Canadian Air Forces First New Refuelling Jet Will Arrive in Late 2027

The shadow from a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-330 Husky is seen as it passes the Supreme Court of Canada, during a flypast celebrating the RCAF centennial, on Canada Day, on July 1, 2024. The Canadian Press/Justin TangThe Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will receive the first of four new air tankers, which will be used to refuel fighter jets patrolling the Arctic, toward the end of 2027.A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said in a statement that the first of the CC-330 Husky aircraft, which can be equipped for air-to-air refuelling of fighter jets, will be delivered in “late 2027.” The department had not previously disclosed how many of the new planes would be delivered by next year.The RCAF’s current fleet of CF-18s and its soon to arrive F-35s require air tankers to stay on patrol over the Arctic. Given that fighter jets quickly burn through fuel, they can work with air tankers to extend the time they can stay airborne.During the recent FIFA World Cup games in Toronto, CF-18s were refuelled mid-air and kept airborne for hours by one of the RCAF’s tankers.In July 2023, the Canadian government purchased a total of nine Airbus A330s—designated as the CC-330 Husky—for around $3.6 billion. This includes five used jets that had been used by Kuwait Airways and four new planes.Three of the used Airbus planes have already arrived and been used to transport passengers around the world, including Prime Minister Mark Carney. One of the planes has undergone maintenance at Mirabel Airport in Quebec.The fourth used plane is in Switzerland being outfitted with a new interior and defence components, while the fifth is in Spain being refitted as an air tanker. The first new tanker is undergoing testing in Spain, while the other three new builds are in production in France.The Canadian government has made several recent announcements around procuring new military equipment, as the country has increased its defence spending from $44.2 billion in 2024 to $62.7 billion in 2025.On July 6, Carney announced that his government selected the German defence company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems as the preferred bidder to build Canada’s next fleet of submarines. He said Ottawa would procure up to 12 Type 212CD submarines, with the federal government entering into negotiations with the company.In May, Carney said Ottawa had entered negotiations to procure new Swedish GlobalEye early warning aircraft, instead of buying the U.S.-made Boeing E-7 Wedgetail and the L3Harris Aeris X.While Canada remains committed to purchasing 88 F-35 fighter jets, Carney ordered a review of the procurement in early 2025 following U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. Since then, Ottawa has explored replacing part of the order with Sweden’s Gripen fighter. Washington’s envoy to Ottawa Pete Hoekstra has criticized the move, saying if Canada can no longer ensure the defence capability required for NORAD, the agreement may have to be altered.In July, Carney announced his government would spend $2 billion over four years to buy 190 armoured combat support vehicles for the Canadian Armed Forces.The vehicles will be manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems in London, Ont., and will boost Canada’s fleet of armoured combat support vehicles to 550.