Canada’s first new military tanker takes flight in milestone for $3.6B fleet renewal

The first of four new strategic transport and refuelling aircraft built for the Royal Canadian Air Force has completed its inaugural test flight, marking a major milestone in Canada’s $3.6-billion effort to modernize its military tanker fleet.

Canada is acquiring nine CC-330 Husky tanker and transport aircraft—four new and five used—to replace its aging CC-150 Polaris fleet.

Airbus Defence on Thursday published images of the first new Husky in flight at the company’s facilities in Spain.

“Everything is on track for delivery next year,” the company wrote in a post on social media, saying the new craft, based on the company’s A330-200 airframe, “will be equipped with both hose-and-drogue and boom air-to-air refuelling capabilities, along with advanced cybersecurity solutions and countermeasures.”

The Department of National Defence confirmed the images were taken during the aircraft’s first flight on July 1.

The aircraft, designated Husky 006, will undergo additional conversion work in Europe before being delivered to Canada in 2027 as the country’s first new multi-role tanker and transport aircraft.

Canada has already taken possession of three of the five used CC-330 Husky aircraft acquired as part of the fleet modernization program.

Those aircraft remain configured as commercial airliners to support “troop and passenger airlift operations” but will be converted to the tanker and transport configuration in the coming years, National Defence spokesperson Andree-Anne Poulin said in an email Friday.

Two additional used A330 aircraft are undergoing work before entering service—one will be converted into a refuelling aircraft, while the other will serve as an executive transport plane for government officials.

National Defence says it expects to reach its initial operational capability for the Husky fleet by 2029, with full operational capability to follow in 2032-33.

The nine-aircraft fleet was acquired from Airbus in a deal valued at $3.6 billion, before taxes, in June 2023.

In February of this year, the federal government awarded an additional $1.5 billion in contracts to Airbus and L3Harris to provide long-term maintenance and support for the fleet.

“The CC-330 Husky fleet will enable the RCAF to conduct a variety of tasks at home and abroad, including air-to-air refuelling, passenger transport, aeromedical evacuation and strategic transport of Government of Canada officials,” Poulin said.

“These aircraft will provide the RCAF with an invaluable operational capability to continue supporting North American Aerospace Defense Command obligations and its readiness posture, commitments to North Atlantic Treaty Organization Allies and Canadian Armed Forces operations at home, and abroad.”

An Airbus Defence spokesperson declined to comment on Friday, referring questions about the flight milestone to the company’s 2023 news release announcing the purchase agreement.

The release described the converted Airbus A330 as “the world’s most advanced multirole tanker aircraft,” saying it “perfectly matches Canada’s needs to protect its sovereignty, as well as to enhance operations” abroad.