Qantas Defence Services (QDS) has completed its fourth and final Airbus Military A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) conversion, with the work having been undertaken at the company's Brisbane facility.
The aircraft will now be flown to Airbus Military's facility in Getafe, Spain, for final testing, before being delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force later this year. It will be the fifth and final A330 MRTT to enter use with the service under the designation KC-30A.
With the cessation of conversion activities, the Brisbane facility will become a maintenance base for the A330 MRTT and other civil and military programmes. QDS will also provide support for the type at RAAF base Amberley in Queensland, where Australia's tanker fleet is based.
"The conversion work done by QDS over the past four years is at the cutting edge of aviation engineering," says QDS head Scott Harris. "Our ability to draw on both civil and military expertise and skills was a vital asset in completing the four aircraft. We look forward to continuing to support the MRTT programme as the prime contractor for through-life support of the fleet - as well as working with the RAAF on other projects."
Source: Flight International
