158-662: The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport ( MRTT ) is a European aerial refueling and military transport aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330 . A total of 15 countries have placed firm orders for approximately 82 aircraft, of which 60 had been delivered by 31 October 2024. A version of the A330 MRTT, the EADS/Northrop Grumman KC-45 , was selected by the United States Air Force for its aerial tanker replacement programme , but
316-657: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Qatar Airways was in flying display, after a Boeing absence for 13 air shows. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II made its show debut in 2016, two years later than planned, with UK's first F-35B and two US Marine Corps examples. In 2018, the UK Ministry of Defence unveiled a full-scale Tempest model for its Future Combat Air strategy , as the Mitsubishi MRJ regional jet made its first flying display. In March 2019 it
474-460: A 1% fuel-burn reduction, upgraded avionics computers, and enhanced military systems. The first delivery was planned for 2018. An Airbus/ Saab team proposed an A330-based Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) ("AWACS") variant with Saab's Erieye radar to the UK's Ministry of Defence in 2018 for the replacement of its Boeing E-3 Sentry fleet. The boom operators sit at a video console using
632-596: A 2015 defence plan. The Belgian government investigated the €840 million plan, as well as the option of equipping Belgium's seven A400Ms with under-wing pods; a combined Belgian A330 MRTT and A400M fleet would cost up to €1 billion. On 22 December 2017, Belgium signed a contract for one MRTT, to be based at Eindhoven Air Base, bringing the MMF to eight aircraft. and officially joined the programme on 14 February 2018. On 19 December 2017, NATO partnered with Israel's Elbit Systems to provide J-Music electronic countermeasures systems to
790-586: A Cobham FRU-805E fuselage refuelling unit, and based at the Galeão Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro . VIP transport is also a possibility, in order to replace the Airbus A319ACJ in presidential trips requiring intercontinental range. Both airplanes were designated C-330 prior to the tanker conversions; upon completion of the conversions, they will be redesignated KC-30. In April 2021, Airbus
948-871: A German naturalist, Peter Simon Pallas , as a valley that once connected the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and subsequently was proposed as a natural boundary between continents. By the mid-19th century, there were three main conventions, one following the Don, the Volga–Don Canal and the Volga, the other following the Kuma–Manych Depression to the Caspian and then the Ural River, and the third abandoning
1106-686: A MRTT fleet to be owned by NATO while the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) would support the procurement process. This was accompanied by a request for proposals sent by OCCAR to Airbus for two MRTTs with options for six more; only the Netherlands and Luxembourg were full MMF members at this point. It was decided to base these MRTTs at Eindhoven Air Base , which has noise clearance to operate up to eight MRTTs. In July 2016,
1264-643: A Semitic term for west , this being either Akkadian erebu meaning 'to go down, set' (said of the sun) or Phoenician 'ereb 'evening, west', which is at the origin of Arabic maghreb and Hebrew ma'arav . Martin Litchfield West stated that "phonologically, the match between Europa's name and any form of the Semitic word is very poor", while Beekes considers a connection to Semitic languages improbable. Most major world languages use words derived from Eurṓpē or Europa to refer to
1422-560: A VIP layout for the Prime Minister's use. In July 2015, Defence Minister Kevin Andrews announced the order of two additional KC-30s, to be converted from A330-200s previously operated by Qantas , for delivery in 2018. In 2016, the decision was made to add a modest VIP fitout, including seating, meeting spaces and communication facilities, to a single KC-30A, which remains primarily used as a tanker. The 2016 Defence White Paper noted
1580-525: A boom and wing refuelling pods and later with a cargo door and SATCOM. On 15 December 2015, France ordered eight MRTTs, constituting the second tranche of a multi-year contract for 12 MRTTs, worth €3 billion ($ 3.3 billion), signed by the French Ministry of Defence in November 2014. Initial deliveries were expected in 2018, with further handovers of one or two per year until 2025. In September 2018,
1738-818: A boundary along the Terek and Kuban rivers, so southwards from the Kuma and the Manych, but still with the Caucasus entirely in Asia. However, most geographers in the Soviet Union favoured the boundary along the Caucasus crest, and this became the common convention in the later 20th century, although the Kuma–Manych boundary remained in use in some 20th-century maps. Some view the separation of Eurasia into Asia and Europe as
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#17327803857141896-470: A cargo door. Like the A330-200, the A330 MRTT includes two lower deck cargo compartments (forward and aft) and a bulk area capability. The cargo hold has been modified to be able to transport up to eight military pallets in addition to civilian unit load devices (ULDs). An optional crew rest compartment (CRC) can be installed in the forward cabin, accommodating a spare crew to increase time available for
2054-582: A common currency, the euro , and participate in the European single market and a customs union . A large bloc of countries, the Schengen Area , have also abolished internal border and immigration controls. Regular popular elections take place every five years within the EU; they are considered to be the second-largest democratic elections in the world after India's . The EU is the third-largest economy in
2212-452: A deal was signed to lease 14 MRTTs under a private finance initiative arrangement with AirTanker, with the first to enter service in 2011. The service's annual cost, including military personnel costs is around £450 million for a delivery of 18,000 flying hours a rate of approximately £25,000 per hour. There are two versions, designated Voyager KC.Mk 2 and Voyager KC.Mk 3 ; the former is fitted with two Cobham 905E under-wing refuelling pods,
2370-551: A display at the air show. One of the RAE's civilian maintenance staff was killed, as were all five members of the crew. On 11 September 1970, a Wallis WA-117 autogyro G-AXAR crashed, killing the pilot, J.W.C. Judge. On 1 September 1974, the Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk helicopter prototype crashed on the runway after a low roll, killing both crew. On 4 September 1984 a de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo crashed on
2528-575: A fifth; this option for a fifth was exercised to allow for two simultaneous deployments of two aircraft, the fifth being for contingency coverage. Australian KC-30As are operated by No. 33 Squadron RAAF , based at RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane in Queensland. In 2005, the RAAF expected deliveries to begin in 2008 and end in 2010. Deliveries fell two years behind schedule, partly due to boom development issues. On 30 May 2011, KC-30A RAAF serial A39-003,
2686-566: A five-day trade show, with public admittance on the Friday only. The 2020 Farnborough Airshow was to take place on 20 to 24 July 2020, but it was cancelled for the first time in its 72-year history because of the COVID-19 pandemic . On 6 September 1952, a DH.110 jet fighter disintegrated in flight and crashed into the airshow audience, killing 29 spectators and its pilot John Derry and navigator Tony Richards. The worst airshow accident in
2844-406: A large land mass completely or almost completely surrounded by water at its borders. Prior to the adoption of the current convention that includes mountain divides, the border between Europe and Asia had been redefined several times since its first conception in classical antiquity , but always as a series of rivers, seas and straits that were believed to extend an unknown distance east and north from
3002-637: A mission. The passenger cabin of the A330 MRTT can be provided with a set of removable airstairs to enable embarkation and disembarkation when jet bridges or ground support equipment are not available. Standard commercial A330-200s are delivered from Airbus's Final Assembly Line in Toulouse , France to the Airbus Military Conversion Centre in Getafe , Spain for fitting of refuelling systems and military avionics. The tanker
