Seeking to expand its fleet with transport and refueling aircraft, the Brazilian Air Force, through the Brazilian Aeronautical Commission in Washington DC, which is conducting o KC-X3 Program, for the acquisition of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
According to the tender, the aircraft must be manufactured after January 1, 2014 and compatible with the conversion to A330 military MRTT version, aircraft characterized by performing flight refueling.
After the open session for receiving the qualification documents and proposals, the Blue SA was the only company to submit a formal proposal, which does not prevent the continuation of the bidding process. In addition, other companies were invited to participate in the event (220004/CABW/2022), however, only Azul formalized its interest in supplying the aircraft.
Now, the next step of the public notice will be about the proposal for the value of each aircraft scheduled to take place tomorrow (9), ing that Azul has only one A330-200 (PR-AIS) that meets the requirements, with the other jets of the same older model.
If it goes ahead and wins the bid, it remains to be seen how Azul's logistics will be for the supply of the second aircraft to the Brazilian Air Force, something that can easily be circumvented with the help of leasing companies, for the proper conversion into the A330 MRTT model.
The aircraft will initially be designated C-330, possibly being redesignated KC-330 after conversion to a tanker in Spain, a job that takes around 18 months according to Airbus. In addition to refueling other aircraft, the A330 MRTT can carry out enger, cargo and medical evacuation missions. The model has already been ordered by Australia, , NATO, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.
See more: Airbus A330 MRTT: The possible future refueler of the Brazilian Air Force
According to RFA, the conversion of the planes will be covered by another contract. Also in May 2021, the FAB received authorization from the Ministry of Defense to probe the market for two aircraft used for the in-flight refueling mission (REVO).
As the FAB does not operate planes with the launch-receiver system, the A330 will probably be converted to the standard with three refueling points. In this configuration – the same used by the A330 Voyager KC.3 from RAF – the aircraft is equipped with two Cobhan 905E pods on the wingtips and a rear station with the FRU-805E (Fuselage Refueling Unit) system. The 905E pods transfer 1300 kilograms of fuel per minute, while the FRU transfers 1.800 kilograms per minute.
