Angola Receives First of Three Airbus C295 Aircraft

The Republic of Angola has taken delivery of the first of three Airbus C295 military transport aircraft, marking a significant step in the modernization of its air force. The aircraft, delivered on July 30th in Seville, where the C295 is assembled, makes the Força Aerea Nacional Angolana (National Air Force of Angola-FANA) the 38th operator of this versatile aircraft worldwide.

This delivery is part of an order placed by Angola in April 2022 for three C295s. Two of these aircraft will be configured for maritime surveillance (MSA) missions, while the third will focus on transport duties. The transport-configured C295 will be used for tactical airlift missions, including cargo and troop transport, paratrooper drops, and humanitarian operations. Its ability to operate on unpaved runways is especially valuable in the challenging African terrain, enhancing Angola’s logistical and emergency response capabilities.

The two C295s configured for maritime surveillance will play a critical role in search and rescue (SAR) operations, monitoring illegal fishing activities, border control, disaster relief, and intelligence gathering. These aircraft will be equipped with Airbus’s Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) and advanced sensors, ensuring they meet the demanding requirements of their missions.

All three aircraft will feature the latest version of the Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics suite, which provides enhanced mission integration and effectiveness. The C295 is known for its versatility, with a capacity to carry up to nine tons of cargo or 71 passengers, making it a leader in its class.

This acquisition represents a shift from Angola’s reliance on older Soviet-era aircraft to modern, Western-manufactured models, which are not only technologically superior but also more reliable and cost-effective to maintain. The transition from Antonov aircraft to Airbus models reflects Angola’s strategic move to diversify its military suppliers, reducing dependency on Russian equipment.

The arrival of the first C295 is a decisive step for Angola in strengthening both national and regional security. It also positions the country to better handle humanitarian crises and natural disasters. This modernization effort is expected to have a positive impact beyond Angola’s borders, contributing to greater stability across the region.

As Angola continues to modernize its air force, the relationship with Western defense manufacturers, particularly Airbus, is likely to deepen, paving the way for further advancements in the nation's military capabilities.

New IFF identification system in land-based systems for Spanish Army. New hangar for A400M Maintenance in Seville

The Spanish Council of Ministers has given the green light to the signing of two pivotal contracts aimed at strengthening the country's air defense and maintenance capabilities.

The first contract focuses on the implementation of the IFF 5/S identification system in land-based systems. The primary objective of this project is to enhance the capabilities of the currently deployed identification systems and reinforce the country's anti-aircraft defense. This will result in more reliable and secure air identification, facilitating greater interoperability with allied forces and ensuring Spain meets the capacity objectives set by NATO. The estimated value of this contract amounts to a significant 56,562,000.00 euros.

The second authorized contract is centered around the construction of a hangar designed for the A400M aircraft, along with the provision of all the necessary equipment for conducting maintenance work at the Air Arsenal in Sevilla. 

The maintenance of these aircraft is crucial to ensure their operational readiness and efficiency, requiring appropriate infrastructure. This contract is valued at 24,000,000.00 euros.

These decisions underscore the government's commitment to the security and defense of the country, as well as the proper preservation of its vital aerial resources.

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Spain is set to dispatch an additional six medium-range Hawk launchers to Ukraine.

Luxembourg Armed Forces A400M makes its maiden flight

The Airbus A400M ordered by the Luxembourg Armed Forces has made its maiden flight, marking a key milestone towards its delivery. The aircraft, known as MSN104, took off from Seville (Spain, at 16:08 local time (CET) and landed back on site 5 hours later.
The Luxembourg aircraft will be operated by the armed forces of Belgium and Luxembourg within a binational unit based in Belgium. MSN104 is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2020.

Spain receives first Airbus A400M transport

Airbus Defense and Space has delivered the first of 27 Spanish-made A400M airlifters to the Spanish air force.
The aircraft was delivered during a brief ceremony at the A400M final assembly line in Seville, Spain.
With the handover Spain became the sixth country to have received the A400M.
It will replace the Spanish Air Force's aging C-130 cargo aircraft type. It can also be used as a tactical air-to-air tanker.
Airbus is to deliver 14 aircraft to Spain by 2022. The remaining aircraft are slated for delivery from 2025.
upi