3160-519: A part of routine maintenance, the new livery's cost was stated to be approximately £900,000. Because the RAF's Voyagers are only capable of probe-and-drogue refuelling, they are unable to refuel current or future RAF aircraft that are fitted solely for flying boom refuelling, including the Boeing RC-135 , Boeing C-17 Globemaster III , Boeing 737 AEW&C and Boeing P-8 Poseidon . In April 2016,
3318-630: A possible rise in the fleet's size, to nine, to support new RAAF aircraft such as the Boeing P-8A Poseidon . On 22 September 2014, the RAAF deployed an Air Task Group, including F/A-18F Super Hornets , a KC-30A and a Boeing E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft, to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, as part of a coalition to combat Islamic State forces in Iraq. The KC-30A started operations days after arriving in
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#17327803857143476-763: A precise eastern boundary of Europe arises in the Early Modern period, as the eastern extension of Muscovy began to include North Asia . Throughout the Middle Ages and into the 18th century, the traditional division of the landmass of Eurasia into two continents, Europe and Asia, followed Ptolemy, with the boundary following the Turkish Straits , the Black Sea , the Kerch Strait , the Sea of Azov and
3634-711: A residue of Eurocentrism : "In physical, cultural and historical diversity, China and India are comparable to the entire European landmass, not to a single European country. [...]." During the 2.5 million years of the Pleistocene , numerous cold phases called glacials ( Quaternary ice age ), or significant advances of continental ice sheets, in Europe and North America, occurred at intervals of approximately 40,000 to 100,000 years. The long glacial periods were separated by more temperate and shorter interglacials which lasted about 10,000–15,000 years. The last cold episode of
3792-685: A result, the Reconquista took the greater part of eight hundred years, in which period a long list of Alfonsos, Sanchos, Ordoños, Ramiros, Fernandos, and Bermudos would be fighting their Christian rivals as much as the Muslim invaders. During the Dark Ages, the Western Roman Empire fell under the control of various tribes. The Germanic and Slav tribes established their domains over Western and Eastern Europe, respectively. Eventually
3950-532: A secondary boom hoist developed for the UAE. This system permits the boom to be retracted, even in the event of a primary boom retraction system failure. The UAE tankers are fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. On 14 November 2021, UAE ordered two additional MRTTs. Saudi Arabia finalised an agreement to purchase three A330 MRTTs equipped with both an Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) and two Cobham 905E under-wing refuelling pods on 3 January 2008. In July 2009, it
4108-705: A similar format, and is held in the same years as the Berlin Air Show . It is organised by Farnborough International Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the ADS Group . In 2012, it attracted 109,000 trade visitors over the first five days, and 100,000 public visitors during the weekend. Orders and commitments for 758 aircraft were announced, worth US$ 72 billion. The Society of British Aircraft Constructors held its first flying and static display at Hendon Aerodrome in June 1932. An invitation only flying display
4266-414: A single class and 266 passengers in two classes. The A330 MRTT can also be configured to perform Medical Evacuation (Medevac) missions; up to 130 standard stretchers can be carried. The main deck cargo configuration allows carriage of standard commercial containers and pallets, military, ISO and NATO pallets (including seats) and containers, and military equipment and other large items which are loaded through
4424-612: A special livery. It made its first public appearance at the RSAF's 50th anniversary parade on 1 September 2018. The RSAF's six MRTTs attained full operational capability (FOC) on 20 April 2021 and currently fly with the 112 Squadron at Changi Air Base (East) in Singapore. On 30 June 2015, South Korea selected the A330 MRTT; the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) planned to induct four aerial refuelling tankers by 2020. The first MRTT
4582-707: A supply shortage of the key material used in diesel vehicles, sent relief supplies and personnel to Turkey when the Turkey–Syria earthquake occurred, supported Operation Promise , which allowed Koreans to escape when the Sudanese war broke out, and helped fight Canadian wildfires so Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to thank them for this, and the transportation of South Korean residents and travelers, 51 Japanese, and 6 Singaporeans in Israel due to
4740-549: A third tranche of the multi-year contract; these are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and equipped with the ARBS and underwing hose-and-drogue refuelling pods. In November 2011, the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board and European Defence Ministers endorsed air-to-air refuelling (AAR) as one of the initial Pooling and Sharing initiatives after recognising the need for a greater AAR capability as it
4898-580: A total of six aircraft. This total was revised in July 2023 to nine, with the fleet being made up of five conversions and four newly manufactured MRTTs in a contract worth C$ 3.6 billion. The A330 MRTTs are designated CC-330 Husky by the RCAF, and the first passenger/cargo-only aircraft was delivered on 31 August 2023 in Ottawa. In January 2018, Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) officials were reportedly studying both
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5056-718: A tragic outcome. At the 1986 show were demonstrated the BAe EAP , the Eurofighter predecessor, and Dassault Rafale rival fighters, as an A300 fly-by-wire testbed flying at very high angles of attack showing the wind-shear stall protection capabilities, later equipping the A320 . In 1988, the GE36 propfan -powered McDonnell Douglas MD-80 was demonstrated as a precursor for the MD-94X but propfan airliners remain elusive, while
5214-544: A €265 million increase in the program's funding, after which a MoU contract was signed for a tenth MRTT by the Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Norway. Then the NSPA formally ordered an additional MRTT, increasing the MMF to 10 aircraft. The Netherlands government organised multiple flights with the multinational pool planes in transport configuration to repatriate Dutch nationals from Israel after
5372-724: Is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors in Farnborough, Hampshire . Since its first show in 1948, Farnborough has seen the debut of many famous aeroplanes, including the Vickers VC10 , Concorde , the Eurofighter , the Airbus A380 , and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II . At
5530-401: Is also evidence that Homo sapiens arrived in Europe around 54,000 years ago, some 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. The earliest sites in Europe dated 48,000 years ago are Riparo Mochi (Italy), Geissenklösterle (Germany) and Isturitz (France). The European Neolithic period—marked by the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock, increased numbers of settlements and
5688-488: Is closest to Anatolia (or Asia Minor), but is considered part of Europe politically and it is a member state of the EU. Malta was considered an island of North-western Africa for centuries, but now it is considered to be part of Europe as well. "Europe", as used specifically in British English , may also refer to Continental Europe exclusively. The term "continent" usually implies the physical geography of
5846-576: Is fitted with 158 seats (100 standard seats at the rear and 58 VIP seats at the front) and is known as Vespina. It entered service on 6 May 2016, the then Prime Minister David Cameron made his first flight on it to attend the 2016 Warsaw NATO summit . In June 2020, ZZ336 received a new livery based on the colours of the Union Flag at the request of the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson . Although undertaken as
6004-502: Is generally considered a transcontinental country divided entirely by water, while Russia and Kazakhstan are only partly divided by waterways. France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain are also transcontinental (or more properly, intercontinental, when oceans or large seas are involved) in that their main land areas are in Europe while pockets of their territories are located on other continents separated from Europe by large bodies of water. Spain, for example, has territories south of
