On July 14, 2022, the Ministry of National Defense of Canada announced the conclusion of a contract for the purchase of two Airbus A330-200 passenger aircraft built in 2015 from the international leasing company International AirFinance Corporation for their subsequent conversion into Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft for the Canadian Air Force. The contract value is 102 million US dollars without VAT.
Image of the Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft in the Canadian Air Force paint (c) Ministry of National Defense of Canada
Thus, the Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft was selected as the winner in a long-drawn-out tender by the Canadian Air Force under the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability (STTC) program, which provides for the replacement of five modified Airbus A310-300 aircraft (Canadian military designation SS-150 Polaris) that have been in operation since the early 1990s. Of the five SS-150 aircraft in service with the 437th Transport Squadron of the Canadian Air Force at Trenton Air Base (Ontario), two aircraft are used as SS-150T refueling aircraft (were converted in 2008), two as cargo, and one as a government VVIP-board.
In total, under the STTC program, it is planned to purchase six new aircraft to replace the SS-150, with the complete decommissioning of the SS-150 by the end of 2028. The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft also took part in the formal tender under the STTC program, but later Boeing itself withdrew from the competition due to the non-compliance of the KS-46A with the requirements of the Canadian Air Force (primarily in terms of cargo and passenger transportation capabilities). Therefore, the choice of the Airbus A330 MRTT was actually made on an uncontested basis.
The two first-ordered Airbus A330-200s are due to enter the Canadian Air Force in early 2023 and will initially be used in the transport and passenger version, but will then be converted by the Airbus Group into the A330 MRTT variant under a separate contract. The total cost of the STTC program, including the purchase of six aircraft and their conversion into military variants (including one VVIP-board) is estimated at 5 billion Canadian dollars (4 billion US dollars).
Canada became the twelfth customer of Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft. Excluding the Canadian order, 68 Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft have been ordered to date, including 51 aircraft delivered.
