Italy Air Force eyes new tanker competition after dropping Boeing buy

Rome: Italy is mulling a competition to find a new tanker aircraft after suspending plans to buy six new Boeing KC-46 tankers, sources have told Defense News.

The competition, which could be held this year, will likely see the Airbus A330 MRTT tanker in contention to replace the Italian Air Force’s four Boeing 767-based tanker aircraft which entered service from 2011.

Should the Airbus aircraft be picked, it would mark an important shift for Italy after relying on Boeing tankers for over a decade.

In 2021 Italy announced plans to upgrade its B-767 tankers and purchase two more, but the following year Rome changed tack, opting instead to buy six new KC-46 aircraft, aligning itself with the United States, which has acquired the more modern aircraft.

Italy’s plans all changed last month, however, when defense planners issued a document stating the €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), six-aircraft KC-46 purchase had been halted “due to changed and unforeseen needs.”

No further explanation was given, although the decision could be linked to issues over the cost and promised delivery time of the new aircraft, Defense News has learned.

The KC-46 has been plagued by problems including a troublesome Remote Vision System, aimed at giving boom operators a view of refueling operations. The delivery of a replacement dubbed the RVS 2.0 is set to slip to 2026, the U.S. Air Force said in March.

Italy’s suspension of its purchase has prompted plans for a possible competition “to be held within months” said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the record.

Officials have not ruled out a KC-46 buy, but want to see what else is on the market, the source added.

The most likely alternative is the Airbus A330 MRTT, which has been acquired by France, Spain and the U.K.

The Italian Air Force is meanwhile planning to spend €7.5 billion on 24 new Eurofighter jets to replace 26 older versions due of service in 2028.