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Airbus A400M Atlas

May 12, 2023

The Airbus A400M Atlas[nb 2] is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older transport aircraft, such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.[3] The A400M is sized between the C-130 and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III; it can carry heavier loads than the C-130 and is able to use rough landing strips. In addition to its transport capabilities, the A400M can perform aerial refueling and medical evacuation when fitted with appropriate equipment.

A400M Atlas
A German Air Force A400M in flight
Role Strategic/tactical airlift / Aerial refueling
Manufacturer Airbus Military / Airbus Defence and Space
First flight 11 December 2009[1]
Introduction 2013
Status In service
Primary users German Air Force
French Air and Space Force
Spanish Air and Space Force
Royal Air Force
See Operators below for others
Produced 2007–present
Number built 111 as of 31 January 2022[nb 1][2]

The A400M's maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11 December 2009 from Seville Airport, Spain. Between 2009 and 2010, the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development programme delays and cost overruns; however, the customer nations chose to maintain their support for the project. A total of 174 A400M aircraft had been ordered by eight nations by July 2011. In March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013.

Development

Origins

The project has its origins in the Future International Military Airlifter (FIMA) group, which was established in 1982 as a joint venture between Aérospatiale, British Aerospace (BAe), Lockheed, and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) with the goal of developing a replacement for both the C-130 Hercules and Transall C-160.[4] Varying requirements and the complications of international politics meant that progress on the initiative was slow. In 1989, Lockheed decided to withdraw from the grouping; it went on to independently develop an upgraded Hercules, the C-130J Super Hercules. With the addition of Alenia of Italy and CASA of Spain, the FIMA group became Euroflag.

Project management evaluated twin and quad turbofan engine configurations, a quad propfan configuration, and a quad turboprop configuration, eventually settling on the turboprop option.[5] Since no existing turboprop engine in the western world was powerful enough to reach the projected cruise speed of Mach 0.72, a new engine design was required. Originally, the SNECMA M138 turboprop (based on the M88 turbofan core) was selected, but this powerplant was found to be incapable of satisfying the requirements.[6][7] During April 2002, Airbus Military issued a new request for proposal (RFP), which Pratt & Whitney Canada with the PW180 and Europrop International answered. In May 2003, Airbus Military selected the Europrop TP400-D6. United Technologies alleged that the selection was a result of political interference.[8][9] A Europrop partner executive said on 16 April that Airbus was close to selecting the P&WC offer, claiming it was more than €400 million (US$436.7 million) cheaper than Europrop's bid.[10] Then as the original deadline for the engine decision passed, Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard said P&WC's bid was nearly 20 percent less expensive and declared that "As of today Pratt and Whitney is the winner without doubt, a much lower offer could make us change our minds." inviting Europrop to revise its offering, which it reportedly reduced in price by 10 or 20 percent.[11] A later report described the revised bid as exceeding P&WC's bid by €120 million.[12]

 
The A400M (third from top) and aircraft it is intended to replace or complement: C-130 (top), C-130J-30 and C-17 (bottom).

The original partner nations were France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Belgium, and Luxembourg. These nations decided to charge the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) with the management of the acquisition of the A400M. Following the withdrawal of Italy and revision of procurement totals, the revised requirement was for 180 aircraft. The first flight was forecast to occur during 2008 and the first delivery was to be in 2009. On 28 April 2005, South Africa joined the programme with the Denel Saab Aerostructures receiving a contract for fuselage components.[13] Malaysia is the second country outside Europe to be involved. Malaysia through CTRM is responsible for manufacturing composite aero components for the aircraft.[14]

The A400M is positioned as an intermediate size and range between the Lockheed C-130 and the Boeing C-17, carrying cargo too large or too heavy for the C-130 while able to use rough landing strips.[15]

Delays and problems

On 9 January 2009, EADS announced that the first delivery was postponed from 2009 until at least 2012, and indicated that it wanted to renegotiate.[16] EADS maintained the first deliveries would begin three years after the first flight. In January 2009, Financial Times Deutschland reported that the A400M was overweight by 12 tons and may not meet a key performance requirement, the ability to airlift 32 tons; sources told FTD that it could only lift 29 tons, insufficient to carry an infantry fighting vehicle like the Puma.[17] In response to the report, the chief of the German Air Force stated: "That is a disastrous development," and could delay deliveries to the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) until 2014.[18] The Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the Luftwaffe was later delayed and alternatives, such as a higher integration of European airlift capabilities, were studied.[19]

 
A400M as viewed from below

On 29 March 2009, Airbus CEO Tom Enders told Der Spiegel that the programme may be abandoned without changes.[20] OCCAR reminded participating countries that they could terminate the contract before 31 March 2009.[21] In April 2009, the South African Air Force announced that it was considering alternatives to the A400M due to delays and increased cost.[22] On 5 November 2009, South Africa announced the order's cancellation.[23] On 12 June, The New York Times reported that Germany and France had delayed a decision whether to cancel their orders for six months while the UK planned to decide in late June. The NYT also quoted a report to the French Senate from February 2009, noting: "the A400M is €5 billion over budget, 3 to 4 years behind schedule, [and] aerospace experts estimate it is also costing Airbus between €1 billion and €1.5 billion a year."[24]

In 2009, Airbus acknowledged that the programme was expected to lose at least €2.4 billion and could not break even without export sales.[8] A PricewaterhouseCoopers audit projected that it would run €11.2 billion over budget, and that corrective measures would result in an overrun of €7.6 billion.[25] On 24 July 2009, the seven European nations announced that the programme would proceed and formed a joint procurement agency to renegotiate the contract.[26] On 9 December 2009, the Financial Times reported that Airbus requested an additional €5 billion subsidy.[27] On 5 January 2010, Airbus repeated that the A400M may be scrapped, costing it €5.7 billion unless €5.3 billion was added by partner governments,[28] delays had already increased its budget by 25%.[29] Airbus executives reportedly regarded the A400M as competing for resources with the A380 and A350 XWB programmes.[30]

In June 2009, Lockheed Martin said that both the UK and France had requested details on the C-130J as an alternative to the A400M.[31] In 2011, the ADS Group warned that shifting British orders to American aircraft for short term savings would cost more in missed business, stating that A400M technologies would be a bridge to a new generation of civil aircraft.[32]

On 5 November 2010, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey finalised the contract and agreed to lend Airbus Military €1.5 billion. The programme was then at least three years behind schedule. The UK reduced its order from 25 to 22 aircraft and Germany from 60 to 53, decreasing the total order from 180 to 170.[33]

In 2013, France's budget for 50 aircraft was €8.9bn (~US$11.7bn) at a unit cost of €152.4m (~US$200m), or €178m (~US$235m) including development costs.[34] The 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security cut the tactical transport aircraft requirement from 70 to 50.[35] As the A400M was unable to perform helicopter in-flight refuelling, France announced in 2016 that it would purchase four C-130Js.[36] In July 2016, French aerospace laboratory ONERA confirmed successful wind tunnel trials of a 36.5 m (120 ft) hose and drogue configuration that permits helicopter refuelling. Prior tests found instability in the intended 24 m (80 ft) hose due to vortices generated by the spoilers (deployed to achieve 108-130 kt air speed).[37]

On 1 April 2016, ADS stated it was addressing production faults affecting 14 propeller gearboxes (PGBs) produced by Italian supplier Avio Aero in early 2015. The issue, involving a heat treatment process that weakened the ring gear, affected no other PGBs; the units involved needed changing. Airbus noted: "pending full replacement of the batch, any aircraft can continue to fly with no more than one affected propeller gearbox installed and is subject to continuing inspections." Another PGB issue involved input pinion plug cracking, which could release small metallic particles into the oil system, which is safeguarded by a magnetic sensor; only engines 1 and 3, which have propellers that rotate to the right, are affected. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Airworthiness Directive mandating immediate on-wing inspection, followed by replacement if evidence of damage is found.[38] On 27 April 2016, Airbus warned there may be a substantial PGB repair cost.[39] An interim PGB fix was certified in July 2016, greatly extending inspection intervals.[40]

