personnel from the participating countries. The unit will be located at a Main Operating Base in Eindhoven, officials said.
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, is Copyright 1995-2026 Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principles for news reporting and research purposes. |