Malaysia Takes Delivery of its Third A400M

RMAF took official delivery of its third A400M airlifter at the Airbus Defence and Space facility in Seville.
It is yet to be determined when the A400M will fly to Subang airbase, the home of 22nd Skn, but based on previous two A400Ms, it is likely that the aircraft will make it home by July.
The 03 was supposed to be delivered in April but was delayed after engine and air-frame problems were in discovered in German and French A400ms.
RMAF had never officially confirmed whether its A400Ms were also affected by the problems but the first aircraft was seen in its hangar in early March with its engine panels opened.
The 22nd Skn currently operates two A400Ms, the first arrived in March, 2015 while the second in late December. The fourth and final aircraft is expected to be delivered by year end.
It is expected with the fourth A400M delivered, 22 Skn will ramped up its operational use of the air-lifters. Although the squadron had conducted test loading of Army vehicles, mostly 4X4s trucks, it had yet to conduct flights carrying them.
Currently, the two A400Ms of the 22 Skn mostly carry personnel and their belongings. The longest known trip so far is to Korat airbase in Thailand, in support of the Air-Thamal 2016, the annual exercise between RMAF and the Thai Air Force.
defense-studies

Equatorial Guinea orders two C295

Equatorial Guinea has acquired a pair of Airbus Defence & Space C295s, one for troop transport and the other for maritime surveillance.
The first example is expected to be delivered in September, the cargo variant. Delivery of the maritime surveillance aircraft is anticipated in 2017.
The C295s will bolster the nation's relatively modest military fleet, which includes an Antonov An-72 transport, four Sukhoi Su-25 combat aircraft and two Aero Vodochody L-39 jet trainers, plus a number of Russian-built rotorcraft.
flightglobal

Germany receives second A400M airlifter

Germany has received into service its second Airbus Defence and Space A400M Atlas transport aircraft, the company announced on 2 December.
The aircraft was handed over to the German Air Force during a ceremony at the final assembly line in Seville, Spain, just less than a year after the first aircraft was delivered on 18 December 2014.
Germany is set to receive 53 A400M aircraft to replace the ageing Transall C-160.
The original requirement for 73 aircraft was reduced in 2011 to 53, and may yet be reduced further to 40.
janes

Spain and Airbus Agree Temporary Reduction In A400M Acquisition

The Spanish air force has agreed with Airbus Defence & Space to acquire an initially reduced fleet of 14 A400M tactical transports until a funding solution can be found for the remaining 13 of the type Madrid has committed to buy.
14 A400Ms will be delivered to Spain by 2022 after which a decision will have to be made on how to proceed with the remainder of the acquisition – postponed until 2024.
The air force is struggling to fund the full acquisition and is in discussions with Airbus regarding its plans. Spain is contractually obliged to proceed with the full fleet, and a decision to reduce the buy or sell the remaining 13 aircraft to other customers would have to be agreed by the manufacturer and the Spanish government.
Despite this, Airbus says it “greatly welcomes” Spain’s decision to restructure the delivery schedule.
The first aircraft destined for Spain is due to be delivered in 2016, with its wings having arrived at the final assembly line in Seville in October, and under the new plans nine roll-on mission kits for the type will be provided that can be used on any of its 14 examples. That will include a defensive aids suite, satellite communications and in-flight refuelling pods.
Spain has also reafirmed plans to acquire three Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transports. A contract for these had been expected during 2015, but this is likely to be pushed back to next year, due to a general election in the nation on 20 December.
Meanwhile, a multi-mission capability for the Airbus C295s the Spanish air force already operates is being discussed by the air force and manufacturer. This could include maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, plus the ability to support special operations forces.
Spain operates a fleet of 13 C295s that are between seven and 14 years old. These could be reconfigured, or new examples acquired for the multi-mission role.
defense-aerospace

Egypt interested in A400M

The board of directors of Airbus Group met last week at the plant in San Pablo in Seville and the visit of the leadership of the company has transcended information of great significance for the future of its main program in Spain and Andalusia, the the A400M military transport plane. Executive vice president of operations Defense & Space Airbus, the subsidiary that groups all Airbus military affairs, told the staff St. Paul in a speech that Egypt has asked the company to have the A400M as soon as possible.
Has not disclosed the number of units that the African country has requested, but what matters is that would be the first state seeking to buy these aircraft since the program was launched by the customer nations (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Turkey, Belgium and Malaysia, which joined in 2005). And even more relevant because last May 9 one of the planes that was by testing before delivery to the Turkish army fell shortly after takeoff in Seville. The accident is therefore not taking effect on the export potential of the device.
Egypt is the first customer of another Airbus military aircraft that is assembled in Seville, the C295, which runs 24 aircraft, the largest fleet in the world defence.pk

Malaysia To Receive Second A400M in December

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief said the second A400M will be received in early December.
This is the second of four aircraft bought in December 2005. The first was received on March 9.
bernama