In May 2016, Airbus confirmed that a cracking behaviour identified during quality control checks in 2011 was found in a French A400M's fuselage part; not affecting safety, it could be repaired during regular maintenance/upgrade schedules.[41][42] The aluminium-zinc alloy, known as 7000 series, was used in several central frames; its chemistry, along with environmental conditions, led to crack propagation. The alloy was excluded from future aircraft; a retrofit to remove it from early A400Ms was considered, which could take up to seven months.[43][44][45]

On 29 May 2016, Enders conceded in an interview published in Bild am Sonntag that some of the "massive problems" of the A400M were of Airbus' own making: "We underestimated the engine problems...Airbus had let itself be persuaded by some well-known European leaders into using an engine made by an inexperienced consortium." Furthermore, it had assumed full responsibility for the engine.[46] On 27 July 2016, Airbus confirmed that it took a $1 billion charge over delivery issues and export prospects.[47] Enders stated: "Industrial efficiency and the step-wise introduction of the A400M's military functionalities are still lagging behind schedule and remain challenging."[48]

Flight testing

Before the first flight, required airborne test time on the Europrop TP400 engine was gained using a C-130 testbed aircraft, which first flew on 17 December 2008.[49] On 11 December 2009, the A400M's maiden flight was carried out from Seville.[1] On 8 April 2010, the second A400M made its first flight.[50] In July 2010, the third A400M took to the air, at which point the fleet had flown 400 hours over more than 100 flights.[51] In July 2010, the A400M passed ultimate-load testing of the wing.[52] On 28 October 2010, Airbus announced the start of refuelling and air-drop tests.[53] By October 2010, the A400M had flown 672 hours of the 2,700 hours expected to reach certification.[54] In November 2010, the first paratroop jumps were performed; Enders and A400M project manager Bruno Delannoy were among the skydivers.[55]

 
The first A400M during the world presentation in Seville on 26 June 2008

In late 2010, simulated icing tests were performed on the MSN1 flight test aircraft using devices installed on the wing's leading edges. These revealed an aerodynamic issue causing horizontal tail buffeting, resolved via a six-week retrofit to install anti-icing equipment fed with bleed air; production aircraft are similarly fitted.[56] Winter tests were done in Kiruna, Sweden during February 2011.[57] In March 2012, high altitude start and landing tests were performed at La Paz at 4,061.5 m (13,325 ft) and Cochabamba at 2,548 m (8,360 feet) in Bolivia.[58][59]

By April 2011, a total of 1,400 flight hours over 450 flights had been achieved.[60] In May 2011, the TP400-D6 engine received certification from the EASA.[61] In May 2011, the A400M fleet had totaled 1,600 hours over 500 flights; by September 2011, the total increased to 2,100 hours and 684 flights.[62] Due to a gearbox problem, an A400M was shown on static display instead of a flight demonstration at the 2011 Paris Air Show.[63] By October 2011, the total flight hours had reached 2,380 over 784 flights.[56]

In May 2012, the MSN2 flight test aircraft was due to spend a week conducting unpaved runway trials on a grass strip at Cottbus-Drewitz Airport in Germany.[64] Testing was cut short on 23 May, when, during a rejected takeoff test, the left side main wheels broke through the runway surface. Airbus Military stated that it found the aircraft's behaviour was "excellent". The undamaged aircraft returned to Toulouse.[64]

At Royal International Air Tattoo 2012 the aircraft was officially named "Atlas"[65][66]

On 14 March 2013, the A400M was granted type certification by the EASA, clearing its entry to service.[67]

Production and delivery

Assembly of the first A400M began at the Seville plant of EADS Spain in early 2007. Major assemblies built at other facilities abroad were brought to the Seville facility by Airbus Beluga transporters. In February 2008, four Europrop TP400-D6 flight test engines were delivered for the first A400M.[68] Static structural testing of a test airframe began on 12 March 2008 in Spain.[69] By 2010, Airbus planned to manufacture 30 aircraft per year.[70] The Turkish partner, Turkish Aerospace Industries, delivered the first A400M component to Bremen in 2007.[71]

 
The first A400M during its fourth flight on 15 January 2010

The first flight, originally scheduled for early 2008, was postponed due to delays and financial pressures. EADS announced in January 2008 that engine issues had been responsible for the delay. The rescheduled first flight, set for July 2008, was again postponed. Civil certification under EASA CS-25 shall be followed by certification for military uses. On 26 June 2008, the A400M was rolled out in Seville at an event presided by King Juan Carlos I of Spain.[72]

On 12 January 2011, serial production formally commenced.[73] On 1 August 2013, the first A400M was delivered to the French Air Force, it was formally handed over during a ceremony on 30 September 2013.[74][75] On 9 August 2013, the first Turkish A400M conducted its maiden flight from Seville;[76] in March 2015, Malaysia received its first A400M.[77]

In May 2015, it was revealed that the member nations had created a Programme Monitoring Team (PMT) to review and monitor progress in the A400M's development and production. The PMT inspects the final assembly line in Seville and other production sites. Early conclusions observed that Airbus lacked an integrated approach to production, development and retrofits, treating these as separate programmes.[78]

 
A400M demonstrator arrives for the 2019 RIAT, England

On 9 May 2015, an A400M crashed in Seville on its first test flight.[79] Germany, Malaysia, Turkey and UK suspended flights during the investigation.[80] Initial focus was on whether the crash was caused by new fuel supply management software for trimming the fuel tanks to enable certain manoeuvres; Airbus issued an update instructing operators to inspect all Engine Control Units (ECUs).[81] A key scenario examined by investigators is that the torque calibration parameter data was accidentally wiped on three engines during software installation, preventing FADEC operations.[82] On 3 June 2015, Airbus announced that investigators had confirmed "that engines one, two and three experienced power frozen after lift-off and did not respond to the crew's attempts to control the power setting in the normal way."[83]

On 11 June 2015, Spain's Ministry of Defence announced that prototypes could restart test flights and that further permits could be granted soon.[84] The RAF lifted its suspension on A400M flights on 16 June 2015, followed the next day by the Turkish Air Force.[85] On 19 June 2015, deliveries restarted.[86] In June 2016, the French Air Force accepted its ninth A400M, the first capable of conducting tactical tasks such as airdropping supplies. The revised standard includes the addition of cockpit armour and defensive aids system equipment, plus clearance to transfer and receive fuel in-flight.[87]

Design

 
A400M cargo compartment

The Airbus A400M provides substantial improvements to payload, range, internal volume and operational capacity over the Transall C-160 and Lockheed C-130 that it replaces or augments. It can carry up to 37 metric tons (41 short tons) over 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi).[88] The cargo box is 17.71 m (58.1 ft) long excluding ramp, 4.00 m (13.12 ft) wide, and 3.85 m (12.6 ft) high (or 4.00 m (13.12 ft) aft of the wing).[89] and can be configured to transport cargo, military personnel, drop paratroops conduct medical evacuations or carry out aerial refuelling. It can operate out of short, soft landing strips and fly long-range cargo.[89] A typical cargo load might include six Land Rovers and their trailers, or two light armoured vehicles, or a dump truck and excavator, or a Patriot missile system, or a Puma or Cougar helicopter, or a truck and 25-ton trailer.[90]

 
Cockpit with side-stick and glass cockpit avionics

It features a fly-by-wire flight control system with sidestick controllers and flight envelope protection. Like other Airbus aircraft, the A400M has a full glass cockpit. Most systems are loosely based on those of the A380, but modified for the military mission. The hydraulic system has dual 207 bar (3,000 psi) channels powering the primary and secondary flight-control actuators, landing gear, wheel brakes, cargo door and optional hose-and-drogue refuelling system. As with the A380, there is no third hydraulic system. Instead, there are two electrical systems; one is a set of dual-channel electrically powered hydraulic actuators, the other an array of electrically/hydraulically powered hybrid actuators. The dissimilar redundancy provides more protection against battle damage.[91]

