Airbus shows the inside of the first A330 MRTT aircraft of the Spanish Air Force

On April 11, we saw here the images of the delivery of the first Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft to the Spanish Air Force.

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This afternoon, Airbus published a video showing this aircraft both inside and out, explaining its capabilities, how its in-flight refueling probes work, and where they are controlled. A very interesting and high-quality video:

This aircraft has the Spanish military registration TK.24-03, serial number 452-03 and serial number 10275, and is part of the 452 Squadron of the 45th Wing, based in Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid). The aircraft made its first flight on January 15, 2016 with the registration F-WWKD, serving with the Spanish airline Ibera with the registration EC-MJA and under the name "Buenos Aires" between February 2016 and October 2022, according to Airfleets.es.

This aircraft, along with two other civilian A330s, was purchased by the Spanish government in 2021 for the Spanish Air Force with plans to convert them into A330 MRTT multipurpose tanker aircraft, one of the best aircraft of its class on the market.

These aircraft have a flight range of more than 18 hours and a range of 16,000 kilometers. They can carry up to 111 tons of fuel, 300 soldiers, or 37 tons of cargo in their lower hold.

For its in-flight refueling function, this first Spanish A330 MRTT had two Cobham 905E gondolas under the wings, both of which had the "hose and drogue" system.

As seen in the video, these gondolas are equipped with a propeller at the front that serves as a generator. These refueling gondolas are the same type used on the A400M tanker aircraft, a coincidence that will simplify maintenance tasks and the logistical footprint.

The video also shows the Enhanced Vision System (EVS) camera system located on the belly of the aircraft to monitor in-flight refueling. This vision system was developed by Kappa Optronics in collaboration with Airbus Defence & Space and is used for both the Cobham 905E nacelles and the possible installation of a refueling boom. The manufacturer explains it as follows:

The vision system consists of separated subsystems. The main system provides a 3D view of the tank boom contact area with two separate optical channels, each full HD. This view is the operator's main tool, the central video management unit superimposes displays of all relevant data of the tank operation here. A second system provides a panoramic view composed of image data from 3 cameras with 240°-330° viewing angles, ensuring overview of all operations in 24/7 operation with vision systems for day/night vision and covert operations. Another pair of cameras, with pan, tilt and zoom capabilities, tracks tank operations at the drogues. The systems are partially redundant with each other, ensuring safe operations even in the event of a failure.

Below we see the Air Refueling Console (ARC), located in the cockpit of the aircraft, just behind the pilot and copilot seats. Its operator, the ARO (Air Refueling Operator), sits with his back to them. Above, we can see the monitors that display the images captured by the EVS cameras. It is a highly digital console with software that recognizes aircraft shapes, and is programmed to refuel 25 different types of aircraft.

The video also shows the pre-installation of the Airbus Aerial Refueling Boom System (ARBS), a "flying boom" refueling system used by other countries' A330 MRTTs. This would be the system that would have to be implemented if Spain buys F-35A fighter jets, an acquisition that has not yet been confirmed by the Spanish government.

Finally, in the video we also see the section dedicated to personnel transport, which basically preserves the capabilities of the civil A330 for passenger transport, and a demonstration of the specific air medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) kit, which has capacity for 100 passengers and eight critical care modules.

These three A330 MRTTs will represent a considerable advance in terms of strategic projection for Spain, not only due to the transport capabilities they provide to the Air Force, but also due to the possibility of providing in-flight refueling at much greater distances than the tanker aircraft that Spain has used until now.

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Images: Airbus.