6162-550: Is sometimes considered to mark the end of antiquity; alternatively antiquity is considered to end with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE; the closure of the pagan Platonic Academy of Athens in 529 CE; or the rise of Islam in the early 7th century CE. During most of its existence, the Byzantine Empire was one of the most powerful economic, cultural, and military forces in Europe. During
6320-422: Is somewhat arbitrary and inconsistent compared to any clear-cut definition of the term "continent". The current division of Eurasia into two continents now reflects East-West cultural, linguistic and ethnic differences which vary on a spectrum rather than with a sharp dividing line. The geographic border between Europe and Asia does not follow any state boundaries and now only follows a few bodies of water. Turkey
6478-507: Is taken from the constellation Cygnus, that claim is not entirely wrong. It extends the endurance of ROKAF aircraft over remote areas such as Dokdo , Ieodo , and the North Pyongyang-Wonsan Line , as well as increase its ability to deploy overseas for international operations. It is not only aerial refueling, but also serves as a transport aircraft for the deployment of personnel, such as repatriation of remains from
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6636-477: Is the largest and most populous , spanning 39% of the continent and comprising 15% of its population. Europe had a total population of about 745 million (about 10% of the world population ) in 2021; the third-largest after Asia and Africa. The European climate is affected by warm Atlantic currents, such as the Gulf Stream , which produce a temperate climate , tempering winters and summers, on much of
6794-469: The Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) announced plans to speed up delivery of the MRTT Phénix, as it is known in French service, by two years, planning for the last of 12 aircraft to be delivered in 2023 rather than 2025. In addition, the DGA stated that the fleet would be later increased to 15 aircraft. Later in September, the French Air Force received the first MRTT as per the existing timetable. On 13 December 2018, France ordered another three MRTTs of
6952-430: The Brazilian Air Force . On 13 May 2021, the Ministry of Defence released a statement authorizing the deal, reportedly from the RAF's active inventory. On 30 June 2021, the British military attaché for Brazil, Royal Navy Captain Mark Albon, confirmed the ongoing negotiations, conducted by the UK ambassador to Brazil and Ministry of Defence officials. On 27 January 2022, the Brazilian Air Force ended negotiations with
7110-527: The Carolingian Renaissance of the 9th century. From that time, the term designated the sphere of influence of the Western Church , as opposed to both the Eastern Orthodox churches and to the Islamic world . A cultural definition of Europe as the lands of Latin Christendom coalesced in the 8th century, signifying the new cultural condominium created through the confluence of Germanic traditions and Christian-Latin culture, defined partly in contrast with Byzantium and Islam , and limited to northern Iberia ,
7268-414: The Don (ancient Tanais ). But maps produced during the 16th to 18th centuries tended to differ in how to continue the boundary beyond the Don bend at Kalach-na-Donu (where it is closest to the Volga, now joined with it by the Volga–Don Canal ), into territory not described in any detail by the ancient geographers. Around 1715, Herman Moll produced a map showing the northern part of the Ob River and
7426-439: The European population at the time. The plague had a devastating effect on Europe's social structure; it induced people to live for the moment as illustrated by Giovanni Boccaccio in The Decameron (1353). It was a serious blow to the Roman Catholic Church and led to increased persecution of Jews , beggars and lepers . The plague is thought to have returned every generation with varying virulence and mortalities until
7584-460: The Greeks and Phoenicians gave rise to early Mediterranean cities. Early Iron Age Italy and Greece from around the 8th century BCE gradually gave rise to historical Classical antiquity, whose beginning is sometimes dated to 776 BCE, the year of the first Olympic Games . Ancient Greece was the founding culture of Western civilisation. Western democratic and rationalist culture are often attributed to Ancient Greece. The Greek city-state,
7742-424: The Indonesian Ministry of Defense stated that a number of defense equipment made by Airbus are in effective contract including the Airbus A330 MRTT. The A330 MRTT and Ilyushin Il-78 competed for a tender floated in 2006 by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for six refuellers to extend the Indian Air Force 's (IAF) operating radius. In May 2009, India chose the MRTT over the Il-78. However, in January 2010,
7900-400: The Inquisition against heretics. In the Iberian Peninsula , the Reconquista concluded with the fall of Granada in 1492 , ending over seven centuries of Islamic rule in the south-western peninsula. In the east, a resurgent Byzantine Empire recaptured Crete and Cyprus from the Muslims, and reconquered the Balkans. Constantinople was the largest and wealthiest city in Europe from the 9th to
8058-409: The Iron Curtain , with NATO in the West and the Warsaw Pact in the East . This divide ended with the Revolutions of 1989 , the fall of the Berlin Wall , and the dissolution of the Soviet Union , which allowed European integration to advance significantly. European integration is being advanced institutionally since 1948 with the founding of the Council of Europe , and significantly through
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#17327803857148216-442: The Irtysh River , a major tributary of the Ob, as components of a series of partly-joined waterways taking the boundary between Europe and Asia from the Turkish Straits, and the Don River all the way to the Arctic Ocean. In 1721, he produced a more up to date map that was easier to read. However, his proposal to adhere to major rivers as the line of demarcation was never taken up by other geographers who were beginning to move away from
8374-452: The Israel-Hamas war . In November 2011, France expressed interest in acquiring 14 A330 MRTTs to replace its Boeing KC-135 tankers and Airbus A340 and A310 transports; one year later, it was announced that 14 would be ordered in 2013. In May 2013, Airbus made an offer for 12 to 14 A330 MRTTs to France. On 20 February 2014, the French Chief of Staff stated that 12 A330 MRTTs would be acquired in two batches, an initial standard configuration with
8532-419: The Mediterranean Sea —namely, Ceuta and Melilla —which are parts of Africa and share a border with Morocco. According to the current convention, Georgia and Azerbaijan are transcontinental countries where waterways have been completely replaced by mountains as the divide between continents. The first recorded usage of Eurṓpē as a geographic term is in the Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo , in reference to
8690-490: The Megalithic Temples of Malta and Stonehenge , were constructed throughout Western and Southern Europe. The modern native populations of Europe largely descend from three distinct lineages: Mesolithic hunter-gatherers , descended from populations associated with the Paleolithic Epigravettian culture; Neolithic Early European Farmers who migrated from Anatolia during the Neolithic Revolution 9,000 years ago; and Yamnaya Steppe herders who expanded into Europe from
8848-427: The Neandertal valley in Germany ) appeared in Europe 150,000 years ago (115,000 years ago it is found already in the territory of present-day Poland ) and disappeared from the fossil record about 40,000 years ago, with their final refuge being the Iberian Peninsula. The Neanderthals were supplanted by modern humans ( Cro-Magnons ), who seem to have appeared in Europe around 43,000 to 40,000 years ago. However, there
9006-418: The Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere . It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east. Europe shares the landmass of Eurasia with Asia, and of Afro-Eurasia with both Asia and Africa . Europe is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains ,
9164-409: The Paris Air Show . The event is held in mid-July in even-numbered years at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Hampshire , United Kingdom . Flying occurs on all five days, and there are also static displays of aircraft outside and booths and stands in the indoor exhibition halls. The airshow alternates with the Paris Air Show, which is held in odd-numbered years and has
