TSAMTO, December 1. The French air and space command announced the arrival on November 26 at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport of the first of three ordered a-330-200 Phoenix aircraft, painted in the colors of the French air force.
A second A-330-200 is expected to be delivered in the near future. Both aircraft will be operated from the main base in Roissy. They will replace two A-340s of the 3/60 Esterel transport squadron, which are scheduled to be decommissioned at the end of December 2020.
After acceptance, the air force test center (CEAM) will conduct short but intensive tests to verify the operation of all aircraft systems, their compatibility with ground equipment, and maintenance aspects to ensure effective operation as part of the squadron.
As planned, the three aircraft will later be converted to the MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) configuration. The A-330 MRTT should replace several obsolete aircraft used for air refueling and strategic transportation.
As reported by TSAMTO, on August 25, 2020, the General Directorate of armaments (DGA) signed a contract with Airbus for the purchase of three A-330 aircraft as part of the government's plan to support the aviation industry announced on June 9.
The total cost of the contract was 200 million euros. The first two aircraft should be delivered at the end of 2020, and the third – in 2022. Two aircraft were purchased on the secondary market, but have a high residual life, and one A-330-200 will be a new construction. All three A-330s will eventually be modified to the a-330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) version of the Phoenix and will join the 12 aircraft of this type that are due for service by 2023. Thus, the a-330 MRTT fleet will increase to 15 aircraft in accordance with the final goal set by the "law on military programs for 2019-2025".
The implementation of the current order will allow the decommissioning of two obsolete a-340 and two A-310 aircraft and ultimately simplify the use of a fleet of strategic military transport aircraft, which will consist entirely of the Phoenix MRTT.