As part of the Commonwealth's AIR 5402 acquisition process under which Airbus Military is providing the RAAF with five such aircraft, designated by the air force as KC-30A MRTT, some 4,500 individual components - 500 units of Ground Support and Test equipment and 4,000 spares - will be delivered to 33 Squadron at RAAF Amberley over the next three months.
The equipment will be needed when the first A330 MRTT enters squadron service at
Amberley towards the end of the year.
Prime contractor Qantas Defence Services (QDS) and Airbus Military have signed a through life support (TLS) contract under which Airbus, through QDS, will ensure ongoing maintenance support to the A330 MRTT fleet over the next 22 years.
As prime contractor, QDS will base some 50 engineering support personnel at RAAF Amberley to manage the TLS program.
In its design and maintenance support role, Airbus Military will provide QDS with engineering, logistics, technical data, supply and training support services.
It will also assign two field service representatives to 33 Squadron for three years to ensure a smooth entry into service.
The TLS agreement also provides for future contracts to ensure additional support for the military aspects of the fleet, specifically deep maintenance, consolidating and expanding Airbus Military's presence and role in Brisbane.