South Korean Air Force set to receive first Airbus A330-243 MRTT

The South Korean Air Force is reportedly ready to take delivery of its first Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).

The South Korean Air Force first Airbus A330-243MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircrat (Reg.: EC-331, MSN: 1787, Line No.: MRTT050 )for the Republic of Korea Air Force arriving at Getafe Air base fresh from the paintshop. Madrid – Getafe (LEGT) Spain – June 8, 2018. (Photo airliners.net by Diego Ruiz de Vargas – Iberian Spotters)

A military official was quoted by South Korean news agency Yonhap as saying that the tanker is expected to arrive on 12 November.

With the completion of the delivery, the air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft is expected to undergo a series of acceptance tests over a period of nearly one month, reported the news agency.

During the acceptance test, the South Korean Air Force intends to deploy the A330 MRTT tanker to refuel the service’s F-15K and KF-16 combat jets, the official said.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space, the 59m-long aerial refuelling aircraft has been designed to enhance the operational capability of the airforce’s fighter aircraft fleet.

With a width of 60m, the Rolls-Royce powered A330 MRTT is capable of carrying up to 240,000lb of fuel, which will be provided to the fighter fleets at predetermined aerial locations.

The tanker pilots, mechanics and refuelling controllers have already completed their pre-training programme.

South Korea intends to include three more A330 tankers to its existing fleet next year.

In June 2015, the country selected the Airbus A330 MRTT as its future aerial refuelling platform.

Under the deal, the country agreed to acquire four tankers for a total cost of $1.3bn.

Source: www.airforce-technology.com – 2 November 2018