Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU) has confirmed plan to acquire the Airbus A400M transport plane....
Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU) has confirmed plan to acquire the Airbus A400M transport plane.
The Air Force will acquire two A400M transports to assist the Indonesian Trade Company (PPI) in the distribution of goods in Eastern Indonesia.
No further details about the acquisition was revealed.
The Airbus A400M is four turboprop powered strategic airlifter capable of carrying 37 tonnes of payload. The aircraft was developed as a part of a multi-national effort by France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
It is positioned 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.
TNI-AU currently operates a fleet of 21 Lockheed Martin C-130B/H (including four civilian L-100 Hercules), nine PTDI/CASA C-212 and 14 Airbus C-295.
The Air Force C-130 fleet has an average age of more than 40 years, and five have crashed since 2000s, including two deadly crashes.
