 {| |} future strategic tanker aircraft (fsta) is a british project to procure airbus a330 multi role tanker transport aerial refuelling (ar) and air transport (at) aircraft for the royal air force. these aircraft, named voyager by the raf, replaced vc10 and lockheed tristars. after evaluation of bids the raf selected the airtanker consortium in 2004 which had offered the airbus a330 mrtt. airtanker is owned by cobham plc, eads, rolls-royce plc, thales uk and vt group plc. ==background==  the project was to provide a replacement of the raf's fleet of vickers vc10s from 2008 and the 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 purchase was chosen in 2000. under the pfi the raf will pay for aerial refuelling and air transport missions as required. the raf 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 raf â 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. *'air tanker ltd
United_Kingdom_defence_procurement United_Kingdom_military_aircraft_procurement_program