Paperwork present that Italy has signed in April 2026 a deal to accumulate six A330 MRTT tankers which can substitute the present fleet of 4 KC-767s.
Italy has reportedly chosen new tanker plane for the Italian Air Power which can substitute the present fleet of KC-767 tankers. In response to the European Union’s Tenders Digital Every day (TED) portal, the Ministry of Protection signed a take care of Airbus for the procurement of six A330 MRTT (Multi-Function Tanker Transport) plane.
The contract, signed on Apr. 16, 2026, is valued €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) and is predicted to final 10 years. In response to the paperwork, the number of the A330 arrived in December 2025, and it seems it was the one bid within the competitors.
In a current doc launched by the Italian MOD which talks in regards to the 3 yr program of purchases of products and providers, its been revealed that there’s an curiosity by the Italian Air Power in buying x6 A330 Multi Function Tanker Transport made by Airbus. pic.twitter.com/sSRqKk7d3j
— A-129 Mangusta (@NichoConcu) Could 19, 2026
A doc by the Italian Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness (ARMAEREO), dated April 2026, lists the alternative program as a high precedence. Nevertheless, the doc additionally mentions that the contract was signed on Feb. 23, 2026, which differs from the knowledge on the TED portal.
From yesterday: #Italy has signed a contract dated from February 23, 2026 for six A-330 tanker fleet valued at an estimated 1.4 billion euros. pic.twitter.com/NyiqoNv8hb
— Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo (@elisabethmalom1) Could 19, 2026
The worth of the contract seems to be the identical on each paperwork, though ARMAEREO’s doc mentions a period of 96 months, or eight years. Neither doc mentions whether or not Italy will procure the usual MRTT configuration or the upgraded MRTT+.
An extended wait
This isn’t the primary time that Italy makes an attempt to interchange the KC-767. A primary try was made in 2022, when the MoD deliberate to accumulate two new KC-46 tankers and improve the present 4 KC-767A tankers to the identical normal.
The plan was later discovered not possible by a particular fee whose function was to guage the mission. It was thus determined the procure six new KC-46 Pegasus tankers, in what was outlined as the one viable resolution.
Nevertheless, in June 2024, this system was halted resulting from “modified and unexpected wants,” mentioned the Italian Air Power. The service didn’t present additional particulars and it was not clear if the cancellation was strictly associated to the tanker itself or to different priorities.
A few weeks later, the Italian Air Power began as soon as once more the process for the acquisition of a brand new alternative for the KC-767A tanker. In its communication to the MoD, the service talked about that the shortage of a alternative may compromise its operational capabilities.
Equally to the one beforehand suspended, the brand new program has been named “Renewal, strengthening and Built-in Logistic Help of the Italian Air Power Heavy Multirole Tanker fleet.” This time this system was price over € 1.41 billion as a substitute of the earlier € 1.2 billion.
Sources with data on the matter mentioned that different distributors/choices had been additionally being thought of. As soon as once more, the service was on the lookout for six plane, confirming the intention to extend the scale of the fleet.
This tender nonetheless concluded in April 2025 with no bidders. This led to the launch of a brand new tender restricted to the European Financial Space which, as talked about earlier, solely resulted in a bid from Airbus.
Italy and the A330 MRTT
Ought to the earlier program have gone forward, Italy would have been the one European operator of the KC-46, as France, Spain and the UK acquired the A330 MRTT (Multi-Function Tanker Transport), whereas Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands share the A330 MRTT tankers of the NATO MMF (Multinational MRTT Fleet). Contemplating the elevated cooperation within the protection sector in Europe right now, it would make sense if additionally Italy begins seeking to the A330 MRTT.
The transfer wouldn’t be a lot of a shock, particularly with the elevated cooperation in Europe relating to the protection sector. Additionally, let’s not neglect that Italy wants each flying increase and “hose and drogue” system to refuel its plane, and Boeing and Airbus are the one distributors to supply each choices on their tankers.
The A330 MRTT, based mostly on the profitable A330-200, amassed 85 orders from 18 international locations world wide, with greater than 340,000 flight hours since its introduction in 2011. The MRTT has been designed as a dual-role air-to-air refueling and transport plane because the begin.
The A330 MRTT can carry as much as 111 tonnes of gasoline, which Airbus says is the best capability of all tanker plane accessible right now. This gasoline may be offloaded by 4 refueling stations, which embody the 2 Cobham 905E under-wing pods, the Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit and the Aerial Refuelling Increase System.
The tanker can even carry a most payload of as much as 45 tonnes, with as much as 300 passengers and as much as 37 tonnes of cargo within the decrease deck. Cargo to be conveniently saved contained in the decrease deck in a wide range of cargo choices overlaying the total vary of current under-floor cargo containers and pallets, whereas massive gadgets are loaded by a cargo door.
In 2018, Airbus signed an settlement with Lockheed Martin to collectively discover alternatives to fulfill the rising demand for aerial refueling for U.S. protection clients, centered across the A330 MRTT. The 2 firms even explored the concept to supply contract aerial refueling providers, however later deserted the plan, earlier than Lockheed Martin ended its effort additionally for the tanker bid to the U.S. Air Power.
Airbus is now engaged on the absolutely Automated Air-to-Air Refueling (A3R) expertise with the increase system, which is meant to cut back air refueling operator (ARO) workload, enhance security and optimize the speed of air-to-air refueling switch in operational circumstances.
Through the 2024 Farnborough Airshow, Airbus additionally launched the A330 Multi Function Tanker Transport Plus (MRTT+) based mostly on the A330neo. The corporate says the A330 MRTT+ introduces improvements from the A330-800 industrial airliner, together with Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, optimized aerodynamics and wing-tips.
These assist to ship as much as 8% decrease gasoline burn and lowered noise, whereas nonetheless retaining 95% airframe commonality with the present A330 MRTT. An elevated most take-off weight of 242 tonnes (up from 233 tonnes) additional extends vary, will increase gasoline offload capability, and enhances operational flexibility.