9322-432: The Pechenegs and the Cuman-Kipchaks , caused a massive migration of Slavic populations to the safer, heavily forested regions of the north, and temporarily halted the expansion of the Rus' state to the south and east. Like many other parts of Eurasia , these territories were overrun by the Mongols . The invaders, who became known as Tatars , were mostly Turkic-speaking peoples under Mongol suzerainty. They established
9480-409: The Pontic–Caspian steppe of Ukraine and southern Russia in the context of Indo-European migrations 5,000 years ago. The European Bronze Age began c. 3200 BCE in Greece with the Minoan civilisation on Crete , the first advanced civilisation in Europe. The Minoans were followed by the Myceneans , who collapsed suddenly around 1200 BCE, ushering the European Iron Age . Iron Age colonisation by
9638-426: The Royal Aircraft Establishment field at Farnborough, Hampshire . The inaugural show took place on the first week of September 1948 and all of the static aircraft and supporting display stands were concentrated in the NE corner of the airfield with 'A-Shed' as the main 'West Exhibition Hall' and the soon-to-be famous 'Black Sheds' housing a smaller 'East Exhibition Hall' and refreshments for guests on trade days and
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#17327803857149796-406: The Serbian Principality (later Kingdom and Empire ), and the Duchy of Croatia (later Kingdom of Croatia ). To the east, Kievan Rus' expanded from its capital in Kiev to become the largest state in Europe by the 10th century. In 988, Vladimir the Great adopted Orthodox Christianity as the religion of state. Further east, Volga Bulgaria became an Islamic state in the 10th century, but
9954-416: The Ural River , the Caspian Sea , the Greater Caucasus , the Black Sea , and the waterway of the Bosporus Strait . Europe covers about 10.18 million km (3.93 million sq mi), or 2% of Earth's surface (6.8% of land area), making it the second-smallest continent (using the seven-continent model ). Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states , of which Russia
10112-426: The decline of the Roman Empire , Europe entered a long period of change arising from what historians call the " Age of Migrations ". There were numerous invasions and migrations amongst the Ostrogoths , Visigoths , Goths , Vandals , Huns , Franks , Angles , Saxons , Slavs , Avars , Bulgars , Vikings , Pechenegs , Cumans , and Magyars . Renaissance thinkers such as Petrarch would later refer to this as
10270-465: The fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, Christian consolidation of Europe in the wake of the Migration Period marked the European post-classical Middle Ages . The Italian Renaissance spread in the continent a new humanist interest in art and science which led to the modern era . Since the Age of Discovery , led by Spain and Portugal , Europe played a predominant role in global affairs with multiple explorations and conquests around
10428-432: The last glacial period ended about 10,000 years ago. Earth is currently in an interglacial period of the Quaternary, called the Holocene . Homo erectus georgicus , which lived roughly 1.8 million years ago in Georgia , is the earliest hominin to have been discovered in Europe. Other hominin remains, dating back roughly 1 million years, have been discovered in Atapuerca , Spain . Neanderthal man (named after
10586-517: The polis , was the fundamental political unit of classical Greece. In 508 BCE, Cleisthenes instituted the world's first democratic system of government in Athens . The Greek political ideals were rediscovered in the late 18th century by European philosophers and idealists. Greece also generated many cultural contributions: in philosophy , humanism and rationalism under Aristotle , Socrates and Plato ; in history with Herodotus and Thucydides ; in dramatic and narrative verse, starting with
10744-402: The "Dark Ages". Isolated monastic communities were the only places to safeguard and compile written knowledge accumulated previously; apart from this, very few written records survive. Much literature, philosophy, mathematics, and other thinking from the classical period disappeared from Western Europe, though they were preserved in the east, in the Byzantine Empire. While the Roman empire in
10902-461: The 12th centuries, with a population of approximately 400,000. The Empire was weakened following the defeat at Manzikert , and was weakened considerably by the sack of Constantinople in 1204 , during the Fourth Crusade . Although it would recover Constantinople in 1261, Byzantium fell in 1453 when Constantinople was taken by the Ottoman Empire . In the 11th and 12th centuries, constant incursions by nomadic Turkic tribes, such as
11060-401: The 12th to the 15th centuries, the Grand Duchy of Moscow grew from a small principality under Mongol rule to the largest state in Europe, overthrowing the Mongols in 1480, and eventually becoming the Tsardom of Russia . The state was consolidated under Ivan III the Great and Ivan the Terrible , steadily expanding to the east and south over the next centuries. The Great Famine of 1315–1317
11218-505: The 14th and 16th centuries: it saw the flowering of art , philosophy , music , and the sciences , under the joint patronage of royalty , the nobility, the Roman Catholic Church and an emerging merchant class. Patrons in Italy, including the Medici family of Florentine bankers and the Popes in Rome , funded prolific quattrocento and cinquecento artists such as Raphael , Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci . Farnborough Air Show The Farnborough International Airshow
11376-499: The 18th century. During this period, more than 100 plague epidemics swept across Europe. The Renaissance was a period of cultural change originating in Florence , and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The rise of a new humanism was accompanied by the recovery of forgotten classical Greek and Arabic knowledge from monastic libraries, often translated from Arabic into Latin . The Renaissance spread across Europe between
11534-457: The 1958 show, Hawker Hunters of the RAF 's Black Arrows executed a 22-aircraft formation loop, setting a new world record. The international trade show runs for five days. Until 2020, the show ran for a full week with the first five days reserved for trade visitors and the general public attending on the weekend. The Farnborough International Airshow is the second-largest show of its kind after
11692-400: The 50 years of peace that followed are known as Golden Age of Athens , the seminal period of ancient Greece that laid many of the foundations of Western civilisation. Greece was followed by Rome , which left its mark on law , politics , language , engineering , architecture , government , and many more key aspects in western civilisation. By 200 BCE, Rome had conquered Italy and over
11850-517: The A330 MRTT and Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers for a future modernisation programme, expected to take place after completion of the Airbus A400M Atlas programme. The TNI-AU was said to compare compatibility with its current aircraft; life-cycle costs ; interoperability with current and future assets; and potential funding and technology transfer options with state-owned aircraft manufacturer Indonesian Aerospace . On September 5, 2023,
12008-568: The A330 MRTT to replace its four Boeing KC-135s. In February 2014, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) selected the MRTT over the Boeing KC-46 , signing for six aircraft. All are fitted with Trent 772B engines and configured for a maximum capacity of 266 passengers or 37,000 kilograms (82,000 lb) of cargo, as well as a maximum fuel weight of 111,000 kilograms (245,000 lb). The first MRTT arrived in Singapore on 14 August 2018 in
12166-545: The Boom Enhanced Vision System. It uses a 3D camera vision system for day and night vision and ergonomics are significantly improved compared to operating in a prone position. In November 2023, Airbus began derisking studies for an updated MRTT based on the A330neo , noting that A330-200 production ended in 2018 and very few airframes remain available for MRTT use. In particular, the company is studying
12324-612: The British Isles, France, Christianised western Germany, the Alpine regions and northern and central Italy. The concept is one of the lasting legacies of the Carolingian Renaissance : Europa often figures in the letters of Charlemagne's court scholar, Alcuin . The transition of Europe to being a cultural term as well as a geographic one led to the borders of Europe being affected by cultural considerations in
12482-574: The Don altogether, following the Greater Caucasus watershed to the Caspian. The question was still treated as a "controversy" in geographical literature of the 1860s, with Douglas Freshfield advocating the Caucasus crest boundary as the "best possible", citing support from various "modern geographers". In Russia and the Soviet Union , the boundary along the Kuma–Manych Depression was the most commonly used as early as 1906. In 1958,
