The Commonwealth has tasked Airbus to conduct an upgrade to the communications and mission systems of the RAAF’s seven KC-30A multi-role tanker transports (MRTT).

The work will comprise a retrofit package which will bring the aircraft up to the manufacturer’s latest MRTT standard, and will be conducted in two phases.

Phase 1 will comprise the system’s design and systems development up to a critical design review (CDR), while Phase 2 will install the equipment into an RAAF KC-30A for certification and qualification.

The upgrade will also be reflected in the RAAF’s KC-30A full-flight simulator, and other synthetic training devices. Once certified, the equipment will be installed as part of the KC-30A fleet’s maintenance schedule.