A400M deliveries continue, as UK receives third airlifter

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has received into service the third of 22 A400M Atlas transport aircraft, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 6 July.
The airlifter arrived at its homebase at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, having completed pre-delivery trials at the Seville final assembly line in Spain, where it had been held up for some weeks following the fatal crash on 9 May of an aircraft destined for Turkey. There are currently three further aircraft at Seville, which are due to be flown to the United Kingdom in the coming days and weeks.
It is anticipated that the RAF will have received its first seven aircraft by the end of September, at which point the service will declare initial operating capability (IOC) for the type. All 22 aircraft are scheduled to be in service by 2022, to coincide with the retirement of the planned Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules.
janes

UK to begin testing national A400M capabilities shortly

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is to begin safety testing of a number of country-specific capabilities for its A400M Atlas transport aircraft at the end of July, the government disclosed on 2 July.
Several dedicated national capabilities, such as UK parachutes and aerial delivery systems, that need to be cleared from a safety perspective will undergo testing at the end of July and continue through until March 2018, to clear their release to service.
The RAF is to roll out its A400M capabilities in a series of tranches, with Tranche 1 comprising basic strategic airlift (2015); Tranche 2 involving non-permissive operations and inter-theatre operations (from 2016), as well as deployable intra-theatre capability (from 2017); Tranche 3 will involve tactical transport, including airdrops (from late 2017); and Tranche 4 involving advanced capabilities and full support to the Airborne Assault Task Force (from 2018 to 2022).
The UK has so far received two of its 22 aircraft, with a further four undergoing pre-delivery trials at the company's final assembly line (FAL) in Seville, Spain. Initial operating capability (IOC) was due to be declared in March, but delays to initial deliveries had pushed this date back to September.
The RAF's 206 Squadron is currently testing the first A400Ms to arrive at RAF Brize Norton, with crews to be trained by 24 Squadron. Once trained, these personnel will be assigned to the first operational A400M unit: 70 Squadron. A second operational unit is due to be stood up in 2018.
Deliveries of all 22 A400M aircraft to the RAF are set to conclude in 2022, to coincide with the retirement of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules.
janes

Airbus resumes A400M deliveries

Airbus DS has resumed deliveries of the A400M following the lifting of a grounding order that had been in place since the fatal crash of aircraft MSN023 in May.
The first production-standard aircraft to leave the Seville final assembly line, since the grounding was enacted by the Spanish authorities on 9 May, was delivered to the French Air Force on the same day that the suspension of flight was lifted on 19 June. This aircraft, MSN019, is the seventh to be delivered to France and the 13th to be delivered in all.
Airbus DS has not released a timeline for further deliveries, but the assembly line has also completed the build of four aircraft for the United Kingdom. These will now undergo pre-delivery checks and trials before being flown to Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
With the Spanish Directorate General of Armament and Material grounding now lifted, the entire fleet of three company-owned testbeds, four production-standard platforms, and 13 operational aircraft is cleared to fly. Of those customers that have already received aircraft, France maintained the flying status of its aircraft throughout, while Germany, Malaysia, Turkey, and the UK temporarily suspended flights of their aircraft. The UK has now resumed flying.
The Spanish authorities that are leading the investigation into the fatal crash of MSN023 have yet to officially comment, but Airbus DS has issued two notices to operators based on its own analysis. These notices are related to the A400M's four EuroProp International TP400-D6 engines, three of which malfunctioned on the ill-fated flight that claimed the lives of four of the six crew members.
janes

Airbus Still Waiting For Spain A400M Test Flights To Resume

Airbus is still waiting for Spain to give the green light to resume test flights of the A400M.
The Spanish defense ministry had on Thursday announced that some restrictions would be lifted.
An Airbus spokesman said planes that have recently rolled off the assembly line in the southern Spanish city of Seville would remain grounded and will not undergo the test flights, explaining that the misunderstanding arose from a misinterpretation of the ministry statement.
Flights are understood to resume in the coming days.
Airbus hopes to deliver 13 of 17 A400Ms this year if it obtained the green light to resume the test flights.
defensenews

Airbus hopes to resume A400M pre-delivery test flights soon

Airbus hopes to be able to restart production test flights of its A400M military aircraft soon, paving the way for a rapid resumption of deliveries that were halted following a recent crash, the company said on Sunday.
Its chief executive simultaneously moved to allay Spanish concerns about its workers carrying the blame for the accident, which has been linked in part to a software installation error.
A senior Airbus executive was quoted last month as blaming the crash on poor quality controls in Seville where the A400M is completed. The remarks ruffled feathers in Spain, where an investigation is continuing into the causes of the crash.
Airbus Group Chief Executive Tom Enders sought on Sunday to smooth the concerns.
businessinsider