12640-675: The Early Middle Ages, and soon spread throughout Europe. A struggle for influence between the nobility and the monarchy in England led to the writing of Magna Carta and the establishment of a parliament . The primary source of culture in this period came from the Roman Catholic Church . Through monasteries and cathedral schools , the Church was responsible for education in much of Europe. The Papacy reached
12798-559: The East, especially relating to areas under Byzantine, Ottoman, and Russian influence. Such questions were affected by the positive connotations associated with the term Europe by its users. Such cultural considerations were not applied to the Americas, despite their conquest and settlement by European states. Instead, the concept of "Western civilization" emerged as a way of grouping together Europe and these colonies. The question of defining
12956-707: The Frankish tribes were united under Clovis I . Charlemagne , a Frankish king of the Carolingian dynasty who had conquered most of Western Europe, was anointed " Holy Roman Emperor " by the Pope in 800. This led in 962 to the founding of the Holy Roman Empire , which eventually became centred in the German principalities of central Europe. East Central Europe saw the creation of the first Slavic states and
13114-520: The Great 's efforts to make Russia more European, ignored the whole boundary question with his claim that neither Russia, Scandinavia, northern Germany, nor Poland were fully part of Europe. Since then, many modern analytical geographers like Halford Mackinder have declared that they see little validity in the Ural Mountains as a boundary between continents. The mapmakers continued to differ on
13272-583: The KC-30A's full service entry due to refuelling issues, such as the hose-and-drogue system passing too much fuel. In August 2013, the KC-30A made its debut as a VIP transport, ferrying Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and an entourage to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates . In August 2014, Defence Minister David Johnston announced the country's intention to buy two more KC-30As, one with
13430-728: The Korean War, replacement of overseas troops, transfer of South Korean Iraqi residents due to COVID-19, transportation of Janssen vaccines, participated in Operation Oasis, which transfer of Cheonghae Unit members of the Munmu the Great when they contracted COVID-19, repatriation of General Hong Beom-do 's remains and return to South Korea, participated in Operation Miracle , which transported cooperative Afghans, sent to import Diesel exhaust fluid from Australia to ease
13588-655: The Levant and North Africa and making inroads into Asia Minor . In the mid-7th century, following the Muslim conquest of Persia , Islam penetrated into the Caucasus region. Over the next centuries Muslim forces took Cyprus , Malta , Crete , Sicily , and parts of southern Italy . Between 711 and 720, most of the lands of the Visigothic Kingdom of Iberia were brought under Muslim rule—save for small areas in
13746-763: The Mediterranean Sea without the inclusion of any mountain ranges. Cartographer Herman Moll suggested in 1715 Europe was bounded by a series of partly-joined waterways directed towards the Turkish straits, and the Irtysh River draining into the upper part of the Ob River and the Arctic Ocean . In contrast, the present eastern boundary of Europe partially adheres to the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, which
13904-420: The Netherlands and Luxembourg jointly ordered the first two MRTTs under the MMF programme, the first scheduled for delivery by 2020. In June 2017, Germany and Norway became MMF members, pledging to order five more MRTTs plus options for a further four. On 26 September 2017, Airbus announced receipt of OCCAR's firm order for five additional MRTTs. The Belgian Ministry of Defence stated the intent to buy one MRTT in
14062-618: The RAAF's fleet of the type to nine. In January 2004, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the selection of an A330 MRTT variant to provide tanking for the RAF for the next 30 years under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) programme, replacing the RAF's TriStar and VC10 tankers. The Ministry of Defence entered negotiations with the EADS-led AirTanker consortium. On 27 March 2008,
14220-571: The RAF and launched international bidding to buy two A330-200s on the civil market, estimated at US$ 81 million. On 6 April 2022, Azul Brazilian Airlines was declared the supplier by the Ministry of Defence. The agreements with Airbus, conversion costs and delivery schedule were kept confidential. Conversion work into A330 MRTTs is to be carried out at Airbus's plant in Getafe, Spain. The aircraft are to be fitted with two Cobham 905E under-wing pods and
14378-516: The RAF stated its interest in fitting a boom to some Voyagers, bringing its fleet into line with other MRTT operators. Fitting a boom would add flexibility to the RAF Voyagers, not only allowing operation with those types in the RAF not fitted for probe and drogue but for other air forces that operate boom-refuelled aircraft. On 18 November 2022, an RAF Voyager completed the world-first 100% sustainable fuel military transporter flight; part of
14536-514: The RAF's plan to become net-zero by 2040. In 2007, the United Arab Emirates announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to purchase three A330 MRTTs. A contract was signed with the UAE in February 2008. The first UAE A330 MRTT was delivered on 6 February 2013. The remaining two were delivered by 6 August 2013. The UAE tankers are equipped with both an ARBS and two Cobham 905E under-wing refuelling pods; these ARBS units include
14694-801: The Soviet Geographical Society formally recommended that the boundary between the Europe and Asia be drawn in textbooks from Baydaratskaya Bay , on the Kara Sea , along the eastern foot of Ural Mountains, then following the Ural River until the Mugodzhar Hills , and then the Emba River ; and Kuma–Manych Depression, thus placing the Caucasus entirely in Asia and the Urals entirely in Europe. The Flora Europaea adopted
14852-422: The Soviet Union brought the giant Antonov An-124 Ruslan airlifter and two MiG-29 fighters. The Eurofighter made its debut in 1996 in an air display showing its airborne capabilities. The Antonov An-225 Mriya also took flight in 1990. The biggest passenger aircraft to ever appear at Farnborough, the Airbus A380 debuted with a flypast in 2006 while in the midst of its flight-test programme. In 2012,
15010-509: The Tanais (the modern Don River) as the boundary. The Roman Empire did not attach a strong identity to the concept of continental divisions. However, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the culture that developed in its place , linked to Latin and the Catholic church, began to associate itself with the concept of "Europe". The term "Europe" is first used for a cultural sphere in
15168-507: The UAE, refuelling coalition aircraft over Iraq. On 6 October 2014, the RAAF conducted its first combat missions over Iraq via two Super Hornets, supported by the KC-30A. In December 2016, an RAAF KC-30A conducted air-to-air refuelling trials with a USAF B-1B bomber. The Australian Defence Magazine reported in July 2023 that the Australian Government was expected to announce an order for two additional KC-30As to increase
15326-600: The UK, it led to new safety procedures at British air displays. On 13 September 1964, a Bristol Bulldog G-ABBB , marked (incorrectly) as K2227 and owned by the Shuttleworth Trust, crashed while performing a loop. The pilot was only slightly hurt. On 20 September 1968, a French Air Force Breguet Atlantic crashed into the offices of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) while performing
15484-606: The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Canada, and by NATO in a multi-nation deal. Australia was the launch customer for the A330 MRTT. Designated as KC-30A, the RAAF A330 MRTTs are equipped with both an Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) and two Cobham 905E under-wing refuelling pods. They are powered by two General Electric CF6-80E1A3 engines and are configured to carry up to 270 passengers plus 34,000 kilograms of cargo. Australia initially arranged to procure four MRTTs with an option to obtain
15642-551: The adoption of Christianity ( c. 1000 CE) . The powerful West Slavic state of Great Moravia spread its territory all the way south to the Balkans, reaching its largest territorial extent under Svatopluk I and causing a series of armed conflicts with East Francia . Further south, the first South Slavic states emerged in the late 7th and 8th century and adopted Christianity : the First Bulgarian Empire ,
