France has taken delivery of its 11th and penultimate example of the A330 multi-role tanker transport from Airbus Defence & Space.
Formally transferred via France’s DGA defence procurement agency during the Paris air show – where it appeared in the static display – the latest “Phenix” followed a 10th example which had been handed over in mid-May.
The nation’s air force will take its final Phenix before year-end, the DGA says.
The type was ordered as a replacement for the French air force’s previous Boeing KC-135 tankers, plus A310s and A340s employed for personnel and equipment transport duties.
European Defence Editor Craig Hoyle has reported on the UK, European and international military aviation sector for almost 30 years, and has also been the Editor of Flight International since 2015. He joined FlightGlobal in 2003, and also compiles our annual World Air Forces directory.View full Profile
