French A-330 MRTT "Phénix"

[Deltafan]

Raised to standard 2, the A330 MRTT tanker aircraft will have an electronic warfare capability

Dissuasion : Porté au standard 2, l'avion ravitailleur A330 MRTT aura une capacité de guerre électronique - Zone Militaire

Le 8 octobre, à Saint-Dizier pour le soixantième anniversaire des Forces aériennes stratégiques de l'armée de l'Air & de l'Espace , le ministre des

www.opex360.com

Work on the development of standard 2 of the A330 MRTT was entrusted by the Directorate General of Armament [DGA] to Airbus in October 2023. (...) it will particularly emphasize “connectivity” [ the idea is to make this device a high-speed “communications node” as well as “self-protection capabilities”].
(...)
Airbus is currently developing the A3R system [for Automatic Air-to-Air Refueling], in order to refuel aircraft in flight automatically.

Regarding the A330 MRTT upgraded to standard 2, COFAS [the commander of the Strategic Air Forces] mentioned connectivity and an “electronic warfare component” aimed at “improving the survivability” of the aircraft and “therefore of the nuclear raid”. (...)

Until now, the only “electronic warfare” capability planned for the A330 MRTT focused on connectivity, with the MELISSA project [Market for the development of integration and support of aeronautical satcom stations]. Indeed, according to the explanations given by the DGA in 2022, this must make it possible to “maintain the connection in military and civil Ka bands with the command or between aircraft in an environment of electromagnetic jamming by the adversary or for conditions of flight very degraded by the weather".