Italy has awarded a contract worth 1.39 billion euros ($1.6 billion) for six A330 MRTT aerial refueling aircraft and around 10 years of logistics support. The procurement will replace the Italian Air Force’s Boeing KC-767 tanker fleet introduced beginning in 2011. According to European procurement documents, Airbus was the only bidder in the restricted tender process. The A330 MRTT is already operated by several NATO and allied countries, including the UK, France, Australia, and South Korea. The aircraft supports both air-to-air refueling and transport missions, carrying up to 290 passengers or 45,000 kilograms of payload. It also offers a range of 8,000 nautical miles and a fuel capacity of 111,000 kilograms for long-endurance missions.
