Spain became the sixth nation to operate the Airbus A400M airlifter with the delivery of its first aircraft MSN 44 to Spanish Air Force
Spain became the sixth nation to operate the Airbus A400M airlifter with the delivery of its first aircraft MSN 44 to Spanish Air Force
.The A400M has been produced in Spain from Airbus Defence and Space's A400M final assembly line (FAL) in Seville since 2007.
This is the first of 27 A400Ms the country has ordered to replace the ageing Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules airlifter fleet.
The A400M can carry about twice the load of C-130 over the same distance and can also serve as a tactical air-to-air tanker for other transport aircraft, including other A400Ms.
Uniquely it is able both to cruise at jet-like speeds and altitudes over intercontinental ranges due to its four extremely powerful engines Europrop TP-400 turboprops and advanced aerodynamic design, as well as to operate repeatedly from short and unprepared airstrips close to the scene of military action or humanitarian crisis.
Under an agreement signed in September, 14 aircraft will be delivered at a steady pace between now and 2022, and the remaining 13 are scheduled for delivery from 2025 onwards.
The Spanish A400M fleet will be based at Zaragoza in North East Spain.
Altogether more than 1600 employees from Airbus Defence and Space work in Spain for the A400m program, including 1100 working directly at the Seville FAL and nearby Tablada Factory.
To date eight nations have ordered 174 aircraft of which 34 have now been delivered.
