Editing Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (section)

==Background==
{{Multiple image|direction=vertical|width=280
|image1=Tristar tanker zd952 view2 arp.jpg|caption1=A Royal Air Force [[Lockheed TriStar (RAF)|Lockheed TriStar]], converted  L-1011-500 used as tanker-transports for over 20 years by the time of the new programme
|image2=RAF Vickers VC10 K3 over the North Sea Lofting.jpg
|caption2=The Vickers VC10 aircraft entered RAF service in 1966
}}
The project was to provide a replacement of the Royal Air Force's fleet of [[Vickers VC10]]s from 2008 and the [[Lockheed TriStar (RAF)|Lockheed TriStars]] around 2012.  The need for a new fleet of air-to-air refuelling aircraft was first identified in 1997.  The chosen aircraft were to operate from the same RAF air transport hub, [[RAF Brize Norton]], Oxfordshire as the replaced aircraft.

The use of a [[Private Finance Initiative]] (PFI) rather than outright purchase by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) was chosen in 2000.  Under the PFI, the Royal Air Force (via the MoD) will pay for aerial refuelling and air transport missions as required.  The Royal Air Force will continue to retain responsibility for all military missions, whilst the contractor will own, manage and maintain the aircraft, and also provide training facilities and some personnel.  The private company will also be able to earn extra revenue by using aircraft for commercial operations when not required by the Royal Air Force; the most suitable of which would be leased air-refuelling missions for other European air forces.  The RAF however will always have the 'first call' on aircraft, being able to mobilise the entire fleet in times of crisis.

===Competition===
Final bids for the project were received from the two competing consortia on 30 April 2003.<ref name="fsta_factsht">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/ProjectFactsheets/FutureStrategicTankerAircraftfsta.htm|title=Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA)|website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk|publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]|access-date=12 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121026065214/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/ProjectFactsheets/FutureStrategicTankerAircraftfsta.htm|archive-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

*'''Air Tanker Limited''' offered a mix of new and used [[Airbus A330-200]]s, the consortium composed of:
**[[Rolls-Royce plc|Rolls-Royce]] — [[Rolls-Royce Trent|Trent 700]] [[turbofan]]s
**[[Cobham plc|Cobham]] — aerial refuelling hose and drogue system
**[[EADS]] — [[Airbus A330-200]]
**[[Thales Group]] — [[avionics]] and training.
*'''Tanker Transport Services Consortium''' (TTSC) offered converted [[British Airways]] [[Boeing 767]]s:
**[[British Airways]] — aircraft
**[[Boeing]] — conversion technology, using the [[Boeing KC-767|KC-767]] as the basis of the design
**[[BAE Systems]] — conversion of majority of aircraft and mission systems
**[[Marshall Aerospace]]
**[[Serco]]
**[[Spectrum Capital]]

===Selection and contract negotiations===
The [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) announced on 26 January 2004 that Air Tanker had been selected to enter into final negotiations to provide the RAF's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA).<ref>{{Cite news|title=Airbus lands £13bn MoD contract|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3429111.stm|website=News.BBC.co.uk|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=26 January 2004|access-date=20 June 2012}}</ref>

Following aircraft selection, the MoD began exclusive negotiations with the AirTanker consortium.  However, beginning in April 2004, there were rumours about the fragile state of the contract negotiations.  With continuing doubts over the FSTA programme, [[Marshall Aerospace]], responsible for the conversion of the RAF's original TriStars, offered to buy and convert some of the large number of surplus commercial TriStars.<ref name="Winchester p52-3">Winchester ''Air International'' January 2009, pp.52–53.</ref>

On 28 February 2005, the MoD named AirTanker as its preferred bidder for the £13&nbsp;billion contract.<ref>{{Cite news|title=EADS closes in on RAF tanker deal|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4303959.stm|website=News.BBC.co.uk|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=28 February 2005|access-date=30 June 2011}}</ref>