More than 30 percent of the airplane's structure is made of composite materials. The 42.4 m (139 ft) span wing is primarily made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic components, including the wing spars, the 19 m (62 ft) long, 12–14 mm (0.47–0.55 in) thick wingskins, and other parts. The wing weighs about 6,500 kg (14,330 lb), and it can carry and lift up to 25,000 kg (55,116 lb) of fuel.[92] It has an aspect ratio of 8.1, a wide chord of 5.6 m (18 ft), and a sweep angle of 15 degrees at 25 percent mean aerodynamic chord.[93]

The A400M has a T-tail empennage. Its vertical stabilizer is 8.02 m (26.3 ft) tall, while the horizontal stabilizer spans 19.03 m (62.4 ft) with a sweep of 32.5 degrees.[93]

 
Hamilton Sundstrand propeller for A400M at the Paris Air Show 2009

The Ratier-Figeac FH385 propellers turn counterclockwise and the FH386 clockwise.[94] The eight-bladed scimitar propellers are made from a woven composite material. It is powered by four Europrop TP400-D6 engines rated at 8,250 kW (11,000 hp) each.[89] The TP400-D6 engine is the most powerful turboprop engine in the West to enter operational use.[61]

 
A400M showing its counter-rotating propellers on each wing

The pair of propellers on each wing turn in opposite directions, with the tips of the propellers advancing from above towards the midpoint between the two engines. This is in contrast to the overwhelming majority of multi-engine propeller driven aircraft where all propellers turn in the same direction. The counter-rotation is achieved by the use of a gearbox fitted to two of the engines, and only the propeller turns in the opposite direction; all four engines are identical and turn in the same direction. This eliminates the need to have two different "handed" engines on stock for the same aircraft, simplifying maintenance and supply costs; this configuration, dubbed down between engines (DBE), allows it to produce more lift and lessens the torque and prop wash on each wing. It also reduces yaw in the event of an outboard engine failure.[95] Due to these benefits, the vertical stabilizer can be reduced by 17 percent in size, while the size of the horizontal stabilizer can be shrunk by 8 percent.[93]

A forward-looking infrared enhanced vision system (EVS) camera provides an enhanced terrain view in low-visibility conditions. The EVS imagery is displayed on the HUD for low altitude flying, demonstrating its value for flying tactical missions at night or in cloud.[91] EADS and Thales provides the new Multi-Colour Infrared Alerting Sensor (MIRAS) missile warning sensor for the A400M.[96][97]

The A400M has a removable refuelling probe mounted above the cockpit, allowing it to receive fuel from drogue-equipped tankers.[89] Optionally, the receiving probe can be replaced with a fuselage-mounted UARRSI receptacle for receiving fuel from boom equipped tankers.[98] It can also act as a tanker when fitted with two wing mounted hose and drogue under-wing refuelling pods or a centre-line Hose and Drum unit.[89] The refuelling pods can transfer fuel to other aircraft at a rate of 2,640 lb/min (20.0 kg/s).[90]

The A400M features deployable baffles in front of the rear side doors, intended to give paratroops time to get clear of the aircraft before they are hit by the slipstream.[99]

Operational history

 
A French A400M performs airdrops during Exercise Mobility Guardian 2017.
 
A German A400M refuels a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet that patrols NATO airspace during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On 29 December 2013, the French Air Force performed the A400M's first operational mission: an aircraft flew to Mali in support of Operation Serval.[100]

On 10 September 2015, the RAF was declared the A400M fleet leader in terms of flying hours, with 900 hours flown over 300 sorties, achieved by a fleet of four aircraft. Sqn. Ldr. Glen Willcox of the RAF's Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron confirmed that reliability levels were high for an aircraft so early in its career, and that night vision goggle trials, hot and cold soaking, noise characterization tests and the first tie-down schemes for cargo had already been completed. In March 2015, the RAF's first operational mission occurred, flying cargo to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus.[101]

In September and October 2017, A400Ms from France, Germany and the UK participated in the disaster relief operations following Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean, delivering a Puma helicopter, food, water and other aid supply, and evacuating stranded people.[102][103]

On 24 July 2018, the German Luftwaffe used an A400M in combat conditions for the first time, transporting 75 soldiers from Wunstorf to Mazar-i-Sharif.[104] German Air Force Inspector Ingo Gerhartz called this a "milestone" because it was the first such mission in an active war zone and showed that the armoring kit was fully functional.[105]

On 7 September 2018, the French Air and Space Force announced that they had logged 10,000 flying hours with their fleet of 14 A400Ms, mostly flying supply missions for Operation Barkhane.[106]

The German government had planned to sell the last 13 A400Ms out of its order of 53 aircraft but failed to attract any buyers. Instead, the government decided to employ them in service. During a visit to the Wunstorf Air Base on 2 January 2019, the German Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen announced that the 13 A400Ms will be used to form a multinational airlift wing. Due to a lack of space at Wunstorf and for greater flexibility, the future air wing will be based at Lechfeld Air Base in southern Germany.[107]

In 2019, a German A400M in tanker configuration replaced the Airbus A310 MRTT deployed to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan to refuel allied aircraft as part of the German intervention against ISIL.[108]

In August 2021, a total of 25 A400Ms were deployed by Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the UK to assist in the Kabul Airport evacuations.[109][110][111][112] German A400Ms evacuated 5347 people over the course of 35 flights.[113]

Exports

 
RAF A400M Atlas takes off from a beach in South Wales in May 2017.
  • Chile

In July 2005, the Chilean Air Force signed a Memorandum of understanding for three aircraft,[114] but no order was placed; Chile began talks on buying the Brazilian Embraer KC-390.[115]

  • Czech Republic

In February 2017, the Czech Ministries of Defence stated they were interested in a joint lease of A400Ms from Germany.[116]

  • Hungary

In September 2020, Hungary was named as the first partner of the Multinational Air Transport Unit to be established at Lechfeld Air Base with 10 A400Ms contracted to Germany.[117]

  • Indonesia

In January 2017, Indonesia approved the acquisition of five A400Ms to boost the country's military airlift capabilities.[118] In March 2017, a letter of intent with Airbus was signed by Pelita Air Services, representing a consortium of Indonesian aviation companies.[119] In March 2018, the Indonesian Air Force and state entity Indonesia Trading Company (ITC) announced they were considering ordering two A400Ms, which would be crewed by the Indonesian Air Force and act in an air freight role helping to balance the prices of goods across the archipelago. The parties were interested in the aircraft's ability to operate from rough landing strips, where a normal air freighter could not, as well as the possibility of industrial offsets.[120] In November 2021, Airbus confirmed that the Indonesian Ministry of Defense had signed a deal with Airbus for two A400Ms, with an option, in the form of a letter of intent, for four additional aircraft.[121] On 12 December 2022, Airbus announced that the contract has been finalised, the first delivery is expected in 2026.[122][123]

  • Kazakhstan

In September 2021, Kazakhstan signed an agreement with Airbus to buy two A400Ms for the Kazakhstan Air Force.[124]

  • Malaysia

In December 2005, the Royal Malaysian Air Force ordered four A400Ms to supplement its fleet of C-130 Hercules.[125]

  • South Africa

In December 2004, South Africa announced it would purchase eight A400Ms at a cost of approximately €837 million, with the nation joining the Airbus Military team as an industrial partner. Deliveries were expected from 2010 to 2012.[126] In 2009, South Africa cancelled all eight aircraft, citing increasing costs. On 29 November 2011, Airbus Military reached an agreement to refund pre-delivery payments worth €837 million to Armscor.[127]

