NATO's E 3A surveillance aircraft and its A330 tanker fleet received certification to conduct air refuelling after successful test flights in July.
The approval confirmed that the Boeing surveillance aircraft and Airbus tanker could safely transfer fuel during flight. NATO said the capability would support longer surveillance missions and faster deployments.
The surveillance fleet is based in Geilenkirchen, Germany, while the multinational tanker fleet operates mainly from Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Several NATO agencies and Dutch military organizations supported the certification process.