Aircraft
EADS elbows into tanker fray
EADS Military Transport Aircraft (MTA) has set its sights on half of the aerial-refueling-tanker market estimated at 600 aircraft for 30 countries over the

EADS Military Transport Aircraft (MTA) has set its sights on half of the aerial-refueling-tanker market estimated at 600 aircraft for 30 countries over the next 20 years and has brought the first of four A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) airframes for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) here to underline its capability in the field.

The U.S. dominated the market for 50 years, first with Boeing’s KC-135 and subsequently with tanker derivatives of the DC-10, TriStar and C-130. Now, said Carlos Suarez, vice president of military derivative programs of Airbus aircraft, at a briefing Friday in downtown Paris, the many aging fleets around the world have opened the window to competition.

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