  • South Korea

In February 2019, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirmed a proposal from Spain to swap an undetermined number of KAI T-50 Golden Eagles and KAI KT-1 Woongbi trainers for A400M airlifters.[128]

Variants

A400M Grizzly
Five prototype and development aircraft, a sixth aircraft was cancelled.
A400M-180 Atlas
Production variant

Operators

 
A400M operators as of July 2022
  Current operators
  Aircraft ordered
A400M operators as of 21 July 2022
Date Country Orders Deliveries Entry into service
date 		Notes
27 May 2003   Germany 53 37[2] December 2014[129] Order reduced from 60 to 53 (plus 7 options),[130] and will integrate 10 into an international transport alliance.[117]
  France 50 19[2] August 2013[131]
  Spain 27 13[2] November 2016[132] Original budget of €3,453M increased to €5,493M in 2010.[133] Delivery of 13 aircraft has been delayed until 2025–2030.[134]
  United Kingdom 22 21[135] November 2014[136] Order reduced from 25 to "at least 22".[137] A purchase of additional aircraft is planned for the late 2020s.[138]
  Turkey 10 10[2] April 2014[139] Turkey completes its A400M fleet with 10th delivery.[140]
  Belgium 7 6[2] December 2020[141]
  Luxembourg 1[2] 1[142] October 2020[142] Stationed in Belgium as a part of a bi-national fleet.[143]
8 December 2005   Malaysia 4 4[2] March 2015[144] First non-NATO country to purchase the A400M. Final A400M delivered in March 2017.[144]
1 September 2021   Kazakhstan 2[124] 0 Expected 2024[124] Deliveries scheduled from 2024.[124]
18 November 2021   Indonesia 2 (4 options) 0 Expected 2026[123] Two A400Ms in MRTT configuration were ordered to boost the country's military airlift and aerial refueling capabilities; a letter of intent contains options for four additional aircraft.[121]
Total: 178[2] 110[2]

Accidents

An A400M crashed on 9 May 2015, when aircraft MSN23, on its first test flight crashed shortly after take-off from San Pablo Airport in Seville, Spain, killing four Spanish Airbus crew and seriously injuring two others. Once airborne, the crew contacted air traffic controllers just before the crash about a technical failure,[145] before colliding with an electricity pylon while attempting an emergency landing.[146] The crash was attributed to the FADEC system being unable to read engine sensors properly due to an accidental file-wipe, resulting in three of its four engines remaining in "idle" mode during takeoff.[147]

Specifications

 
Airbus A400M silhouettes
 
Operational range of A400M with 20-tonne (44,000 lb) and 30-tonne (66,000 lb) payloads, flown from Paris, France

Data from Airbus Defence & Space specifications[148][149]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3 or 4 (2 pilots, 3rd optional, 1 loadmaster)
  • Capacity: 37,000 kg (81,600 lb)
    • 116 fully equipped troops / paratroopers[149]
    • up to 66 stretchers accompanied by 25 medical personnel[149]
    • cargo compartment: width 4.00 m (13.12 ft) x height 3.85 m (12.6 ft) x length 17.71 m (58.1 ft) (without ramp 5.40 m (17.7 ft))[149]
  • Length: 45.1 m (148 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 42.4 m (139 ft 1 in)
  • Height: 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in)
  • Wing area: 225.1 m2 (2,384 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 78,600[150] kg (173,283 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 141,000 kg (310,852 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 50,500 kg (111,300 lb) internal fuel
  • Max landing weight: 123,000 kg (271,000 lb)
  • Powerplant: 4 × Europrop TP400-D6 turboprop, 8,200 kW (11,000 hp) each
  • Propellers: 8-bladed Ratier-Figeac variable pitch propellers with feathering and reversing capability[nb 3][94], 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: Mach 0.72
  • Cruise speed: 781 km/h (485 mph, 422 kn) at 9,450 m (31,000 ft)[91]
  • Initial cruise altitude: 9,000 m (29,000 ft) at MTOW
  • Range: 3,300 km (2,100 mi, 1,800 nmi) at max payload[nb 4]
    • Range with 30-tonne payload: 4,500 km (2,450 nmi)
    • Range with 20-tonne payload: 6,400 km (3,450 nmi)
  • Ferry range: 8,700 km (5,400 mi, 4,700 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 12,200 m (40,000 ft)
  • Wing loading: 637 kg/m2 (130.4[91] lb/sq ft)
  • Tactical takeoff distance: 980 m (3,215 ft)[nb 5]
  • Tactical landing distance: 770 m (2,530 ft)[nb 5]
  • Turning radius (ground): 28.6 m

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Notes

  1. ^ Includes five prototype and development aircraft and one crashed before delivery.
  2. ^ Named after the Greek mythological figure.
  3. ^ FH385 anticlockwise on engines 2 and 4, FH386 clockwise on engines 1 and 3)
  4. ^ long range cruise speed; reserves as per MIL-C-5011A)
  5. ^ a b aircraft weight 100 tonnes (98 long tons; 110 short tons), soft field, ISA, sea level

References

  1. ^ a b . Flight International. 11 December 2009. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Orders, Deliveries, In Operation Military aircraft by Country - Worldwide" (PDF). Airbus. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
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External links

