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Airbus delivers first A330 tanker aircraft to South Korea

By Stephen Carlson
AA330 tanker transport leaving the airfield at Getafe, Spain. Photo courtesy of Airbus.
AA330 tanker transport leaving the airfield at Getafe, Spain. Photo courtesy of Airbus.

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- The first Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force has landed at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea for acceptance tests.

The Airbus and ROKAF crewed aircraft arrived in South Korea after ferrying from the Airbus Final Assembly Line in Getafe, Spain, with a stop in Vancouver, Canada, the company said in a press release on Tuesday.

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The plane will undergo ground and flight testing before acceptance by the ROKAF with an Airbus team present to provide technical support and advice during the trials until the plane is officially handed over to South Korea.

The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport is a derivative of the A330-220 civilian airliner designed for aerial refueling of other aircraft and cargo and personnel transport.

The MRTT can carry up to 245,000 pounds of fuel for refueling operations and it's own use. It can quickly be configured for carrying over 40 tons of cargo or 266 personnel depending on the mission and uses military sensors and avionics for navigation.

The MRTT is in use by the air forces of the U.K., Saudi Arabia, Australia, United Arab Emirates and Singapore. The United States and Brazil turned down the aircraft in favor of other tanker designs.

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