French Air and Space Force A330 MRTT Delivered

France's Directorate General of Armaments accepted and delivered the twelfth A330 MRTT Phenix to the French Air and Space Force, completing the first production batch ordered for the service. France had by then committed to a total of fifteen aircraft, with the remaining three to follow later in the decade. The Phenix combines air-to-air refuelling, strategic transport and medical evacuation in one airframe and underpins the airborne leg of the French nuclear deterrent, replacing the Boeing C-135FR tankers that had served since the 1960s. The fleet is based at Istres-Le Tube.