 
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May 12, 2023
airbus, a400m, atlas, european, four, engine, turboprop, military, transport, aircraft, designed, airbus, military, airbus, defence, space, tactical, airlifter, with, strategic, capabilities, replace, older, transport, aircraft, such, transall, lockheed, hercu. The Airbus A400M Atlas nb 2 is a European four engine turboprop military transport aircraft It was designed by Airbus Military now Airbus Defence and Space as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older transport aircraft such as the Transall C 160 and the Lockheed C 130 Hercules 3 The A400M is sized between the C 130 and the Boeing C 17 Globemaster III it can carry heavier loads than the C 130 and is able to use rough landing strips In addition to its transport capabilities the A400M can perform aerial refueling and medical evacuation when fitted with appropriate equipment A400M AtlasA German Air Force A400M in flightRole Strategic tactical airlift Aerial refuelingManufacturer Airbus Military Airbus Defence and SpaceFirst flight 11 December 2009 1 Introduction 2013Status In servicePrimary users German Air ForceFrench Air and Space Force Spanish Air and Space Force Royal Air ForceSee Operators below for othersProduced 2007 presentNumber built 111 as of 31 January 2022 nb 1 2 The A400M s maiden flight originally planned for 2008 took place on 11 December 2009 from Seville Airport Spain Between 2009 and 2010 the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development programme delays and cost overruns however the customer nations chose to maintain their support for the project A total of 174 A400M aircraft had been ordered by eight nations by July 2011 In March 2013 the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency EASA certification The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013 Contents 1 Development 1 1 Origins 1 2 Delays and problems 1 3 Flight testing 1 4 Production and delivery 2 Design 3 Operational history 3 1 Exports 4 Variants 5 Operators 6 Accidents 7 Specifications 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksDevelopment EditOrigins Edit The project has its origins in the Future International Military Airlifter FIMA group which was established in 1982 as a joint venture between Aerospatiale British Aerospace BAe Lockheed and Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm MBB with the goal of developing a replacement for both the C 130 Hercules and Transall C 160 4 Varying requirements and the complications of international politics meant that progress on the initiative was slow In 1989 Lockheed decided to withdraw from the grouping it went on to independently develop an upgraded Hercules the C 130J Super Hercules With the addition of Alenia of Italy and CASA of Spain the FIMA group became Euroflag Project management evaluated twin and quad turbofan engine configurations a quad propfan configuration and a quad turboprop configuration eventually settling on the turboprop option 5 Since no existing turboprop engine in the western world was powerful enough to reach the projected cruise speed of Mach 0 72 a new engine design was required Originally the SNECMA M138 turboprop based on the M88 turbofan core was selected but this powerplant was found to be incapable of satisfying the requirements 6 7 During April 2002 Airbus Military issued a new request for proposal RFP which Pratt amp Whitney Canada with the PW180 and Europrop International answered In May 2003 Airbus Military selected the Europrop TP400 D6 United Technologies alleged that the selection was a result of political interference 8 9 A Europrop partner executive said on 16 April that Airbus was close to selecting the P amp WC offer claiming it was more than 400 million US 436 7 million cheaper than Europrop s bid 10 Then as the original deadline for the engine decision passed Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard said P amp WC s bid was nearly 20 percent less expensive and declared that As of today Pratt and Whitney is the winner without doubt a much lower offer could make us change our minds inviting Europrop to revise its offering which it reportedly reduced in price by 10 or 20 percent 11 A later report described the revised bid as exceeding P amp WC s bid by 120 million 12 The A400M third from top and aircraft it is intended to replace or complement C 130 top C 130J 30 and C 17 bottom The original partner nations were France Germany Italy Spain the United Kingdom Turkey Belgium and Luxembourg These nations decided to charge the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation OCCAR with the management of the acquisition of the A400M Following the withdrawal of Italy and revision of procurement totals the revised requirement was for 180 aircraft The first flight was forecast to occur during 2008 and the first delivery was to be in 2009 On 28 April 2005 South Africa joined the programme with the Denel Saab Aerostructures receiving a contract for fuselage components 13 Malaysia is the second country outside Europe to be involved Malaysia through CTRM is responsible for manufacturing composite aero components for the aircraft 14 The A400M is positioned as an intermediate size and range between the Lockheed C 130 and the Boeing C 17 carrying cargo too large or too heavy for the C 130 while able to use rough landing strips 15 Delays and problems Edit On 9 January 2009 EADS announced that the first delivery was postponed from 2009 until at least 2012 and indicated that it wanted to renegotiate 16 EADS maintained the first deliveries would begin three years after the first flight In January 2009 Financial Times Deutschland reported that the A400M was overweight by 12 tons and may not meet a key performance requirement the ability to airlift 32 tons sources told FTD that it could only lift 29 tons insufficient to carry an infantry fighting vehicle like the Puma 17 In response to the report the chief of the German Air Force stated That is a disastrous development and could delay deliveries to the German Air Force Luftwaffe until 2014 18 The Initial Operational Capability IOC for the Luftwaffe was later delayed and alternatives such as a higher integration of European airlift capabilities were studied 19 A400M as viewed from below On 29 March 2009 Airbus CEO Tom Enders told Der Spiegel that the programme may be abandoned without changes 20 OCCAR reminded participating countries that they could terminate the contract before 31 March 2009 21 In April 2009 the South African Air Force announced that it was considering alternatives to the A400M due to delays and increased cost 22 On 5 November 2009 South Africa announced the order s cancellation 23 On 12 June The New York Times reported that Germany and France had delayed a decision whether to cancel their orders for six months while the UK planned to decide in late June The NYT also quoted a report to the French Senate from February 2009 noting the A400M is 5 billion over budget 3 to 4 years behind schedule and aerospace experts estimate it is also costing Airbus between 1 billion and 1 5 billion a year 24 In 2009 Airbus acknowledged that the programme was expected to lose at least 2 4 billion and could not break even without export sales 8 A PricewaterhouseCoopers audit projected that it would run 11 2 billion over budget and that corrective measures would result in an overrun of 7 6 billion 25 On 24 July 2009 the seven European nations announced that the programme would proceed and formed a joint procurement agency to renegotiate the contract 26 On 9 December 2009 the Financial Times reported that Airbus requested an additional 5 billion subsidy 27 On 5 January 2010 Airbus repeated that the A400M may be scrapped costing it 5 7 billion unless 5 3 billion was added by partner governments 28 delays had already increased its budget by 25 29 Airbus executives reportedly regarded the A400M as competing for resources with the A380 and A350 XWB programmes 30 In June 2009 Lockheed Martin said that both the UK and France had requested details on the C 130J as an alternative to the A400M 31 In 2011 the ADS Group warned that shifting British orders to American aircraft for short term savings would cost more in missed business stating that A400M technologies would be a bridge to a new generation of civil aircraft 32 On 5 November 2010 Belgium Britain France Germany Luxembourg Spain and Turkey finalised the contract and agreed to lend Airbus Military 1 5 billion The programme was then at least three years behind schedule The UK reduced its order from 25 to 22 aircraft and Germany from 60 to 53 decreasing the total order from 180 to 170 33 In 2013 France s budget for 50 aircraft was 8 9bn US 11 7bn at a unit cost of 152 4m US 200m or 178m US 235m including development costs 34 The 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security cut the tactical transport aircraft requirement from 70 to 50 35 As the A400M was unable to perform helicopter in flight refuelling France announced in 2016 that it would purchase four C 130Js 36 In July 2016 French aerospace laboratory ONERA confirmed successful wind tunnel trials of a 36 5 m 120 ft hose and drogue configuration that permits helicopter refuelling Prior tests found instability in the intended 24 m 80 ft hose due to vortices generated by the spoilers deployed to achieve 108 130 kt air speed 37 On 1 April 2016 ADS stated it was addressing production faults affecting 14 propeller gearboxes PGBs produced