The Republic of Kazakhstan has taken delivery of its first out of two A400M military transport aircraft from Airbus in a handover ceremony held in Almaty.
This follows Astana’s order placed in September 2021, with the aircraft poised to “become the cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s tactical and strategic airlifting operations,” according to Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn.
The second aircraft is already in production and anticipated for delivery in 2026. Aside from supplying the A400Ms, the European aeronautics company will also provide the full suite of maintenance and training support.
A400M
The A400M was designed to carry and deliver large and heavy payloads on short and unpaved airstrips, made possible by its four-engine turboprop with foreign object damage protection and a 12-wheel main landing gear.
It can carry a maximum payload of 37 tons (81,600 pounds) and conduct aerial deliveries from 150 feet (46 meters) to 40,000 feet (12,192 meters), dropping cargo weighing up to 25 tons (22,680 kilograms) or up to 116 paratroops.
Additionally, the transport aircraft flies at a top speed of Mach 0.72 with low detectability features, damage-tolerant controls, an armored cockpit, bullet-resistant windscreens, and inert gas for enhanced safety.
With the first A400M integrating into the Central Asian country’s fleet, Kazakhstan joins eight other operators including the UK, France, and Germany, who recently approved a modernization initiative to align its fleet with NATO requirements.