15800-400: The aim of creating an initial European AAR capability by 2020. In 2013, the Netherlands expressed interest in the A330 MRTT to replace its two KDC-10 aircraft; a study was launched on standardising European AAR capability in cooperation with other MFF members. In December 2014, following a request for information , the bulk of the MMF member states entered negotiations with Airbus to procure
15958-648: The basis of many modern legal systems, funded the construction of the Hagia Sophia and brought the Christian church under state control. From the 7th century onwards, as the Byzantines and neighbouring Sasanid Persians were severely weakened due to the protracted, centuries-lasting and frequent Byzantine–Sasanian wars , the Muslim Arabs began to make inroads into historically Roman territory, taking
16116-563: The boundary between the lower Don and Samara well into the 19th century. The 1745 atlas published by the Russian Academy of Sciences has the boundary follow the Don beyond Kalach as far as Serafimovich before cutting north towards Arkhangelsk , while other 18th- to 19th-century mapmakers such as John Cary followed Strahlenberg's prescription. To the south, the Kuma–Manych Depression was identified c. 1773 by
16274-719: The civil aviation transatlantic rivalry was exemplified by the European Airbus A310 against the American Boeing 767 widebody twinjets , along with its narrowbody sibling, the Boeing 757 , while the Rockwell B-1 large swing-wing bomber was the main military interest. In 1984, to demonstrate its short landing capability, a de Havilland Canada Buffalo made a steep descent but hit the runway, collapsed its landing gear and broke its main wing spar without
16432-538: The civil market, less its military equipment or to partner nations in a military capacity with the MoD's agreement". By 14 March 2016, all 14 Voyagers had been delivered. In November 2015, it was announced that a Voyager would be refitted to carry government ministers and members of the Royal Family on official visits. The refit cost £10m but was claimed to save roughly £775,000 annually compared to charter flights. ZZ336
16590-590: The continent The prevalent definition of Europe as a geographical term has been in use since the mid-19th century. Europe is taken to be bounded by large bodies of water to the north, west and south; Europe's limits to the east and north-east are usually taken to be the Ural Mountains , the Ural River , and the Caspian Sea ; to the south-east, the Caucasus Mountains , the Black Sea , and
16748-573: The continent. Chinese, for example, uses the word Ōuzhōu ( 歐洲 / 欧洲 ), which is an abbreviation of the transliterated name Ōuluóbā zhōu ( 歐羅巴洲 ) ( zhōu means "continent"); a similar Chinese-derived term Ōshū ( 欧州 ) is also sometimes used in Japanese such as in the Japanese name of the European Union, Ōshū Rengō ( 欧州連合 ) , despite the katakana Yōroppa ( ヨーロッパ ) being more commonly used. In some Turkic languages,
16906-424: The continent. Further from the sea, seasonal differences are more noticeable producing more continental climates . European culture consists of a range of national and regional cultures, which form the central roots of the wider Western civilisation , and together commonly reference ancient Greece and ancient Rome , particularly through their Christian successors , as crucial and shared roots. Beginning with
17064-640: The continents as the lands given by Noah to his three sons; Europe was defined as stretching from the Pillars of Hercules at the Strait of Gibraltar , separating it from Northwest Africa , to the Don, separating it from Asia. The convention received by the Middle Ages and surviving into modern usage is that of the Roman era used by Roman-era authors such as Posidonius , Strabo , and Ptolemy , who took
17222-588: The corporate de Havilland DH.125 Jet Dragon , and the de Havilland Comet 4C , de Havilland Trident , BAC 1-11 and Vickers VC10 airliners. From 1966, foreign aircraft were allowed if they had British major components, such as the Rolls-Royce-powered Aermacchi MB-326 trainer and Fokker F27 turboprop airliner. Also, the Red Arrows , the RAF aerobatic display team, debuted their Hawker Siddeley Gnats . In 1970, Concorde
17380-640: The development of major commercial routes along the coast of the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas . The growing wealth and independence acquired by some coastal cities gave the Maritime Republics a leading role in the European scene. The Middle Ages on the mainland were dominated by the two upper echelons of the social structure: the nobility and the clergy. Feudalism developed in France in
17538-658: The end of the 18th century, gave rise to radical economic, cultural, and social change in Western Europe and eventually the wider world. Both world wars began and were fought to a great extent in Europe, contributing to a decline in Western European dominance in world affairs by the mid-20th century as the Soviet Union and the United States took prominence and competed over dominance in Europe and globally. The resulting Cold War divided Europe along
17696-590: The epic poems of Homer ; in drama with Sophocles and Euripides ; in medicine with Hippocrates and Galen ; and in science with Pythagoras , Euclid , and Archimedes . In the course of the 5th century BCE, several of the Greek city states would ultimately check the Achaemenid Persian advance in Europe through the Greco-Persian Wars , considered a pivotal moment in world history, as
17854-630: The feasibility of fitting the pods for the probe-and-drogue refuelling system onto the A330neo's new wing. The new variant, dubbed MRTT+, was announced at the 2024 Farnborough Air Show . Based on the A330-800, and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the MRTT+ achieves 8% better fuel efficiency than the original MRTT. The A330 MRTT has been ordered by Australia, France, the United Kingdom,
18012-400: The fleet. Having considered joining the initiative for some time, the Czech Republic joined as the sixth member during October 2019. In September 2020, Luxembourg committed to an extra 1,000 hours and to provide funding for a ninth MRTT via an existing contract option. As of 2018, Sweden was reportedly considering joining the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet programme. Out of
18170-410: The following two centuries it conquered Greece , Hispania ( Spain and Portugal ), the North African coast, much of the Middle East , Gaul ( France and Belgium ), and Britannia ( England and Wales ). Expanding from their base in central Italy beginning in the third century BCE, the Romans gradually expanded to eventually rule the entire Mediterranean basin and Western Europe by the turn of
18328-536: The four-engine A340-200/-300 with reinforced mounting locations and provision for fuel piping for the A340's outboard engines. The A330 MRTT's wing therefore requires little modification to use these hardpoints for the wing refuelling pods . The A330 MRTT cabin can be modified to carry up to 380 passengers in a single-class configuration, allowing a complete range of configurations from maximised troop transport to complex customisation suitable for VIP and guest missions. Available configurations include 300 passengers in
18486-429: The government cancelled the order, citing high cost as the reason, reportedly against the IAF's wishes. After rebidding, India selected Airbus as its "preferred vendor" in November 2012. In January 2013, India reportedly chose the MRTT as the "preferred bid". In 2016, Airbus said India's MoD had terminated the six-year-old US$ 2 billion tender for six MRTTs. Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in
18644-400: The height of its power during the High Middle Ages. An East-West Schism in 1054 split the former Roman Empire religiously, with the Eastern Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire and the Roman Catholic Church in the former Western Roman Empire. In 1095 Pope Urban II called for a crusade against Muslims occupying Jerusalem and the Holy Land . In Europe itself, the Church organised
18802-399: The idea of water boundaries as the only legitimate divides between Europe and Asia. Four years later, in 1725, Philip Johan von Strahlenberg was the first to depart from the classical Don boundary. He drew a new line along the Volga , following the Volga north until the Samara Bend , along Obshchy Syrt (the drainage divide between the Volga and Ural Rivers ), then north and east along