by Italian supplier Avio Aero in early 2015 The issue involving a heat treatment process that weakened the ring gear affected no other PGBs the units involved needed changing Airbus noted pending full replacement of the batch any aircraft can continue to fly with no more than one affected propeller gearbox installed and is subject to continuing inspections Another PGB issue involved input pinion plug cracking which could release small metallic particles into the oil system which is safeguarded by a magnetic sensor only engines 1 and 3 which have propellers that rotate to the right are affected The European Aviation Safety Agency EASA issued an Airworthiness Directive mandating immediate on wing inspection followed by replacement if evidence of damage is found 38 On 27 April 2016 Airbus warned there may be a substantial PGB repair cost 39 An interim PGB fix was certified in July 2016 greatly extending inspection intervals 40 In May 2016 Airbus confirmed that a cracking behaviour identified during quality control checks in 2011 was found in a French A400M s fuselage part not affecting safety it could be repaired during regular maintenance upgrade schedules 41 42 The aluminium zinc alloy known as 7000 series was used in several central frames its chemistry along with environmental conditions led to crack propagation The alloy was excluded from future aircraft a retrofit to remove it from early A400Ms was considered which could take up to seven months 43 44 45 On 29 May 2016 Enders conceded in an interview published in Bild am Sonntag that some of the massive problems of the A400M were of Airbus own making We underestimated the engine problems Airbus had let itself be persuaded by some well known European leaders into using an engine made by an inexperienced consortium Furthermore it had assumed full responsibility for the engine 46 On 27 July 2016 Airbus confirmed that it took a 1 billion charge over delivery issues and export prospects 47 Enders stated Industrial efficiency and the step wise introduction of the A400M s military functionalities are still lagging behind schedule and remain challenging 48 Flight testing Edit Before the first flight required airborne test time on the Europrop TP400 engine was gained using a C 130 testbed aircraft which first flew on 17 December 2008 49 On 11 December 2009 the A400M s maiden flight was carried out from Seville 1 On 8 April 2010 the second A400M made its first flight 50 In July 2010 the third A400M took to the air at which point the fleet had flown 400 hours over more than 100 flights 51 In July 2010 the A400M passed ultimate load testing of the wing 52 On 28 October 2010 Airbus announced the start of refuelling and air drop tests 53 By October 2010 the A400M had flown 672 hours of the 2 700 hours expected to reach certification 54 In November 2010 the first paratroop jumps were performed Enders and A400M project manager Bruno Delannoy were among the skydivers 55 The first A400M during the world presentation in Seville on 26 June 2008 In late 2010 simulated icing tests were performed on the MSN1 flight test aircraft using devices installed on the wing s leading edges These revealed an aerodynamic issue causing horizontal tail buffeting resolved via a six week retrofit to install anti icing equipment fed with bleed air production aircraft are similarly fitted 56 Winter tests were done in Kiruna Sweden during February 2011 57 In March 2012 high altitude start and landing tests were performed at La Paz at 4 061 5 m 13 325 ft and Cochabamba at 2 548 m 8 360 feet in Bolivia 58 59 By April 2011 a total of 1 400 flight hours over 450 flights had been achieved 60 In May 2011 the TP400 D6 engine received certification from the EASA 61 In May 2011 the A400M fleet had totaled 1 600 hours over 500 flights by September 2011 the total increased to 2 100 hours and 684 flights 62 Due to a gearbox problem an A400M was shown on static display instead of a flight demonstration at the 2011 Paris Air Show 63 By October 2011 the total flight hours had reached 2 380 over 784 flights 56 In May 2012 the MSN2 flight test aircraft was due to spend a week conducting unpaved runway trials on a grass strip at Cottbus Drewitz Airport in Germany 64 Testing was cut short on 23 May when during a rejected takeoff test the left side main wheels broke through the runway surface Airbus Military stated that it found the aircraft s behaviour was excellent The undamaged aircraft returned to Toulouse 64 At Royal International Air Tattoo 2012 the aircraft was officially named Atlas 65 66 On 14 March 2013 the A400M was granted type certification by the EASA clearing its entry to service 67 Production and delivery Edit Assembly of the first A400M began at the Seville plant of EADS Spain in early 2007 Major assemblies built at other facilities abroad were brought to the Seville facility by Airbus Beluga transporters In February 2008 four Europrop TP400 D6 flight test engines were delivered for the first A400M 68 Static structural testing of a test airframe began on 12 March 2008 in Spain 69 By 2010 Airbus planned to manufacture 30 aircraft per year 70 The Turkish partner Turkish Aerospace Industries delivered the first A400M component to Bremen in 2007 71 The first A400M during its fourth flight on 15 January 2010 The first flight originally scheduled for early 2008 was postponed due to delays and financial pressures EADS announced in January 2008 that engine issues had been responsible for the delay The rescheduled first flight set for July 2008 was again postponed Civil certification under EASA CS 25 shall be followed by certification for military uses On 26 June 2008 the A400M was rolled out in Seville at an event presided by King Juan Carlos I of Spain 72 On 12 January 2011 serial production formally commenced 73 On 1 August 2013 the first A400M was delivered to the French Air Force it was formally handed over during a ceremony on 30 September 2013 74 75 On 9 August 2013 the first Turkish A400M conducted its maiden flight from Seville 76 in March 2015 Malaysia received its first A400M 77 In May 2015 it was revealed that the member nations had created a Programme Monitoring Team PMT to review and monitor progress in the A400M s development and production The PMT inspects the final assembly line in Seville and other production sites Early conclusions observed that Airbus lacked an integrated approach to production development and retrofits treating these as separate programmes 78 A400M demonstrator arrives for the 2019 RIAT England On 9 May 2015 an A400M crashed in Seville on its first test flight 79 Germany Malaysia Turkey and UK suspended flights during the investigation 80 Initial focus was on whether the crash was caused by new fuel supply management software for trimming the fuel tanks to enable certain manoeuvres Airbus issued an update instructing operators to inspect all Engine Control Units ECUs 81 A key scenario examined by investigators is that the torque calibration parameter data was accidentally wiped on three engines during software installation preventing FADEC operations 82 On 3 June 2015 Airbus announced that investigators had confirmed that engines one two and three experienced power frozen after lift off and did not respond to the crew s attempts to control the power setting in the normal way 83 On 11 June 2015 Spain s Ministry of Defence announced that prototypes could restart test flights and that further permits could be granted soon 84 The RAF lifted its suspension on A400M flights on 16 June 2015 followed the next day by the Turkish Air Force 85 On 19 June 2015 deliveries restarted 86 In June 2016 the French Air Force accepted its ninth A400M the first capable of conducting tactical tasks such as airdropping supplies The revised standard includes the addition of cockpit armour and defensive aids system equipment plus clearance to transfer and receive fuel in flight 87 Design Edit A400M cargo compartment The Airbus A400M provides substantial improvements to payload range internal volume and operational capacity over the Transall C 160 and Lockheed C 130 that it replaces or augments It can carry up to 37 metric tons 41 short tons over 2 000 nmi 3 700 km 2 300 mi 88 The cargo box is 17 71 m 58 1 ft long excluding ramp 4 00 m 13 12 ft wide and 3 85 m 12 6 ft high or 4 00 m 13 12 ft aft of the wing 89 and can be configured to transport cargo military personnel drop paratroops conduct medical evacuations or carry out aerial refuelling It can operate out of short soft landing strips and fly long range cargo 89 A typical cargo load might include six Land Rovers and their trailers or two light armoured vehicles or a dump truck and excavator or a Patriot missile system or a Puma or Cougar helicopter or a truck and 25 ton trailer 90 Cockpit with side stick and glass cockpit avionics It features a fly by wire flight control system with sidestick controllers and flight envelope protection Like other Airbus aircraft the A400M has a full glass cockpit Most systems are loosely based on those of the A380 but modified for the military mission The hydraulic system has dual 207 bar 3 000 psi channels powering the primary and secondary flight control actuators landing gear wheel brakes cargo door and optional hose and drogue refuelling system As with the A380 there is no third hydraulic system Instead there are two electrical systems one is a set of dual channel electrically powered hydraulic actuators the other an array of electrically hydraulically