Turkish defence contractor upgrades A400M aircraft for national army PHOTO

On June 12, Turkish state-owned defence contractor ASFAT kicked off the modernisation processes for the fifth A400M transport aircraft.

The statement came from Defense Turk on Twitter, according to Caliber.Az.

As part of the A400M modernisation project, the aircraft is being upgraded for the first time outside of the main modernisation facilities in Spain, at the 2nd Air Maintenance Plant Directorate located in the Turkish Kayseri region.

The project addresses the technical re-equipment procedure for four more A400M transport aircraft at this facility.

The Airbus A400M Atlas is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical air carrier with strategic capabilities to replace older transport aircraft, such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The A400M is sized between the C-130 and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III; it can carry heavier loads than the C-130 and can use rough landing strips. In addition to its transport capabilities, the A400M can perform aerial refuelling and medical evacuation when fitted with appropriate equipment.

The A400M's maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11 December 2009 from Seville Airport, Spain. Between 2009 and 2010, the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development programme delays and cost overruns; however, the customer nations chose to maintain their support for the project. A total of 174 A400M aircraft had been ordered by eight nations by July 2011. In March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013.

Türkiye joined the A400M New Generation Transport Aircraft program launched as a multi-national program with the participation of countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, the UK, Spain and Luxembourg in 1988. The Program Board Decision regulating the affairs between the participant countries and project management was signed and entered into force on 22 May 2003 by the representatives of the participant countries. The A400M Agreement has signed between OCCAR on behalf of the participant countries and the main contractor AMSL (Airbus Military Consortium) on 27 May 2003 in Bonn. Türkiye announced a purchase of 10 A400M transport aircraft for the Air Forces Command, according to the agreement text on which the participant countries reached a settlement. Malaysia joined the program in 2005 and the total number of aircraft orders reached to 174. A400M’s Roll-Out was accomplished in the summer of 2008 and the maiden flight took place in September 2009 due a year from the intended date. Several issues emerged during those years. In 2009-2010, 6 countries came together and revised the contract, determined a new schedule and went to several changes in the technical specifications.

These studies revitalized the project and the first A400M aircraft was delivered to French Air Forces at the end of September 2013. The second aircraft was intended to be delivered to Türkiye in November 2013 within the scope of the program but as a result of the conflict between two parties on technical specifications and financial issues, the delivery took place in April 2014 to the Turkish Air Forces after a five-month-delay. The second aircraft is planned to be delivered in 2014 following the delivery of the first aircraft according to the project schedule. The second new generation transport aircraft to be delivered to Türkiye is reportedly being manufactured at the Military Aircrafts Final Assembly Center of Airbus Group in Sevilla, Spain. In parallel with the aircraft deliveries, personnel and technician training have been accomplished as well. 4 teams composed of 8 pilots completed their pilot training up to date. Moreover, in order to provide maintenance services at the 12th Military Airbase Command in Kayseri, 60 maintenance technicians and 8 loading personnel went through various pieces of training.