Italy moves to Airbus A330 tankers
Italy moves to Airbus A330 tankers
意大利转向空客 A330 加油机
By Stefania De Michele Published on 21/05/2026 - 10:51 GMT+2 作者：Stefania De Michele，发布于 2026 年 5 月 21 日 - 10:51 GMT+2
Rome shifts course: six Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft, worth around €1.39 billion in total, to bolster the European pillar in NATO. The tanker deal is not just a competition won; it is a decision that shifts the balance. Behind the purchase of the new Airbus A330 MRTT lies a shift in the centre of gravity of Italy’s air defence, which is now looking increasingly to Europe within the NATO framework, leaving behind the US option linked to the Boeing KC-46. 罗马改变了航向：意大利将采购六架空客 A330 MRTT 多用途加油运输机，总价值约 13.9 亿欧元，旨在加强北约内部的欧洲支柱。这笔加油机交易不仅仅是一场竞争的胜利，更是一个改变力量平衡的决定。在购买新型空客 A330 MRTT 的背后，是意大利国防重心的一次转移——意大利现在正越来越多地在北约框架内向欧洲靠拢，从而放弃了与波音 KC-46 挂钩的美国方案。
In this context, Italy has formalised the acquisition of six Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft, in a deal with a total value of around 1.39 billion euro, including long-term logistic support. The news emerges from publication on the European TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) portal on 19 May 2026 and confirms that the contract was signed on 16 April by ARMAERO. The decision closes a process launched in 2022 that went through cancellations, tenders without valid bids and changes in the industrial landscape, before finally settling on a European solution that has now become the standard among several NATO countries. 在此背景下，意大利正式确定了六架空客 A330 MRTT 加油机的采购协议，总价值约 13.9 亿欧元，其中包括长期后勤支持。该消息于 2026 年 5 月 19 日在欧洲 TED（电子招标日报）门户网站上发布，并确认合同已由意大利军备局（ARMAERO）于 4 月 16 日签署。这一决定终结了自 2022 年启动的采购进程，该进程历经了取消、流标以及工业格局的变动，最终选定了目前已成为多个北约国家标准的欧洲解决方案。
From the Boeing KC-46 to a return to Airbus: a geopolitical choice 从波音 KC-46 到回归空客：地缘政治的选择
The path that led to the final decision was complex and marked by several changes of course. Initially, in 2022, Italy had selected the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus as the platform to replace and complement the current KC-767A refuelling fleet. However, the programme was cancelled in 2024, opening a new European tender that proved more difficult than expected. The subsequent procedure, launched in 2024, ended in April 2025 without any offers fully meeting the required technical specifications. Only in the final phase, in December 2025, was a single proposal left on the table: that of Airbus, which led to the definitive signing of the contract in 2026. 通往最终决定的道路复杂且几经波折。最初，意大利在 2022 年选择了波音 KC-46“飞马”作为替代和补充现有 KC-767A 加油机队的平台。然而，该计划于 2024 年被取消，随后开启了一项比预期更为艰难的欧洲招标。2024 年启动的后续程序于 2025 年 4 月结束，但没有任何投标完全符合所需的技术规格。直到 2025 年 12 月的最后阶段，桌面上仅剩下一份提案：即空客的方案，这促成了 2026 年合同的最终签署。
According to international sources and defence-sector analyses, the Italian decision is seen as a clear shift towards the European supply chain, with the definitive abandonment of the Boeing KC-46 platform in the national context. Both systems are NATO-compatible, so Italy’s ability to operate alongside the United States does not change. The geopolitical difference is that with Boeing the logistical and support centre of gravity remains more “US-centric”, whereas with Airbus a European ecosystem of maintenance, training and supply chains is strengthened. In practice, NATO remains the overarching framework, but Europe is increasing its weight in enabling capabilities, such as tankers. 根据国际消息来源和国防部门的分析，意大利的这一决定被视为向欧洲供应链的明确转向，标志着在国家层面彻底放弃了波音 KC-46 平台。由于这两个系统都与北约兼容，意大利与美国协同作战的能力并未改变。地缘政治上的区别在于，选择波音意味着后勤和支持重心仍偏向“以美国为中心”，而选择空客则加强了维护、培训和供应链的欧洲生态系统。实际上，北约仍然是总体框架，但欧洲正在增强其在加油机等赋能能力方面的影响力。
The meaning of the contract: far more than a simple aircraft purchase 合同的意义：远不止是一次简单的飞机采购