18960-618: The initial attacks of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war disrupted commercial air traffic to Israel. In the Danish Defense Planning published in 2023, the intention to join the MRTT initiative was mentioned by the Royal Danish Air Force . Spain's Ministry of Defence stated that it was to acquire two A330 MRTT in 2016 to replace its ageing Boeing 707 tankers. In 2014, Spain's Secretary of State for Defence stated that negotiations had begun with Airbus about switching its excess order for 13 Airbus A400Ms to an undisclosed number of MRTTs. The Airbus Defence and Space commercial director said that although it
19118-532: The latter waterway to its source in the Ural Mountains . At this point he proposed that mountain ranges could be included as boundaries between continents as alternatives to nearby waterways. Accordingly, he drew the new boundary north along Ural Mountains rather than the nearby and parallel running Ob and Irtysh rivers. This was endorsed by the Russian Empire and introduced the convention that would eventually become commonly accepted. However, this did not come without criticism. Voltaire , writing in 1760 about Peter
19276-447: The latter with a Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) in addition to the under-wing pods; none are fitted with the Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS). All Voyagers are powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engines. By May 2014, nine aircraft had been delivered, completing the core fleet. Further deliveries were for a "surge capability", available to the RAF when needed, but otherwise available to AirTanker for "release to
19434-464: The millennium. The Roman Republic ended in 27 BCE, when Augustus proclaimed the Roman Empire . The two centuries that followed are known as the pax romana , a period of unprecedented peace, prosperity and political stability in most of Europe. The empire continued to expand under emperors such as Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius , who spent time on the Empire's northern border fighting Germanic , Pictish and Scottish tribes. Christianity
19592-416: The name ' Cygnus ' after holding a deliberation committee session in November 2018 - January 2019 and few years later, one of the winners' confession revealed that he thought the name Empress Cygnus, which is a character in the online game . However, the condition of the contest was that only names related to space or birds (excluding birds of prey) would be accepted, but since the name of MapleStory 's Cygnus
19750-441: The northwest ( Asturias ) and largely Basque regions in the Pyrenees . This territory, under the Arabic name Al-Andalus , became part of the expanding Umayyad Caliphate . The unsuccessful second siege of Constantinople (717) weakened the Umayyad dynasty and reduced their prestige. The Umayyads were then defeated by the Frankish leader Charles Martel at the Battle of Poitiers in 732, which ended their northward advance. In
19908-431: The originally Persian name Frangistan ("land of the Franks ") is used casually in referring to much of Europe, besides official names such as Avrupa or Evropa . Clickable map of Europe, showing one of the most commonly used continental boundaries Key: blue : states which straddle the border between Europe and Asia ; green : countries not geographically in Europe, but closely associated with
20066-444: The poetry devoted to it. An alternative view is that of Robert Beekes , who has argued in favour of a pre-Indo-European origin for the name, explaining that a derivation from eurus would yield a different toponym than Europa. Beekes has located toponyms related to that of Europa in the territory of ancient Greece, and localities such as that of Europos in ancient Macedonia . There have been attempts to connect Eurṓpē to
20224-539: The programme was cancelled. The Airbus A330 MRTT is a military derivative of the A330-200 airliner. It is designed as a dual-role air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft. For air-to-air refuelling missions, the A330 MRTT can be equipped with a combination of any of the following systems: The A330 MRTT has a maximum fuel capacity of 111,000 kg (245,000 lb) without the use of additional fuel tanks, leaving space for 45,000 kg (99,000 lb) of additional cargo. The A330 MRTT's wing has common structure with
20382-459: The public at the weekend. Among the many aircraft on display were the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 jet-powered flying wing and the prototype Vickers Viscount airliner. The de Havilland Comet jet airliner was shown in 1949. In 1950 the huge Bristol Brabazon airliner made its debut, powered by coupled Bristol Centaurus piston engines before the Bristol Proteus turboprops for longer ranges like London-New York nonstop. A modified Vickers Viscount
20540-417: The realisation of the European Union (EU), which represents today the majority of Europe. The European Union is a supranational political entity that lies between a confederation and a federation and is based on a system of European treaties . The EU originated in Western Europe but has been expanding eastward since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. A majority of its members have adopted
20698-456: The remote regions of north-western Iberia and the middle Pyrenees the power of the Muslims in the south was scarcely felt. It was here that the foundations of the Christian kingdoms of Asturias , Leon , and Galicia were laid and from where the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula would start. However, no coordinated attempt would be made to drive the Moors out. The Christian kingdoms were mainly focused on their own internal power struggles. As
20856-401: The spectator area, killing 29 and its two crew. In 1958, the Fairey Rotodyne was the star attraction, with its "tip-jet" powered rotors, transitioning from a helicopter vertical takeoff and hover to autogiro flight, exceeding helicopter speeds. In 1962, the last time the show was held annually, the Hawker P.1127 , the VTOL precursor to the Harrier jump jet , made its debut, along with
21014-422: The state of the Golden Horde with headquarters in Crimea, which later adopted Islam as a religion, and ruled over modern-day southern and central Russia for more than three centuries. After the collapse of Mongol dominions, the first Romanian states (principalities) emerged in the 14th century: Moldavia and Walachia . Previously, these territories were under the successive control of Pechenegs and Cumans. From
21172-470: The third aircraft was sent directly to the conversion facility at Airbus Getafe. The first A330 MRTT is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2024, while the other two are delayed for conversion and delivery until 2025 and 2026 so that there will always be two aircraft in service. Since January 2024 the first MRTT aircraft has been making its first test flights. On 28 January 2021, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced negotiations for two A330 MRTT for
21330-494: The third converted A330, arrived at RAAF Base Amberley and was formally handed over on 1 June 2011, thus becoming the first MRTT to be delivered to an end user. The second, A39-002, was handed over on 22 June 2011. On 3 December 2012, the fifth KC-30A was delivered to the RAAF. While the first conversion was performed in Spain, Qantas Defence Services converted the other four RAAF A330-200s at its Brisbane airport facility on behalf of EADS. In July 2013, there were reportedly delays to
21488-416: The total of ten aircraft currently on order, six will be based at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands and four at Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany. On 30 June 2020, Airbus delivered the first MRTT. Aircraft six and seven were delivered on 26 and 28 July 2022 respectively. On 23 March 2023, the MMF was declared Initial Operational Capable during a ceremony at Eindhoven Air Base. Additionally, Belgium announced
21646-407: The waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea . Islands are generally grouped with the nearest continental landmass, hence Iceland is considered to be part of Europe, while the nearby island of Greenland is usually assigned to North America , although politically belonging to Denmark. Nevertheless, there are some exceptions based on sociopolitical and cultural differences. Cyprus
21804-445: The west and the north, transmitting newly acquired skills in producing copper artifacts. In Western Europe the Neolithic period was characterised not by large agricultural settlements but by field monuments, such as causewayed enclosures , burial mounds and megalithic tombs . The Corded Ware cultural horizon flourished at the transition from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic . During this period giant megalithic monuments, such as
