A total of nine aircraft have now been delivered and the aircraft is in service with four nations.
The Bundeswehr accepted the aircraft at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain on 18 December.
Bernhard Gerwert, CEO Airbus Defence and Space, said: “We are extremely proud to hand over the first A400M to Germany. The A400M will play a critical role in the modernisation of Germany’s air mobility force. The unique combination of strategic and tactical capabilities, allied to a level of reliability greater than that of the previous generation aircraft that it is replacing, will transform the German Air Force’s transport operations in the coming years.”
The A400M will replace the C-160 Transall.
The A400M is the most versatile airlifter currently available responding to the most varied needs of world Air Forces and other organisations in the 21st century. It can perform three very different types of duties: it is able to perform both tactical missions directly to the point of need and long range strategic/logistic ones. And it can also serve as an air-to-air refuelling “tanker”.
Powered by four unique counter-rotating Europrop International (EPI) TP400 turboprop powerplants, the A400M offers a wide flight envelope in terms of both speed and altitude. It is the ideal airlifter to fulfil the most varied requirements of any nation around the globe in terms of military, humanitarian and any other “civic” mission for the benefit of society.
The A400M was launched in 2003 to respond to the combined needs of seven European Nations regrouped within OCCAR (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Spain, Turkey and the UK), with Malaysia joining in 2005.
Photo: First German A400M during its maiden flight (Airbus DS)