A400M black box sent to U.S. to seek crash clues after problems in reading the data

May 18 Spanish officials investigating the fatal crash of an A400M military plane have sent at least one of its 'black box' flight recorders to the United States after problems in reading the data.
The Airbus Group troop and cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff outside Seville on May 9.
Voice and data recorders were quickly retrieved and sent to France to be analysed, but compatibility problems hindered the process off downloading data.
At least one of the boxes has been sent to Florida to be analysed using specialist equipment at the manufacturer, L3 Communications.
The Spanish defence ministry, which is leading the investigation, has declined all comment on the probe.
The crash prompted four nations to ground the plane and France to limit its use to essential operations.
Spain also withdrew permission for flight tests, effectively halting deliveries.
Airbus has delivered two A400Ms this year and had planned on building and delivering a further 12.
For now, production at the Seville assembly plant is unaffected by the halt in deliveries, the spokesman said.
reuters

Airbus Holds First A400M Test Flight Since Crash

Airbus on Tuesday carried out the first test flight of a new A400M since one of the military transport planes crashed in Spain over the weekend, killing four people.
In a sign of the company's confidence in the plane, the boss of Airbus Military Fernando Alonso was onboard the test flight, which took off from the company's Toulouse, France headquarters bound for Seville.
The A400M behaved normally, all scheduled tests were carried out.
The huge transport plane landed at Seville airport at 4:35 p.m (1435 GMT) after doing a loop above the runway.
The A400M that crashed in a field and burst into flames just north of Seville's airport was several minutes into a test flight, and due to be delivered to Turkey in July.
Earlier Tuesday, Spain became the fifth country to ground its A400Ms awaiting for the causes of the accident to become clearer, following similar decisions by Britain, Germany, Turkey and Malaysia.
France, which has six of the planes in active operation, said it would only carry out the most pressing flights until more facts emerge on why the plane went down.
Spanish authorities on Sunday located the two cockpit recorders and handed them over to the judge investigating the cause of the accident.

The plane experienced multiple engine failure, according to a report in German newsweekly Der Spiegel, which cited comments from one of the crash survivors.
A total of 174 A400M planes have been ordered by eight nations, which are seeking to replace their ageing Hercules fleets.
About 20 of the planes are currently on the assembly line in different stages of production.
There are a total of 12 A400M planes currently in service — in addition to the six operated by France, Britain and Turkey have two each and Malaysia and Germany both have one.
defensenews

Germany and United Kingdom ground A400M after Spain crash

Germany has grounded its A400M military transport aircraft after a similar plane crashed in Spain during a test flight on Saturday, the defense ministry said.
The move echoes a decision taken by Britain's Royal Air Force after the crash, in which four people died.
There was no immediate word from France, Malaysia and Turkey, which also operate the aircraft.
Germany took delivery of its first and so far only A400M, with a delay of four years, shortly before the end of 2014.
The country has ordered 53 in total, but intends to sell 13 so that its armed forces will ultimately keep only 40.
Airbus said in April Germany would receive another two to four planes this year after new schedule delays. It plans to deliver 14-18 A400Ms in total this year.
reuters

A400M Crash in Seville, 10 Killed

#Noticias Un avión militar de carga A400M se estrella en Sevilla al despegar http://t.co/ta1NrfLieC

— Maria Garcia Marti (@mariademadrid) Mayo 9, 2015

An A400M military cargo plane has crashed in Seville on Saturday on takeoff. The Aircrat, whose final assembly is done in the Airbus Military plant in Seviile. On the plane, which had not yet been delivered to your buyer and remained the property of the European manufacturer, they were among "eight to 10" people, all killed in the crash.
The Aircraft has crashed about a mile north of the San Pablo Airport in Seville.
elpais

Airbus doubles A400M production rate to claw back delivery delays

Airbus Defence and Space recently doubled the production rate of its A400M Atlas airlifter as it looks to make good on delayed deliveries.
Production at the assembly line in Seville, Spain, has now been raised from 1.25 to 2.5 aircraft per month in an attempt to address the backlog in deliveries that has built up as a result of what the company calls 'supplier problems'.
Airbus DS had planned to accelerate production to 2.5 aircraft per month at the end of 2015, but its decision to bring this forward by eight months follows on the back of failed delivery targets in 2013 and 2014. To date, only 11 of the 174 aircraft currently on order with eight nations have been delivered.
Recovering the A400M' is one of the company's eight core goals for 2015, as well as a reshuffle of the programme's top management.
With those aircraft delivered to date having been configured for a basic transportation role, Airbus DS plans to begin rolling out additional tactical capabilities leading to the release of the Full Common Standard Aircraft in 2018.
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