Poland announces it will jointly acquire A330 MRTT aircraft with Spain

Poland's massive purchases of military equipment have included a visit by its Defense Minister to Spain this week.

Airbus shows the inside of the first A330 MRTT aircraft of the Spanish Air Force
The Spanish Air Force's first A330 MRTT and the message it sends about the F-35

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Poland, has traveled to Madrid to meet with the Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, and also to visit the Airbus factory in Getafe (Madrid), where the conversion of A330 aircraft to the MRTT variant is carried out.

The A330 MRTT is a multi-role aircraft that can be used for transport and aerial refueling missions. Poland currently has considerable shortcomings in both capabilities, which limits its operational capacity: the Polish Air Force's only heavy transport aircraft are six C-130 Hercules, and it lacks tanker aircraft. Furthermore, Poland is not part of NATO's Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF), which has 12 A330 MRTTs owned by the Alliance. Members of this fleet are Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Denmark.

In January it was revealed that Poland is interested in acquiring 10 A400M and 4 A330 MRTT aircraft through the European Union's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program. This Monday, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced: "Deputy Minister Sobkowiak-Czarnecka is currently preparing and negotiating at the Spanish Ministry of Defense the signing of an agreement for Poland's acquisition of transport and aerial refueling aircraft, in collaboration with Spanish partners. This is a key capability that will radically change Poland's position on the eastern flank. It is a fundamental complement to the capabilities of the F-35 aircraft."

The Polish online newspaper Defence24.pl has pointed out that "while 90% of SAFE funds are earmarked for purchases from Polish industry, the remaining 10% is allocated to purchases from European partners, and after May 30, these must be joint purchases." This would explain the Polish and Spanish governments' pursuit of an agreement for the joint purchase of these aircraft. In statements published by the Polish channel TVN24, Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz commented on the Spanish government's reluctance to increase its defense investment: "If they are skeptical about the rapid increase in spending (on defense), then share operational capabilities".

This afternoon, the Polish Ministry of National Defense has published a statement collecting the following statements by Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz:

"Our government is determined to implement transport and aerial refueling capabilities. We want to acquire these aircraft through the SAFE mechanism together with Spain. On May 29, we signed a memorandum committing both countries to this purchase. We are now in the implementation phase. I thank the Spanish Ministry of Defense, the Secretary of State, and everyone involved in the modernization process of the Spanish Armed Forces for their openness in discussing the provision of production quotas for our needs. We have given ourselves two weeks, until the NATO summit in Ankara, to agree on the details, but we are well on our way. Poland and Spain will jointly purchase transport and aerial refueling aircraft. The outstanding issues are the number of these aircraft and the production capacity."

Spain acquired three A330 MRTTs in 2021, aircraft purchased second-hand from Iberia and converted to the MRTT variant in Getafe. The Spanish Air Force is currently operating two of them and is awaiting delivery of the third. The possibility of Spain purchasing more A330 MRTTs has been discussed for some time. The Polish aircraft will be based on the A330Neo and will be of the 330 MRTT+ variant. Unlike the Spanish aircraft, which are only equipped with the "hose and drogue" system, the Polish A330 MRTT+ aircraft will include an ARBS flying boom system, which is the same system used by the Polish F-16 and F-35A fighters.

Regarding Poland's purchase of A400M transport aircraft, at the press conference held today by the Polish delegation at the Airbus factory in Getafe (below) an image of an A400M alongside an A330 MRTT, both with Polish markings, was shown. The number of these aircraft has not yet been specified. This Tuesday, Defence24.pl reported that Airbus and the state-owned company Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa would collaborate on the operation, service, and maintenance of the MRTT and A400M aircraft, guaranteeing Poland a considerable industrial return as part of the acquisition program for these aircraft.

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Photos: Ejército del Aire / Airbus / Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej.