NATO announced plans to create a strategic airlift pool made up of Airbus A400M transport aircraft and to add one more A330 MRTT tanker to its current multinational tanker fleet, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday.
Speaking at a defence industry event where allies disclosed arms deals running into the billions of dollars, Rutte emphasized the role of aerial capability in strengthening deterrence and defence. "It is about air power, which is essential to strengthen our deterrence and defence," he said.
The existing A330 MRTT tanker programme currently comprises nine A330s based at Eindhoven in the Netherlands. These multi-role aircraft can also be configured to carry troops or passengers. By adding a further tanker to that pool, NATO intends to make progress toward filling shortfalls exposed after the United States reduced some of its contributions to alliance capabilities.
Alliance planning envisions growing the MRTT fleet to 12 aircraft over the longer term. The current participant list for the MRTT programme includes Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
While the United States has not publicly detailed the scope of its reductions, figures provided by a military source indicate the cuts span a range of platforms from refuelling aircraft to fighters, drones and ships. President Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that European governments have leaned too heavily on U.S. defence support through NATO.
Airbus, the manufacturer of both the A400M airlifter and the A330 jet used as the MRTT tanker, said the planned shared A400M fleet will draw in aircraft from Belgium, Britain, France, Spain, Turkey, Croatia and Poland.
The announcement represents a positive development for the A400M programme. The aircraft was developed to address a European gap in medium-to-heavy military cargo and troop transport, including operations into rugged or austere locations. Slow export momentum since introduction has left questions about the platform's longer-term production outlook.
Airbus earlier this year moderated previous investor warnings concerning the A400M's long-term production trajectory. Officials said the pooled fleet will initially be assembled from aircraft already in service and supplemented by A400Ms currently in the industrial pipeline.
A spokesperson added that the arrangement could ultimately generate new orders, but cautioned it is premature to estimate how many additional aircraft might be ordered or when that would occur.
Summary
NATO will launch a pooled A400M strategic airlift capability and add one A330 MRTT tanker to its Eindhoven-based tanker fleet, aiming to bolster air mobility and mitigate gaps left by U.S. reductions. The programme will draw participating aircraft from existing inventories and industrial production lines, with potential for future orders though no specifics have been provided.
Key participants
- MRTT programme participants: Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden.
- Shared A400M participants: Belgium, Britain, France, Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Poland.