powered hybrid actuators The dissimilar redundancy provides more protection against battle damage 91 More than 30 percent of the airplane s structure is made of composite materials The 42 4 m 139 ft span wing is primarily made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic components including the wing spars the 19 m 62 ft long 12 14 mm 0 47 0 55 in thick wingskins and other parts The wing weighs about 6 500 kg 14 330 lb and it can carry and lift up to 25 000 kg 55 116 lb of fuel 92 It has an aspect ratio of 8 1 a wide chord of 5 6 m 18 ft and a sweep angle of 15 degrees at 25 percent mean aerodynamic chord 93 The A400M has a T tail empennage Its vertical stabilizer is 8 02 m 26 3 ft tall while the horizontal stabilizer spans 19 03 m 62 4 ft with a sweep of 32 5 degrees 93 Hamilton Sundstrand propeller for A400M at the Paris Air Show 2009 The Ratier Figeac FH385 propellers turn counterclockwise and the FH386 clockwise 94 The eight bladed scimitar propellers are made from a woven composite material It is powered by four Europrop TP400 D6 engines rated at 8 250 kW 11 000 hp each 89 The TP400 D6 engine is the most powerful turboprop engine in the West to enter operational use 61 A400M showing its counter rotating propellers on each wing The pair of propellers on each wing turn in opposite directions with the tips of the propellers advancing from above towards the midpoint between the two engines This is in contrast to the overwhelming majority of multi engine propeller driven aircraft where all propellers turn in the same direction The counter rotation is achieved by the use of a gearbox fitted to two of the engines and only the propeller turns in the opposite direction all four engines are identical and turn in the same direction This eliminates the need to have two different handed engines on stock for the same aircraft simplifying maintenance and supply costs this configuration dubbed down between engines DBE allows it to produce more lift and lessens the torque and prop wash on each wing It also reduces yaw in the event of an outboard engine failure 95 Due to these benefits the vertical stabilizer can be reduced by 17 percent in size while the size of the horizontal stabilizer can be shrunk by 8 percent 93 A forward looking infrared enhanced vision system EVS camera provides an enhanced terrain view in low visibility conditions The EVS imagery is displayed on the HUD for low altitude flying demonstrating its value for flying tactical missions at night or in cloud 91 EADS and Thales provides the new Multi Colour Infrared Alerting Sensor MIRAS missile warning sensor for the A400M 96 97 The A400M has a removable refuelling probe mounted above the cockpit allowing it to receive fuel from drogue equipped tankers 89 Optionally the receiving probe can be replaced with a fuselage mounted UARRSI receptacle for receiving fuel from boom equipped tankers 98 It can also act as a tanker when fitted with two wing mounted hose and drogue under wing refuelling pods or a centre line Hose and Drum unit 89 The refuelling pods can transfer fuel to other aircraft at a rate of 2 640 lb min 20 0 kg s 90 The A400M features deployable baffles in front of the rear side doors intended to give paratroops time to get clear of the aircraft before they are hit by the slipstream 99 Operational history Edit A French A400M performs airdrops during Exercise Mobility Guardian 2017 A German A400M refuels a US Navy F A 18E Super Hornet that patrols NATO airspace during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 29 December 2013 the French Air Force performed the A400M s first operational mission an aircraft flew to Mali in support of Operation Serval 100 On 10 September 2015 the RAF was declared the A400M fleet leader in terms of flying hours with 900 hours flown over 300 sorties achieved by a fleet of four aircraft Sqn Ldr Glen Willcox of the RAF s Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron confirmed that reliability levels were high for an aircraft so early in its career and that night vision goggle trials hot and cold soaking noise characterization tests and the first tie down schemes for cargo had already been completed In March 2015 the RAF s first operational mission occurred flying cargo to RAF Akrotiri Cyprus 101 In September and October 2017 A400Ms from France Germany and the UK participated in the disaster relief operations following Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean delivering a Puma helicopter food water and other aid supply and evacuating stranded people 102 103 On 24 July 2018 the German Luftwaffe used an A400M in combat conditions for the first time transporting 75 soldiers from Wunstorf to Mazar i Sharif 104 German Air Force Inspector Ingo Gerhartz called this a milestone because it was the first such mission in an active war zone and showed that the armoring kit was fully functional 105 On 7 September 2018 the French Air and Space Force announced that they had logged 10 000 flying hours with their fleet of 14 A400Ms mostly flying supply missions for Operation Barkhane 106 The German government had planned to sell the last 13 A400Ms out of its order of 53 aircraft but failed to attract any buyers Instead the government decided to employ them in service During a visit to the Wunstorf Air Base on 2 January 2019 the German Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen announced that the 13 A400Ms will be used to form a multinational airlift wing Due to a lack of space at Wunstorf and for greater flexibility the future air wing will be based at Lechfeld Air Base in southern Germany 107 In 2019 a German A400M in tanker configuration replaced the Airbus A310 MRTT deployed to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan to refuel allied aircraft as part of the German intervention against ISIL 108 In August 2021 a total of 25 A400Ms were deployed by Belgium France Germany Spain Turkey and the UK to assist in the Kabul Airport evacuations 109 110 111 112 German A400Ms evacuated 5347 people over the course of 35 flights 113 Exports Edit RAF A400M Atlas takes off from a beach in South Wales in May 2017 Royal Malaysian Air Force A400M ChileIn July 2005 the Chilean Air Force signed a Memorandum of understanding for three aircraft 114 but no order was placed Chile began talks on buying the Brazilian Embraer KC 390 115 Czech RepublicIn February 2017 the Czech Ministries of Defence stated they were interested in a joint lease of A400Ms from Germany 116 HungaryIn September 2020 Hungary was named as the first partner of the Multinational Air Transport Unit to be established at Lechfeld Air Base with 10 A400Ms contracted to Germany 117 IndonesiaIn January 2017 Indonesia approved the acquisition of five A400Ms to boost the country s military airlift capabilities 118 In March 2017 a letter of intent with Airbus was signed by Pelita Air Services representing a consortium of Indonesian aviation companies 119 In March 2018 the Indonesian Air Force and state entity Indonesia Trading Company ITC announced they were considering ordering two A400Ms which would be crewed by the Indonesian Air Force and act in an air freight role helping to balance the prices of goods across the archipelago The parties were interested in the aircraft s ability to operate from rough landing strips where a normal air freighter could not as well as the possibility of industrial offsets 120 In November 2021 Airbus confirmed that the Indonesian Ministry of Defense had signed a deal with Airbus for two A400Ms with an option in the form of a letter of intent for four additional aircraft 121 On 12 December 2022 Airbus announced that the contract has been finalised the first delivery is expected in 2026 122 123 KazakhstanIn September 2021 Kazakhstan signed an agreement with Airbus to buy two A400Ms for the Kazakhstan Air Force 124 MalaysiaIn December 2005 the Royal Malaysian Air Force ordered four A400Ms to supplement its fleet of C 130 Hercules 125 South AfricaIn December 2004 South Africa announced it would purchase eight A400Ms at a cost of approximately 837 million with the nation joining the Airbus Military team as an industrial partner Deliveries were expected from 2010 to 2012 126 In 2009 South Africa cancelled all eight aircraft citing increasing costs On 29 November 2011 Airbus Military reached an agreement to refund pre delivery payments worth 837 million to Armscor 127 South KoreaIn February 2019 South Korea s Defense Acquisition Program Administration DAPA confirmed a proposal from Spain to swap an undetermined number of KAI T 50 Golden Eagles and KAI KT 1 Woongbi trainers for A400M airlifters 128 Variants EditA400M Grizzly Five prototype and development aircraft a sixth aircraft was cancelled A400M 180 Atlas Production variantOperators Edit A400M operators as of July 2022 Current operators Aircraft ordered A400M operators as of 21 July 2022 update Date Country Orders Deliveries Entry into service date Notes27 May 2003 Germany 53 37 2 December 2014 129 Order reduced from 60 to 53 plus 7 options 130 and will integrate 10 into an international transport alliance 117 France 50 19 2 August 2013 131 Spain 27 13 2 November 2016 132 Original budget of 3 453M increased to 5 493M in 2010 133 Delivery of 13 aircraft has been delayed until 2025 2030 134 United Kingdom 22 21 135 November 2014 136 Order reduced from 25 to at least 22 137 A purchase of additional aircraft is planned for the late 2020s 138 Turkey 10 10 2 April 2014 139 Turkey completes its A400M