The A330 MRTT is not just a tanker for in-flight refuelling, but a multi-role platform capable of combining different strategic functions. The aircraft is used both for direct support to combat operations and for long-range strategic transport of personnel and materiel. For Italy, the introduction of six new tanker aircraft above all means a significant increase in the Italian Air Force’s power-projection capability, particularly for missions that require extended endurance from new-generation fighters such as the F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon. A330 MRTT 不仅仅是一架用于空中加油的加油机，更是一个能够结合多种战略功能的多用途平台。该机型既可用于直接支援作战行动，也可用于人员和物资的远程战略运输。对于意大利而言，引入六架新型加油机首先意味着意大利空军力量投送能力的显著提升，特别是对于需要 F-35 和“台风”战斗机等新一代战机进行长航时作战的任务而言。
Italy joins the club of 19 MRTT operators 意大利加入 19 个 MRTT 运营商俱乐部
Another element that has emerged in recent hours concerns the international dimension of the Airbus programme. With this acquisition, Italy becomes the 19th operator worldwide of the A330 MRTT, a platform that has now been firmly established as the reference standard among NATO and allied countries. This highlights the growing centrality of the Airbus aircraft in the military tanker market, where in recent years it has steadily gained ground over its US competitors. 最近几小时出现的另一个要素涉及空客计划的国际层面。通过此次采购，意大利成为全球第 19 个 A330 MRTT 运营商，该平台现已稳固确立为北约及盟国之间的参考标准。这凸显了空客飞机在军用加油机市场中日益增长的核心地位，近年来，它在与美国竞争对手的较量中稳步扩大了优势。
The A330 MRTT is designed to deliver extended endurance and operational flexibility. Its primary function is air-to-air refuelling, which allows fighters to significantly extend their time on station in the operational area without returning to base. This capability translates into a direct advantage for NATO missions, for operations in the wider Mediterranean and for possible crisis scenarios further afield. At the same time, the platform retains a strong logistical component and can also be used for strategic transport and humanitarian operations. A330 MRTT 旨在提供更长的续航能力和操作灵活性。其主要功能是空中加油，这使得战斗机无需返回基地即可显著延长在作战区域的驻留时间。这种能力直接转化为北约任务、更广泛的地中海行动以及更远地区可能出现的危机场景的优势。同时，该平台保留了强大的后勤组件，也可用于战略运输和人道主义行动。
Aircraft variant and industrial participation still to be defined 飞机型号及工业参与度仍待确定
Despite the signing of the contract, some technical and industrial aspects remain open. It has not yet been clarified whether the chosen configuration will be the standard version of the A330 MRTT or the more recent MRTT+ evolution, based on the A330neo and offering greater fuel efficiency. In parallel, the level of involvement of Italian industry in the programme still has to be defined, a key factor for the economic and technological return of the operation. 尽管合同已经签署，但一些技术和工业方面的问题仍未解决。目前尚不清楚所选配置是 A330 MRTT 的标准版本，还是基于 A330neo、燃油效率更高的最新 MRTT+ 演进版本。与此同时，意大利工业界在项目中的参与程度仍有待确定，这是该行动实现经济和技术回报的关键因素。
A decision that redraws the balance 重塑平衡的决定
Italy’s change of paradigm fits into a broader trend in which Boeing is struggling to expand the export market for its tanker compared with Airbus. Several defence analysts point out that although the KC-46 is the standard tanker of the USAF, it has suffered technical problems and delays that have slowed its competitiveness abroad, to the benefit of the A330 MRTT, which has already been adopted by many NATO and non-NATO allies. In this sense, the Italian choice is seen more as an industrial victory for Airbus than as an American “political defeat”. 意大利的范式转变符合一个更广泛的趋势，即与空客相比，波音在扩大其加油机出口市场方面正面临困难。多位国防分析人士指出，尽管 KC-46 是美国空军的标准加油机，但其技术问题和延误减缓了其在海外的竞争力，这使得已被许多北约及非北约盟国采用的 A330 MRTT 受益。从这个意义上说，意大利的选择更多被视为空客的工业胜利，而非美国的“政治失败”。
Overall, Italy’s decision to turn to Airbus marks a significant step not only in military terms, but also industrially and geopolitically. Abandoning the KC-46 Pegasus in favour of the A330 MRTT further consolidates the European axis in the military tanker sector, strengthening interoperability with NATO allies that are already users of the platform. For the Italian Air Force, this is an important qualitative leap that boosts its global power-projection capability and reduces dependence. 总的来说，意大利转向空客的决定不仅在军事上，而且在工业和地缘政治上都迈出了重要一步。放弃 KC-46“飞马”而选择 A330 MRTT，进一步巩固了欧洲在军用加油机领域的轴心地位，加强了与已使用该平台的北约盟国的互操作性。对于意大利空军而言，这是一个重要的质的飞跃，提升了其全球力量投送能力并减少了依赖。