Airbus has delivered the 24th A400M Atlas military transport aircraft to the French Air and Space Force at Orléans Air Base.
The handover is part of an ongoing program signed in 2010 to supply up to 50 Atlas planes for the service.
Paris wrote that the fleet was ordered to extend the military’s “strategic range” across local and international theaters.
The aircraft leverages advanced airdrop capability to support mixed logistics approaches, enabling successive or simultaneous drops of equipment and paratroopers.
Additionally, the systems can deploy and land in areas with poor visibility or under extreme weather conditions.
Delivery, Maintenance Continue
France expects to receive approximately 35 A400Ms by the end of the decade, as underscored by the government’s 2024-2030 Military Programming Act.
Work for the sustainment of the initial French Atlas systems is also underway, generating over 10,000 direct jobs in Europe and 2,400 in France, as well as support for over 80 local companies.
The long-term retrofitting project was signed in 2016 and reaffirmed in 2019 in partnership with the EU’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation.
Airbus A400M Atlas
The A400M Atlas is a 45.1-meter (148-foot) long plane with a wingspan of 42.4 meters (139.1 feet).
The aircraft is operated by up to three pilots and a loadmaster. It has a maximum payload capacity of 37,000 kilograms (81,600 pounds) and accommodation for more than 100 equipped personnel.
The Atlas is powered by four 11,000 horsepower Europrop engines for a top speed of 889 kilometers (552 miles) per hour, a range of 6,400 kilometers (3,450 miles), and a service ceiling of 12,200 meters (40,000 feet).