fleet with 10th delivery 140 Belgium 7 6 2 December 2020 141 Luxembourg 1 2 1 142 October 2020 142 Stationed in Belgium as a part of a bi national fleet 143 8 December 2005 Malaysia 4 4 2 March 2015 144 First non NATO country to purchase the A400M Final A400M delivered in March 2017 144 1 September 2021 Kazakhstan 2 124 0 Expected 2024 124 Deliveries scheduled from 2024 124 18 November 2021 Indonesia 2 4 options 0 Expected 2026 123 Two A400Ms in MRTT configuration were ordered to boost the country s military airlift and aerial refueling capabilities a letter of intent contains options for four additional aircraft 121 Total 178 2 110 2 Accidents EditAn A400M crashed on 9 May 2015 when aircraft MSN23 on its first test flight crashed shortly after take off from San Pablo Airport in Seville Spain killing four Spanish Airbus crew and seriously injuring two others Once airborne the crew contacted air traffic controllers just before the crash about a technical failure 145 before colliding with an electricity pylon while attempting an emergency landing 146 The crash was attributed to the FADEC system being unable to read engine sensors properly due to an accidental file wipe resulting in three of its four engines remaining in idle mode during takeoff 147 Specifications Edit Airbus A400M silhouettes Operational range of A400M with 20 tonne 44 000 lb and 30 tonne 66 000 lb payloads flown from Paris France Data from Airbus Defence amp Space specifications 148 149 General characteristicsCrew 3 or 4 2 pilots 3rd optional 1 loadmaster Capacity 37 000 kg 81 600 lb 116 fully equipped troops paratroopers 149 up to 66 stretchers accompanied by 25 medical personnel 149 cargo compartment width 4 00 m 13 12 ft x height 3 85 m 12 6 ft x length 17 71 m 58 1 ft without ramp 5 40 m 17 7 ft 149 Length 45 1 m 148 ft 0 in Wingspan 42 4 m 139 ft 1 in Height 14 7 m 48 ft 3 in Wing area 225 1 m2 2 384 sq ft Empty weight 78 600 150 kg 173 283 lb Max takeoff weight 141 000 kg 310 852 lb Fuel capacity 50 500 kg 111 300 lb internal fuel Max landing weight 123 000 kg 271 000 lb Powerplant 4 Europrop TP400 D6 turboprop 8 200 kW 11 000 hp each Propellers 8 bladed Ratier Figeac variable pitch propellers with feathering and reversing capability nb 3 94 5 3 m 17 ft 5 in diameterPerformance Maximum speed Mach 0 72 Cruise speed 781 km h 485 mph 422 kn at 9 450 m 31 000 ft 91 Initial cruise altitude 9 000 m 29 000 ft at MTOW Range 3 300 km 2 100 mi 1 800 nmi at max payload nb 4 Range with 30 tonne payload 4 500 km 2 450 nmi Range with 20 tonne payload 6 400 km 3 450 nmi Ferry range 8 700 km 5 400 mi 4 700 nmi Service ceiling 12 200 m 40 000 ft Wing loading 637 kg m2 130 4 91 lb sq ft Tactical takeoff distance 980 m 3 215 ft nb 5 Tactical landing distance 770 m 2 530 ft nb 5 Turning radius ground 28 6 mSee also Edit Aviation portalAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Antonov An 70 Ukrainian Russian military transport aircraft prototype by Antonov Embraer C 390 Millennium Brazilian military transport aircraft tanker Ilyushin Il 76 Russian heavy military transport aircraft Kawasaki C 2 Japanese military transport aircraft Xi an Y 20 Chinese military transport aircraftNotes Edit Includes five prototype and development aircraft and one crashed before delivery Named after the Greek mythological figure FH385 anticlockwise on engines 2 and 4 FH386 clockwise on engines 1 and 3 long range cruise speed reserves as per MIL C 5011A a b aircraft weight 100 tonnes 98 long tons 110 short tons soft field ISA sea levelReferences Edit a b Updated Pictures amp Video Airbus celebrates as A400M gets airborne Flight International 11 December 2009 Archived from the original on 14 December 2009 a b c d e f g h i j Orders Deliveries In Operation Military aircraft by Country Worldwide PDF Airbus Retrieved 16 February 2022 RAF A400m MOD archived from 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startet Rettungsmission in der Karibik Bundeswehr starts rescue mission in the Caribbean spiegel de in German Hamburg Archived from the original on 19 February 2018 Lufttransportgeschwader 62 A400M der Luftwaffe fliegt erstmals nach Afghanistan www flugrevue de 25 July 2018 Bundeswehr Erstmals Bundeswehrsoldaten mit Problemflugzeug A400M nach Afghanistan gebracht Die Welt 25 July 2018 via www welt de A400M der Armee de l Air haben 10 000 Flugstunden erreicht Aerobuzz de 7 September 2018 Joy in Lechfeld The A400M is coming Official Luftwaffe website 3 January 2019 Archived from the original on 4 January 2019 The A400M will replace the A310 tanker already deployed in German Operation Counter Daesh The Aviationist 9 July 2019 Retrieved 13 December 2020 New Airbus military aircraft chief bullish on A400M MRTT prospects FlightGlobal 6 September 2021 Retrieved 10 January 2022 Third French flight of evacuees from Kabul touches down in Paris France 24 19 August 2021 Retrieved 23 August 2021 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Airbus A400Ms for USD2 billion IHS Jane s 360 Singapore Airbus Signs LOI with Indonesia s Pelita Air Services on A400M Transport Aircraft Archived from the original on 12 March 2018 Retrieved 12 March 2018 Indonesia trade agency proposes cargo use for A400M Archived from the original on 12 March 2018 Retrieved 12 March 2018 a b Indonesia Ministry of Defence orders two Airbus A400Ms Airbus www airbus com 17 November 2021 Retrieved 18 November 2021 Airbus Defence airbusdefence 12 December 2022 Live at AirbusTMB Update on the A400M for Indonesia the contract has formally entered into force We welcome Indonesia to the A400M family as the 10th operator www airbus com en Trade Media Briefing Tweet Retrieved 15 December 2022 via Twitter a b Hoyle Craig Madrid2022 12 14T11 30 00 00 00 Indonesia finalises order for A400M airlifters Flight Global Retrieved 15 December 2022 a b c d The Republic of Kazakhstan orders two Airbus A400Ms Airbus 1 September 2021 A400M price tag stays at RM600m each Malay Mail 13 November 2009 Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine South Africa signs for A400M transports Flight International 3 May 2005 Roberts Janice Airbus refunds A400M payments to Armscor Moneyweb 19 December 2011 Grevatt Jon South Korea confirms potential aircraft swap deal with Spain Jane s Archived from the original on 24 February 2019 Retrieved 24 February 2019 Hoyle Craig 18 December 2014 Germany receives first A400M airlifter FlightGlobal Retrieved 22 May 2020 Durchbruch im Streit uber A400M German Archived 28 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Sueddeutsche Zeitung Retrieved 27 October 2010 Airbus Military s initial A400M is delivered to the French Air Force airbus com 1 August 2013 Retrieved 22 May 2020 Spain receives its first A400M transport flightglobal com 17 November 2016 Archived from the original on 18 November 2016 Evaluacion de los Programas Especiales de Armamento PEAs in Spanish Archived 24 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Ministerio de Defensa Madrid Grupo Atenea September 2011 Avion de transporte A400M Archived 7 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine Ministerio de Defensa Retrieved 6 May 2018 the Royal Air Force has now received its 21st A400M Twitter retrieved 11 October 2022 UK s first A400M arrives at Brize Norton home flightglobal com Archived from the original on 2 July 2015 Retrieved 9 May 2015 UK approaches Airbus Military Thales for A400M training service Archived 22 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine flightglobal com August 2010 UK planning to purchase additional A400M transport aircraft UK Defence Journal 6 January 2022 Retrieved 7 January 2022 Airbus Defence and Space delivers A400M to Turkish Air Force airbus group com Archived from the original on 22 May 2014 Retrieved 22 May 2014 Turkey completes its A400M fleet with 10th delivery www defenceturkey com Retrieved 1 June 2021 Hoyle Craig Belgium s first Atlas caps A400M deliveries for year Flight Global 22 December 2020 a b Luxembourg Takes Delivery Of A400M Aviation Week Network aviationweek com Airbus Lieferung wird auf 2020 verschoben in German lessentiel lu 9 March 2018 Archived from the original on 12 March 2018 a b Fourth and Final A400M Delivered to Malaysia Airheads Fly 9 March 2017 Archived from the original on 10 March 2017 Alexander Harriet 9 May 2015 Video Military plane crashes during test flight near Seville Telegraph London Archived from the original on 24 June 2018 Teresa Lopez Pavon 9 May 2015 Cuatro muertos tras estrellarse un avion militar A 400M en pruebas junto al aeropuerto de Sevilla ELMUNDO in Spanish Archived from the original on 9 May 2015 Fatal A400M crash linked to data wipe mistake BBC News 10 June 2015 Archived from the original on 10 June 2015 Retrieved 10 June 2015 Airbus 15 May 2020 A400M Specifications Airbus Defence amp Space Archived from the original on 18 October 2015 Retrieved 13 May 2020 a b c d A400M Delivery to the point of need Airbus Retrieved 31 May 2020 Das Transportflugzeug Airbus A400M German Air Force Retrieved 11 January 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Airbus A400M Official website OCCAR A400M page Atlas shoulders the load Operation Ruman the operational debut of the RAF A400M Atlas in a major humanitarian airlift Royal Aeronautical Society January 2018 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Airbus A400M Atlas amp oldid 1152199621, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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