Overview
- Spain’s Council of Ministers approved the seven‑year framework on Tuesday, Aug. 25, clearing up to €5.4 billion for a joint purchase of at least seven Airbus A330 MRTT tanker/transport aircraft.
- Polish officials say the plan will deliver four aircraft to Poland by 2030 and leave three with Spain, but a final bilateral contract and precise technical fit remain to be signed.
- The purchase will be financed through the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan instrument and the aircraft will be assembled or converted at Airbus’s Getafe facility in Madrid.
- Poland currently has no organic aerial‑refueling fleet and has relied on allied tankers, so the MRTTs are aimed at letting its incoming F‑35s operate farther and longer while also providing strategic transport and medevac capability.
- Next steps include final contract talks with Airbus, confirmation of airframe and refueling systems, and delivery scheduling, with the deal expected to speed capability fielding and use shared production slots to reduce cost and time.