First Singapore, now New Delhi? The Airbus Defence & Space A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) has garnered an impressive series of trophies on the international marketplace. In less than a decade, the outsider on a market historically dominated by Boeing has become the export champion, with five wins over its US, Israeli and Russian rivals.
After finalising the sale of six tankers to Singapore last autumn in a deal that should be officially announced at the Singpore Show next week, Airbus DS now has its sights firmly set on India. Prospects look good: the Indian Air Force (IAF) has for the second time selected the MRTT in preference to the Russian Il-78 Midas. The first competition was abandoned in January 2010 following objections from the Finance Ministry.
“We are now in the final phase of negotiations,” Christian Scherer, Airbus DS Executive Vice-President Sales & Marketing, explained here at Defexpo. “We’ll be hard to beat,” he smiles, confident that the European tanker will once again come out on top.
If the sale is confirmed, it could potentially unlock other subsequent orders. “There is a potential for additional aircraft, though our priority is to focus on the initial batch of six,” says Scherer. The Airbus EVP declined to go into details concerning transfer of know-how or production work in connection with the Indian MRTT contract. However, he confirmed that Airbus DS was open to technology transfer in connection with the MRTT.
Looking beyond the MRTT, the company sees strong potential in India for its C295 twin-turboprop tactical military transport, currently being proposed as a replacement for the IAF’s ageing Avros. The C295 could also meet a Coast Guard requirement for around 10 aircraft of this type. In this latter competition, Airbus DS is offering Indian industry the chance to participate in co-development of “mission systems and radars”, according to Scherer.