Poland seeks EU SAFE backing for Airbus A330 MRTT tanker acquisition plan

Poland has authorized Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz to request financing from the European Union’s SAFE program, opening the way for the country’s first dedicated aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft.  

A government filing from late November 2025 confirms that tanker and transport aircraft are among the priority projects Poland intends to cover through its national SAFE allocation of up to €43.7 billion. Warsaw is reportedly considering the purchase of two to four Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft at a cost of up to €1 billion. 

Officials say the capability has become increasingly crucial as Poland expands its fighter fleet with F-35A and FA-50 aircraft and faces sustained operational pressure along NATO’s eastern flank. 

General Ireneusz Nowak, head of the General Command of the Polish Armed Forces, has said tanker support could dramatically reduce the number of fighters and pilots required to maintain extended air patrols.  

“It is a scarce resource within NATO, and difficult to access,” Nowak argued. “Consequently, the role of countries that possess tanker aircraft in Central and Eastern Europe will certainly increase.” 

SAFE’s financing horizon extends through 2030, which aligns with Airbus’s production schedule.  

SAFE rules leave the A330 MRTT as the only viable candidate 

Under SAFE, no more than 35% of a procured system may originate outside the European Union. The restriction rules out non-European tankers, such as the Boeing KC-46A, effectively narrowing Poland’s choice to the Airbus A330 MRTT. 

The MRTT is already operated by several European air forces and provides both refueling and strategic transport capability. It can carry up to 45 tons of cargo or 267 passengers, allowing it to support evacuation, medevac, and mobility missions in addition to tanker duties. 

Thailand is set to become the launch customer of the A330 MRTT+ (Credit: Airbus)Airbus is working on an improved variant, the A330 MRTT+, which offers fuel burn up to 8% lower than that of current MRTTs, thanks to aerodynamic refinements, new winglets, and Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. Its maximum takeoff weight has increased from 233 to 242 tons, providing greater fuel offload and range.

On March 31, 2025, Kosiniak-Kamysz met Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury in Warsaw to discuss cooperation on air-transport and refueling capabilities, including the A330 MRTT and A400M. Although the meeting did not lead to a procurement announcement, it established the framework under which a future tanker deal could be negotiated. Airbus has an established industrial presence in Poland, which could support training and sustainment. 

Poland’s long path toward tanker capability 

Poland’s interest in tankers is not new. In 2014, Warsaw became a founding member of the NATO Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF), which now includes 12 aircraft operated jointly by participating nations. Originally comprising Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, ­Luxembourg, Norway, and the Netherlands, the program’s membership grew to include Sweden and Denmark in 2025, with Finland expected to join. 

Poland withdrew from the MMF at the turn of 2015 and 2016 to pursue a national tanker program known as Karkonosze. That effort stalled, and Poland has remained without tanker capability ever since. 

A return to the MMF was publicly floated in February 2025 by Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Bejda, who said Warsaw was considering rejoining the arrangement and would need to purchase two aircraft to do so. No decision was made, and the nationally operated SAFE-funded route has now become the primary path under consideration. The post Poland seeks EU SAFE backing for Airbus A330 MRTT tanker acquisition plan appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source