Actually, it isn’t... this is the SECOND Dutch MRTT. The first was painted in Manchester and flew with Dutch roundel applied. You can see the picture a page back. This is no2, painted in Toulouse.
In response to the first/second/third discussion: I saw EC-340 A330MRTT KLu c/s (MRTT-054?) at Getafe on January 22nd, when Corona seemed to be something Chinese....
Ben Scramble member, reader & contributor since 1984
According to news published by the NATO website on May 14, 2020,
NATO’s Multinational MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) Fleet (MMF)
will take delivery of its first two A330 MRTT tanker aircraft next month.
The handover of the first two aircraft to the Main Operating Base in Eindhoven
is scheduled to start next month.
The first two of eight A330 MRTT, MMF1 and MMF2 are ready for acceptance,
the third and fourth aircraft are currently under conversion at the Airbus Defense facilities in Getafe, Madrid
and the fifth aircraft,
currently a “green aircraft”, was flown from Toulouse to Getafe last week.
This week our aircraft acceptance team arrived savely in Madrid
and is starting the final phase for the #MMF first aircraft arrival
at our #MMU Main Operating Base
@VlbEindhoven
This week our aircraft acceptance team arrived savely in Madrid
and is starting the final phase for the #MMF first aircraft arrival
at our #MMU Main Operating Base
@VlbEindhoven
frank kramer wrote:Actually, it isn’t... this is the SECOND Dutch MRTT. The first was painted in Manchester and flew with Dutch roundel applied. You can see the picture a page back. This is no2, painted in Toulouse.
Typhoon3030 wrote:You nonsense! They belong to the eight nations !!
Sure - but it's carrying a Dutch roundel, so: Dutch. That the funding comes from 8 different countries does not make them 'international'. Just like the Luxembourgian E-3A aircraft - they carry the Luxembourg roundel but are paid for by NATO.
Typhoon3030 wrote:You nonsense! They belong to the eight nations !!
Sure - but it's carrying a Dutch roundel, so: Dutch. That the funding comes from 8 different countries does not make them 'international'. Just like the Luxembourgian E-3A aircraft - they carry the Luxembourg roundel but are paid for by NATO.
Looks like de HAF (Hungarian AF) C-17's are also NATO
Understood the MRTT's are actually in a pool of aircraft and individual countries can "claim" (and pay) flight hours according to their need. Based on this, the planes have been bought. Countries can still trade hours. It's a clever system allowing smaller nations to sign up for e.g. half an aircraft to service their fleet (based on its annual "hours" of availability). There's a lot of details in the contracts on allocation rules. Am not an expert, just stuff I picked up from people that should know.
One aspect that is too easily forgotten: the MRTTs are operated by an international organization. And like any international organization (EU, NATO, UN etc) purchases are tax exempt. So no VAT to be paid on these aircraft!
/reeve.gif)
/luftwaffe.gif)
