Malaysia's First Military Airbus On Track To Arrive In 2015

From Haslin Gaffor

SEVILLE (Spain), Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Airbus Military is on track to deliver Malaysia's first A400M aircraft in 2015, with all four ordered by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) scheduled to arrive by 2016, the company confirmed on Thursday.

Airbus Military Head of Media Relations Maggie Bergsma said the RMAF has been involved with the programme from the early stages and was fully participating with the Airbus Military team to prepare for the delivery and entry into service.

"As for all of our customers, the transition is a lap from older technologies to the ultimate technology of the A400M.

"Our A400M FISS (Full In Service Support) is designed to provide our customers with all services needed for the operation of the aircraft and we are already in discussion with Malaysia to ensure this is all set in place and in time for the delivery," Bergsma said.

The French Air Force was the first to receive the A400M, the world's most versatile military air lifter, designed to meet equipment needs of modern armed forces, in a ceremony held at the Airbus Military Delivery Centre, here, on Monday.

The A400M is able to perform missions that previously required two or more different types of aircraft, meeting the most varied needs of world air forces and other organisations in this century.

She said the entry in service of the A400M will mark a before and after in the way both military and humanitarian missions are approached.

"The versatility of the A400M allows one single aircraft doing the job for which previously up to three aircraft was needed. The A400M can deliver the contents of its bigger payload faster, further, and nearer to where it is needed than any other transport to be found in the market.

"The RMAF will not only have three aircraft in one with each A400M, it will have an aircraft that can do it better than these three ones. This is certainly a change. And it is a change for good," she said when asked how the new aircraft will complement the RMAF's existing fleet.

Asked about the company's cooperation with the Malaysian Government in developing the A400M, Bergsma said the Composite Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd (CTRM) was participating in the design and manufacture of some of the aircraft's secondary composite structural components.

"CTRM is now the sole source of those components, notably the complete vertical tail plane leading edge, the main landing gear doors, and many access panels on the wings and horizontal tail plane, and some nacelle fairings," she said.

The A400M was launched ten years ago to respond to the combined needs of seven European nations regrouped within the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR). The countries are Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The seven helped finance costs of the project, and Malaysia is the region's first export customer.

The A400M is able to perform both tactical missions directly to the point of need and long range strategic or logistic ones, and can also serve as an air-to-air refuelling "tanker."