Malaysia’s first A400M Atlas has emerged from the paint shop at Airbus Defence & Space’s San Pablo site near Seville, Spain, ahead of its expected delivery before the end of the first quarter of this year.
Production aircraft MSN22 – the A400M programme’s 16th production example – is the first of four tactical transports on order for the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
“In the coming days the aircraft will perform its first ground tests and flights before delivery,” Airbus said on 22 January.
Airbus Defence & Space
A number of Malaysian pilots, maintenance engineers and technicians are now receiving instruction at Airbus’s International Training Centre at the San Pablo site, in preparation for the type’s transfer to the nation. It will follow France, Turkey, the UK and Germany in fielding the A400M.
Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database records Malaysia’s current tactical transport capability as comprising 10 Lockheed Martin C-130Hs and four KC-130H tankers.
For a detailed breakdown of Malaysia's military aircraft inventory, download our free World Air Forces directory.
Source: Flight International
