South Korea receives first Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.

The new-generation A330 MRTT extends the endurance and range of the ROKAF’s fighter aircraft, and provides the service with strategic transport capability for passengers and freight.

In South Korean service the A330 MRTT will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, be equipped with the Airbus Refuelling Boom System, and can be configured in a variety of layouts to carry passengers and freight or for medevac purposes.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

South Korea becomes the seventh member of the worldwide family of A330 MRTT operators and is one of 12 nations to have ordered the aircraft. This latest delivery brings the total in-service fleet to 35.

Fernando Alonso, Executive Vice President, Airbus, said: “The A330 MRTT has clearly established itself as the world’s premier tanker and strategic transport aircraft, and has been widely praised by the current operators. It will be a critical asset of the ROKAF and leading air forces worldwide for many decades.”

Readers who wish to follow our weekly coverage can subscribe to the Weekly Defense Roundup.

If you wish to report a grammatical or factual error in this article, please let us know by using the online form.

Executive Editor

Support The Defence Blog

Independent reporting takes resources. Join us on Patreon.

Become a patron

More Like This

South Korea and France join forces on long-range missiles

Hanwha Aerospace, the South Korean defense giant behind one of the most combat-credible rocket artillery systems currently in service, signed a Memorandum of Understanding...

South Korea builds AI defense robot hub

South Chungcheong Province and the city of Nonsan have secured selection as the site of South Korea's new AI defense robotics innovation cluster, winning...

UAE bypasses Hormuz blockade with emergency Korean missile airlift

The United Arab Emirates has dispatched multiple C-17 military transport aircraft to South Korea this week to airlift a new Cheongung-II air defense battery...

South Korea dissolves spy agency that backed a coup attempt

South Korea's Defense Ministry has announced plans to dissolve its Defense Counterintelligence Command, the powerful military intelligence agency that played a central role in...

South Korea joins elite club of nations that can build laser weapon

South Korea just cracked one of the most tightly guarded engineering secrets in global defense, successfully developing a domestic laser oscillator for its Cheongwang...

China-linked spy site in Cuba is now fully operational

A sprawling Cuban intelligence facility just 145 kilometers (90 miles) from the Florida coast has completed construction of a powerful new antenna array capable...