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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFrance selected Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines for 12 Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft in 2014. The original announcement also covered engine support; later Airbus reporting describes the French Phénix fleet and subsequent upgrades, but those developments do not change the engines named in the 2014 selection.
What Rolls-Royce announced in 2014
On 20 November 2014, Rolls-Royce announced that France’s Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) had selected the Trent 700 and support for 12 A330 MRTTs for the French Air Force. Rolls-Royce described France as the fourth nation to select a Trent 700-powered MRTT, after the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. These are statements from the company’s announcement, not current procurement figures. Rolls-Royce, 20 November 2014
A UK government account published on 10 December 2014 put the total purchase at €3 billion (£2.38 billion) and said it represented £320 million in revenue to Rolls-Royce UK. Those amounts are reported figures from 2014, not current prices or estimates. The same account said the first aircraft was planned for delivery in 2018; that was the schedule announced at the time, not a present-day forecast. UK Department for International Trade Defence & Security Organisation, 10 December 2014
Who was responsible for the aircraft and engines?
The 2014 UK government account described the industrial roles as follows:
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- Airbus: aircraft assembly in Toulouse.
- Thales: avionics design and integration.
- Rolls-Royce UK: supply of the Trent 700 engines.
Michael Ward, then Head of UKTI Paris, said the selection offered an opportunity for commonality between British and French tanker fleets, including training and support. That was an anticipated opportunity; the statement does not establish that particular savings or shared training results followed. UK government account, 10 December 2014
What the A330 MRTT does
The A330 MRTT is designed to combine aerial refuelling with transport duties. Airbus describes the aircraft as able to refuel other aircraft and carry personnel and cargo, as well as conduct aeromedical evacuation. Its refuelling systems include a boom and under-wing pods. These are capabilities of the MRTT family as described by Airbus; they should not be read as a complete configuration list for every French aircraft. Airbus A330 MRTT product page
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France’s Trent 700 aircraft are not the later MRTT+
The French aircraft covered by the 2014 announcement are original A330 MRTTs selected with Trent 700 engines. Airbus’s later A330 MRTT+ is a distinct configuration based on the A330-800 and uses Trent 7000 engines. Airbus also claims up to 8% lower fuel burn for the MRTT+ compared with previous models. That figure is Airbus’s claim for the later variant; it is not a performance figure for France’s original Trent 700 aircraft. Airbus A330 MRTT product information
| Configuration | Airframe basis | Engine | Relevant distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| French aircraft in the 2014 selection | Original A330 MRTT | Rolls-Royce Trent 700 | Selection included engines and support for 12 aircraft, according to Rolls-Royce’s 2014 announcement. |
| A330 MRTT+ | A330-800-derived, according to Airbus | Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 | Airbus identifies updated aerodynamics and wingtip devices, and claims up to 8% lower fuel burn than previous models. |
What Airbus reported about France’s fleet in 2023
In October 2023, Airbus said France operated 12 aircraft under the Phénix name, had logged more than 18,000 fleet flight hours and had ordered 15 aircraft. Airbus also reported two contracts totaling €1.2 billion for capability enhancement and in-service support. These are Airbus’s dated figures; they describe the fleet and contracts as reported in 2023, not the terms of the 2014 engine selection. Airbus, October 2023
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Airbus said the capability work would add connectivity and self-protection features, including a MELISSA satellite communications station, with the first upgraded aircraft then expected to qualify for the French Air Force in 2028. The separate fleet support contract was described as lasting 10 years, with two optional years. Those were the expectations and contract terms Airbus stated in October 2023.
A French Ministry of the Armed Forces search-result excerpt published in October 2023 separately said the DGA and DMAé had awarded one long-term maintenance contract for the fleet excluding engines to Airbus Defence & Space, and another for engine maintenance to Rolls-Royce. The available statement supports only that division of maintenance responsibility; it does not provide further contract details. French Ministry of the Armed Forces, October 2023
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