The French air force has performed the first operational flight
using an A400M tactical transport, employing the type to
deliver 22t of supplies in support of the nation’s Operation
Serval activity in Mali.
using an A400M tactical transport, employing the type to
deliver 22t of supplies in support of the nation’s Operation
Serval activity in Mali.
Performed from Orléans air base on 29 December 2013, with
the service’s second of an eventual 50 A400Ms, the 6h
40min sortie also involved taking French defence minister
Jean-Yves Le Drian to the African state, as part of a tour also
involving him visiting Chad and Niger.
the service’s second of an eventual 50 A400Ms, the 6h
40min sortie also involved taking French defence minister
Jean-Yves Le Drian to the African state, as part of a tour also
involving him visiting Chad and Niger.
Rex Features
France, which accepted its first A400M on 2 August 2013,
conducted the task using its second example, MSN8/F-RBAB.
“We carefully planned the flight, in order to overcome
all eventualities,” says the mission’s commander, identified by
the air force as Lt Col Creuset. This work included using a
newly-installed full mission simulator at Orléans to rehearse the
deployment.
conducted the task using its second example, MSN8/F-RBAB.
“We carefully planned the flight, in order to overcome
all eventualities,” says the mission’s commander, identified by
the air force as Lt Col Creuset. This work included using a
newly-installed full mission simulator at Orléans to rehearse the
deployment.
The A400M’s maximum usable payload capacity of 32t is double
that of the Dassault-Breguet C160 Transalls which France’s fleet
will replace. Speaking last month at SMi’s Military Airlift
conference inSeville, Spain, the French air force’s joint force
component commander for the Serval campaign said the new
aircraft would have made a significant difference during the
early days of the mission, which was launched in January 2013.
that of the Dassault-Breguet C160 Transalls which France’s fleet
will replace. Speaking last month at SMi’s Military Airlift
conference inSeville, Spain, the French air force’s joint force
component commander for the Serval campaign said the new
aircraft would have made a significant difference during the
early days of the mission, which was launched in January 2013.
One mission, to drop French army paratroops near Timbuktu,
was performed using six Transalls operating from Abidjan, Côte
d'Ivoire. The same task could have been completed using only
two A400Ms, flying unrefuelled from and returning to
Orléans, said Brig Gen Philippe Montocchio. Parisexpects its new
airlifter to achieve full operational capability later this year.
was performed using six Transalls operating from Abidjan, Côte
d'Ivoire. The same task could have been completed using only
two A400Ms, flying unrefuelled from and returning to
Orléans, said Brig Gen Philippe Montocchio. Parisexpects its new
airlifter to achieve full operational capability later this year.
Airbus Defence & Space’s then-Airbus Military unit delivered
only two of its expected four A400Ms in 2013. Turkey has been in
protracted talks about accepting its first of 10 examples since late
in the third quarter, while France requested that its third “Atlas”
- recently flown for the first time - be held back until early 2014.
The airframes are likely to be added to a previous plan to deliver
10 of the aircraft this year, including the first on order for Germany
and the UK.
only two of its expected four A400Ms in 2013. Turkey has been in
protracted talks about accepting its first of 10 examples since late
in the third quarter, while France requested that its third “Atlas”
- recently flown for the first time - be held back until early 2014.
The airframes are likely to be added to a previous plan to deliver
10 of the aircraft this year, including the first on order for Germany
and the UK.
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