Delivering gas with the MMU
From 31st March to 10th April 2025, the multinational exercise Ramstein Flag took place across north-western Europe. It was NATO’s largest exercise of the year, involving more than 90 aircraft operating from 12 bases, primarily in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Air-to-air refueling was a key component of the missions, with most tanker operations performed by the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) out of Eindhoven Air Base.
During a dedicated media flight, we were given the opportunity to experience the refueling process firsthand and learn more about the extensive planning behind such missions.
Eindhoven serves as the MMU’s main hub, with five of the unit’s nine A330 MRTT aircraft permanently based there. For Ramstein Flag, an additional tanker from the Canadian Armed Forces was temporarily operating from Eindhoven to support the exercise as a force multiplier.
Before our sortie, we spoke with Colonel Ludger Bette, Commander of the MMU, and Major Benjamin Wille, Head of Integrated Planning. Colonel Bette emphasized the importance of flexibility and multinational cooperation in demonstrating NATO’s collective strength. Large-scale exercises like Ramstein Flag, he explained, significantly enhance interoperability between partner nations and individual crews.
According to NATO assessments, the alliance must be fully prepared for a potential major conflict with an aggressor before 2029. Exercises such as Ramstein Flag help validate that NATO and the MMU have “all tools in their toolbox to react fast and efficiently.”
The mission
Our task for the afternoon was to refuel fighter aircraft over the North Sea during the day’s first Ramstein Flag mission. We departed Eindhoven at around 16:00 and proceeded to the refueling track. After reaching our refueling track, we began to hold a pattern. In the meantime, the multinational crew, consisting of 6 members from Germany the Netherlands an Belgium began the preparations for the refueling process.
Soon after, four F-35 Lightning II fighters from 322 Squadron at Leeuwarden approached on the tanker’s left side. They formed up, then moved sequentially to the A330’s centerline boom to take fuel. Once refueled, the formation re-joined on the right side before departing for further tasking in the exercise.
After a brief pause, the next receivers appeared—four Eurofighter Typhoons from the Royal Air Force. Unlike the boom-refueled F-35s, the Typhoons use the under-wing hose-and-drogue system. Each fighter connected to the drogue, took on fuel, then repositioned to the right side of the MRTT.
After the Eurofighters completed their refueling process, they grouped up on the right side for a 4-Ship formation before leaving the track.
With the pattern maintained for potential retasking, the crew remained on standby. When the final potential receivers cancelled their refueling, the aircraft left the track and returned to Eindhoven, landing shortly before sunset.
The A330MRTT
The Airbus A330 MRTT is the MMU’s state-of-the-art multi-role aircraft. Based on the A330-200 platform, it forms the backbone of medical evacuation, transport, troop-lift, and air-to-air refueling operations for the MMU partner nations. The current members are the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, and the Czech Republic, with Sweden and Denmark planning to join the program.
The MRTT can carry up to 45,000 kg of payload in its lower cargo deck. For medevac missions, it can be configured with 21 medical stations and up to six intensive-care units. In the troop transport role, the aircraft accommodates up to 267 passengers. For protection, it is equipped with Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM).
Its refueling capabilities include two wing-mounted drogues and a centerline boom, enabling support for a wide range of allied aircraft types.
Concluding, we want to thank the MMU Unitt for this amazing opportunity to create this report.
>media and text by Yannis Stanzl