Airbus, Singapore gains certification for A330 MRTT automatic air-to-air refuelling

SINGAPORE — Airbus and Singapore have announced that they have completed the certification of the Automatic Air to Air Refueling (A3R) capability of the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), a key technological step that will allow automated refueling from the European-made system

According to the European aircraft manufacturer and Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), the certification was granted by the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), following an extensive qualification and flight-test campaign that evaluated the A3R system for the A330 MRTT’s refueling boom under day and night conditions.

Airbus says that the certification of the A3R program represents a key milestone in the continued development of the A330 MRTT platform and marks a world-first in aviation, with Airbus Defence and Space CEO Mike Schoellhorn saying that it was a clear demonstration of what long-term partnerships can deliver.

“Singapore has consistently led the adoption and co-development of next-generation aerospace technologies, and Airbus is proud to support the RSAF and DSTA in fielding a capability that will shape the future of air-to-air refueling,” he said in a statement.

Singapore’s DSTA said in a separate announcement that A3R “is a valuable capability that lightens the operator’s workload through automation and enhances the RSAF’s mission effectiveness.”

It said that it contributed to system design reviews and improvements to the A3R’s system’s algorithm, which can be tailored to specific needs of the users.

The certification campaign was carried out in Singapore and Spain and encompassed day and night missions and progressively expanded flight envelopes of the system using the A330 MRTTs, F-15SG and F-16 multirole fighters of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), who is also the lead customer for the A3R capability.

Speaking at a media briefing at the Singapore Airshow, Maria Angeles Marti, the head of the tanker and derivatives division for Airbus, said that the A3R system can be tailored to other types of aircraft receivers, although it would require a separate flight test and certification campaign with Airbus and INTA involvement.

She also revealed that there has been international interest in the A3R program, specifically naming Canada as one potential customer. Ottawa plans to acquire nine A330 MRTTs, including four new-build aircraft from Airbus and the others being second hand airliners converted into tankers.

Marti told reporters that Airbus will be able to continue converting former airliners into MRTTs for future customers, although she cautioned that the global second-hand market will start running short of aircraft with enough life in them to make conversion a worthwhile endeavour for customers.

Instead, Airbus will transition its MRTT production line to using the A330neo (New Engine Option) as its baseline airframe, with the tanker variant being known as the MRTT+ that it had announced in 2024.

Marti says the MRTT+, which is powered by two Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engine, offers a number of improvements that include an eight percent improvement in fuel efficiency, and a maximum take off weight of 242 tons instead of 233 tons.

Thailand will be the first customer for the improved variant, having ordered a single aircraft in September 2025, with Marti confirming that delivery will take place in 2029.

She however declined to answer when asked about the possibility of the A330 MRTT taking part in a potential US Air Force tanker competition even though the company would always have an interest in any such contest.