Spain approves €5.4bn joint tanker order with Poland for Airbus A330 MRTT

Spain's Council of Ministers has approved a spending plan worth roughly €5.4 billion ($6.3 billion) for a joint acquisition of Airbus Defence & Space A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft with Poland, according to a notice on the Spanish government's website.

The approval authorises signing a framework agreement for the joint purchase. Financing would come through the European Union's SAFE mechanism, the Spanish government said.

Madrid did not say how many aircraft the deal covers. Polish defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, however, said on social media that the two countries would acquire at least seven tankers between them, with Poland receiving four by 2030. He called the aircraft essential for the Polish air force as it brings F-35 fighters into service.

The minister cautioned that the order is not yet final. A separate agreement still needs to be signed to complete the acquisition, he said.

Spain already operates the MRTT, having converted three former Iberia A330-200 airliners for the role. The first entered service in April 2025.

The joint procurement structure would let the two air forces share a common tanker fleet backed by EU funding. Final aircraft numbers and delivery schedules await the follow-on agreement.