SHAH ALAM: Luxembourg takes delivery of its Airbus A400M airlifter on October 7. The aircraft will be jointly operated by Luxembourg and Belgium as part of a binational unit, says Airbus. The release below.
The Luxembourg Armed Forces have taken delivery of its Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, which was accepted at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville (Spain) and has performed a ferry flight. It will make a first stop in Luxembourg before continuing its journey to the 15th Wing Air Transport in Melsbroek (Belgium), where the joint airlift unit between Belgium and Luxembourg will be based. With this delivery, Luxembourg becomes the seventh A400M operator.
The aircraft, known as MSN104, will be operated by the Luxembourg Armed Forces and Belgium within a binational unit, together with the seven A400M ordered by Belgium, which is due to receive its first aircraft in the coming weeks.
Alberto Gutierrez, Head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “I welcome Luxembourg to the growing A400M user community. With 94 aircraft in service, the A400M is increasingly becoming the air mobility backbone of our customers, both in civil and military environments, as seen in recent COVID-19 crisis missions around the globe.”
The A400M recently achieved additional capabilities such as simultaneous paratrooper dispatch for a maximum of 116 paratroopers using the side doors, automatic low level flight in visual meteorological conditions (the only military transport aircraft with this capability), and aerial delivery and combat off-load that allows a single 16-tonne load to be dropped automatically via parachute extraction.
In addition, 25 tonnes can be gravity dropped and the manual combat offload of up to 19 tonnes on pallets (one pass) or 25 tonnes (two passes) on an unpaved runway is possible, which is unprecedented. With regards to helicopter air-to-air refuelling operations, the A400M recently achieved the first successful wet contacts with a H225M helicopter.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (38)
Is our A400Ms now 'complete' or are there more pending updates from Airbus in the pipeline?
Reply
Whenever there is an update on the A400M Airbus will be glad to put it on our aircraft, ASAP, its simply good marketing. Will they announce each and every update? Unlikely unless its something that can be easily publicised for example AAR on helicopters. That will need new AAR refueling pods and even the installation of the proper equipment on RMAF Cougars which is fitted for but not equipped with the refueling probe. It's not a priority for RMAF, really so I don't think we can expect such things soon.
I see. I'm just wondering if our A400M are still missing anything from the spec that we bought, ie the refueling probe which we got the update after receiving the planes.
Reply
The refueling probe has always been fitted from the start
"always been fitted from the start"
Ahh sorry I might be mistaken on what 'missing' but I was referring to this:
"ability to refuel other aircraft and receiving fuel in flight"
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/first-a400m-in-seville-for-upgrading/
Just wonder if there are anymore upgrades we yet to receive from Airbus.
Any plans to replace the C-130 with these? I feel it's redundant to have 2 planes doing more or less the same roles...
Reply
For the moment none, as for the future who knows
@ ASM
" Any plans to replace the C-130 with these? "
We don't have the budget to totally replace our C-130H with A400M. But in the near future, IMO we should at least try to get 2 more A400M to increase our fleet to 6. For now countries like Spain, Germany and UK are trying to offload their A400M commitments, as they think their order is more than what they currently need. We could offer to buy their current A400Ms at cheaper than brand new prices so that they can take in their future A400M buying commitments.
IMO we are at least 20 years away from the need to really replace our C-130s. So what can replace them then, I have no idea now what would be the need at that time.
OOT
Any updates on the LG1 arty? Supposedly all 18 should be delivered to TDM by this year.
Off topic
Still no news of the MD530G?
Anyway some news on the Eurocopter Tiger replacement in Australia
http://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/resurgent-tiger-fights-for-survival-in-australian-arh-competition/140432.article
Looks highly likely that Australia will be retiring their Tigers starting 2026. Will PUTD getting them around 2030 a good idea or a waste of money? It does have a unique engine that is not used by anyone, and reportedly high maintenance costs. I would say just skip them. But I still hope we could have a look at the just retired Australian Army S-70A9 Blackhawks.
If the Kuwait gov if feel hesitated to let go his Hornet perhaps The Finnish Hornet will do.....
Finish FA 18 is the best solution. What is RMAF doing?
Finnish hornets?
If you can wait to 2030
http://www.defmin.fi/en/administrative_branch/strategic_capability_projects/hx_fighter_program/hx_fighter_program