21962-416: The west continued to decline, Roman traditions and the Roman state remained strong in the predominantly Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire , also known as the Byzantine Empire . During most of its existence, the Byzantine Empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Emperor Justinian I presided over Constantinople's first golden age: he established a legal code that forms
22120-399: The western shore of the Aegean Sea . As a name for a part of the known world, it is first used in the 6th century BCE by Anaximander and Hecataeus . Anaximander placed the boundary between Asia and Europe along the Phasis River (the modern Rioni River on the territory of Georgia ) in the Caucasus, a convention still followed by Herodotus in the 5th century BCE. Herodotus mentioned that
22278-419: The widespread use of pottery—began around 7000 BCE in Greece and the Balkans , probably influenced by earlier farming practices in Anatolia and the Near East . It spread from the Balkans along the valleys of the Danube and the Rhine ( Linear Pottery culture ), and along the Mediterranean coast ( Cardial culture ). Between 4500 and 3000 BCE, these central European neolithic cultures developed further to
22436-411: The world had been divided by unknown persons into three parts—Europe, Asia, and Libya (Africa)—with the Nile and the Phasis forming their boundaries—though he also states that some considered the River Don , rather than the Phasis, as the boundary between Europe and Asia. Europe's eastern frontier was defined in the 1st century by geographer Strabo at the River Don. The Book of Jubilees described
22594-410: The world. The place name Evros was first used by the ancient Greeks to refer to their northernmost province, which bears the same name today. The principal river there – Evros (today's Maritsa ) – flows through the fertile valleys of Thrace , which itself was also called Europe, before the term meant the continent. In classical Greek mythology , Europa ( Ancient Greek : Εὐρώπη , Eurṓpē )
22752-452: The world. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European powers colonised at various times the Americas , almost all of Africa and Oceania , and the majority of Asia. The Age of Enlightenment , the French Revolution , and the Napoleonic Wars shaped the continent culturally, politically, and economically from the end of the 17th century until the first half of the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution , which began in Great Britain at
22910-422: Was legalised by Constantine I in 313 CE after three centuries of imperial persecution . Constantine also permanently moved the capital of the empire from Rome to the city of Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul ) which was renamed Constantinople in his honour in 330 CE. Christianity became the sole official religion of the empire in 380 CE, and in 391–392 CE the emperor Theodosius outlawed pagan religions. This
23068-399: Was a Phoenician princess. One view is that her name derives from the Ancient Greek elements εὐρύς ( eurús ) 'wide, broad', and ὤψ ( ōps , gen. ὠπός , ōpós ) 'eye, face, countenance', hence their composite Eurṓpē would mean 'wide-gazing' or 'broad of aspect'. Broad has been an epithet of Earth herself in the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European religion and
23226-439: Was a difficult issue, the company would negotiate with Spain to reach an agreement. In September 2020, Spain agreed to buy from Iberia three A330s no longer needed due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic , then modify them to serve as a MRTT fleet. On 12 November 2021, Spain signed an order for three MRTTs from Airbus. Between 2021 and 2022, the first two aircraft entered service in original passenger configuration,
23384-467: Was announced that Saudi Arabia ordered three additional MRTTs. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) chose General Electric CF6-80 engines to power its A330 MRTTs. On 25 February 2013, the first Saudi MRTT entered operational use. Three more MRTTs were ordered in a follow-on contract; delivery was expected in late 2014. By 31 August 2013, three had been delivered. On 10 July 2024, four more MRTTS were ordered. In February 2012, Singapore expressed interest in
23542-432: Was announced that the public flying days at the airshow would not continue. "Negative and vitriolic feedback" following the 2018 airshow, falling visitor numbers and tighter regulations introduced in the wake of the crash at Shoreham – which made it impossible for exhibitors such as the Red Arrows to perform aerobatics close to populated areas – were given as factors that contributed towards the decision. Farnborough would be
23700-436: Was certified by Spanish authorities in October 2010. The first delivered aircraft (the third to be converted) arrived in Australia on 30 May 2011 and was formally handed over to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) two days later on 1 June. On 30 September 2016, Airbus Defence and Space completed the first flight of the new standard A330 MRTT. The new standard features structural modifications, aerodynamic improvements for
23858-442: Was declared the only qualified supplier to replace Canada's RCAF CC-150 Polaris refuelling and VIP transport aircraft, beating out Boeing's KC-46 Pegasus. In July 2022, a $ 102M deal was finalised to acquire two used A330-200s from the International Airfinance Corporation for passenger/cargo-only use that is expected to be converted into MRTTs by Airbus in the future; it was anticipated that up to four more MRTTs will be acquired, for
24016-422: Was delivered on 12 November 2018, after a ferry flight from Airbus's final assembly line in Getafe , Spain to South Korea, piloted by a joint Airbus and ROKAF crew. South Korea received its second MRTT in March 2019 and the third in July 2019. These aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The aircraft is designated KC-330 Cygnus ( ko ). The ROKAF held a contest among their service members and chose
24174-428: Was eventually absorbed into Russia several centuries later. The period between the year 1000 and 1250 is known as the High Middle Ages , followed by the Late Middle Ages until c. 1500. During the High Middle Ages the population of Europe experienced significant growth, culminating in the Renaissance of the 12th century . Economic growth, together with the lack of safety on the mainland trading routes, made possible
24332-420: Was heavily reliant on US Air Force tankers. In November 2012, the Ministers of Defence of 10 EDA member states (the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Norway) signed a letter of intent to jointly procure a multi-role tanker transport. The Netherlands was designated leader of the newly launched Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) project, which had
24490-437: Was held on 27 June 1932 and some of the aircraft were on static display in the "new aircraft park" during the previous weekend when the Royal Air Force pageant was held. For the sixth annual display in 1938 the event moved to the nearby de Havilland airfield at Hatfield , the last before the Second World War . The show recommenced in 1946 at Handley Page works at Radlett in north London until 1947. In 1948, it moved to
24648-445: Was shown after it had begun flight-testing the year before. The double-delta Saab Viggen debuted in 1972 along with the Lockheed TriStar trijet widebody , powered by Rolls-Royce RB211s , in national British carrier BEA colours. The Mach 3 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird , and the C-5 Galaxy military airlifter, were shown in 1974. In 1978, the CASA C-101 was flown in the airshow after flight-testing earlier that same year. In 1982,
24806-399: Was shown with Rolls-Royce Tay turbojets in a configuration mimicked later by the Boeing 737 . In 1952, the futuristic Avro Vulcan delta bomber was displayed a few days after its first flight, along with the giant Saunders-Roe Princess double-decker flying boat powered by ten Proteus turboprops, one month after its maiden flight, but a de Havilland 110 disintegrated and crashed into
24964-495: Was the first crisis that would strike Europe in the late Middle Ages. The period between 1348 and 1420 witnessed the heaviest loss. The population of France was reduced by half. Medieval Britain was afflicted by 95 famines, and France suffered the effects of 75 or more in the same period. Europe was devastated in the mid-14th century by the Black Death , one of the most deadly pandemics in human history which killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe alone—a third of
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