Article Posted on : - Jul 18, 2011

Voyager - the RAF's new strategic tanker aircraft. An UK MoD photo

LONDON (BNS): The Royal Air Force has officially named its largest ever aircraft ‘Voyager’ which is expected to enter service later this year.

Fourteen Voyager aircraft and a complete support package are being provided to the RAF under a 27-year £10.5bn Private Finance Initiative contract signed with the AirTanker consortium, the MoD said.

In addition to the aircraft, training, maintenance and brand new purpose-built buildings at RAF Brize Norton, the RAF's air transport hub, will be provided as part of the initiative, it added.

Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox was quoted as saying, "This magnificent aircraft is the future for the RAF's air-to-air refuelling and passenger transport capability for the coming decades.”

"Voyager, together with the C-17, C-130J and the A400M transport aircraft, will provide the RAF with a truly world class fleet of aircraft, underpinning the global reach that is vital to our operations," he said.

According to the MoD, Voyager has a colossal 60-metre wingspan and is nearly 60 metres long. It is a dual role air-to-air tanker and transport aircraft and will replace the long-serving VC10 and TriStar.

It can carry almost 300 troops over 6,000 miles (9,700km) and to air-to-air refuel other aircraft with 100,000 litres of fuel - greater than two large petrol tankers.

Voyager can refuel aircraft at a rate of 5,000 litres per minute - a garage forecourt petrol pump delivers fuel at 40 litres per minute.