Feature: NATO tanker fleet grows to 10 aircraft ahead of further expansion
A Belgian Air Force boom operator aboard an Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft refuels a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jet during exercise Ramstein Flag 25. (NATO/MMU)
NATO's pooled Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet has grown to 10 aircraft, with two further tankers due in mid-2028 and early 2029 as European allies expand shared refuelling and transport capacity.
NATO confirmed the fleet's strength in an update published on 15 September 2026. The expansion follows Finland's accession as the ninth participating country, announced on 7 July.
The MMU's first aircraft, T-055, was delivered in June 2020. At the time of writing, the MMU has 10 aircraft on strength, for a new planned total of 12. Denmark and Sweden's accession to the programme provided the required funding for two further airframes.
The MMU's main operating base is at Eindhoven Airport, the Netherlands, with a forward operating base (FOB) at Cologne, Germany. As the fleet expands to 12 aircraft, NATO plans to open a third operating location in Karup, Denmark.
Multinational MRTT Unit (MMU) commanding officer Colonel Evert Cuppens told Janes that NATO is now encouraging member states to provide their own fuelling capability for their fighters. This will not always mean a sovereign fleet, but in those circumstances, the MMU is the perfect vessel, he added.
Shared capability
The Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) aircraft are owned by NATO, managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and operated by the MMU. Participating countries fund the fleet and receive annual flight-hour allocations, rather than each maintaining a separate tanker force.
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