A400M 14-0028/MSN-028 Delivered to Turkish Air Force after Retrofit
The 4th A400M Aircraft, which was retrofitted as part of the A400M Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (Retrofit) Project at the 2nd HBFM to international quality standards and in record time, was delivered to the Turkish Air Forces Command (TurAF) on May 2, 2023, at a ceremony attended by Hulusi AKAR, Minister of National Defense.
In addition to Minister of National Defense AKAR, Chief of General Staff General Yaşar GÜLER, Commander of the Turkish Air Force General Atilla GÜLAN, Deputy Minister of National Defense Muhsin DERE, ASFAT CEO Esad AKGÜN, and Airbus Turkey President Simon WARD were also present at the delivery ceremony.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Minister AKAR noted that the Retrofit Agreement was signed in October 2019 and that as part of the agreement, three aircraft, for which the retrofit work had already been finished, were delivered to the Air Force Command. AKAR also added that the fourth aircraft was delivered to the Air Force Command during the ceremony. Minister AKAR referred to the A400M aircraft retrofit operations at Kayseri 2nd HBFM as "a source of pride," adding that "Our factory, which is the pride of our country and Kayseri, continues its activities successfully in the field of defense and aerospace with the experience of its history and makes great contributions to the defense industry and the national economy with its qualified personnel, facilities, and capabilities." Emphasizing that the factory has gained additional capabilities with the agreement signed with Airbus, one of the top aviation companies, Minister AKAR said, "Kayseri, a major industrial province in Türkiye, has made another significant step towards becoming a technology and production hub. We believe that in the near future, the retrofit operations of the aircraft of friendly and allied countries will also be carried out at our factory, thus significantly boosting the national economy." The speeches were followed by the signing of the minutes pertaining to the handover of the aircraft. Afterward, Minister AKAR examined the aircraft and received information from the officials.
A400M Aircraft Retrofit Project
Within the scope of the project, the retrofit work on the A400M Aircraft with the tail number 14-0028/MSN-028 were started on December 5, 2022, and completed on March 24, 2023, followed by ground tests on April 3, and flight tests on April 26. As part of the A400M Aircraft Retrofit Project, the retrofitting of the first aircraft, the A400M 13-009/MSN-009, started on December 7, 2020, and was completed on July 30, 2021. The second aircraft was delivered to the Turkish Air Force on April 7, 2022, and the third aircraft on October 27, 2022, following the completion of the retrofit work.
The retrofit work on A400M 13-009/MSN-009 were carried out in the hangar rented from the 12th Air Transportation Main Base Command, and from the second aircraft onwards, retrofitting started to be carried out in the new A400M Retrofit Hangar No. 6, which was built within the 2nd HBFM and commissioned with a ceremony held on July 8, 2022. The two-compartment new A400M Retrofit Hangar, which was built by ASFAT at the 2nd HBFM, is used for A400M C-Check Overhaul/FASBAT activities in one compartment and Retrofit operations in the other compartment. The total cost of the new two-compartment A400M Retrofit Hangar, the construction of which started in March 2020 and was completed in approximately 16 months by a team of 250 people working double shifts despite the pandemic, was announced as TRY 135 million.
From the first commissioning of the A400M aircraft to the capability upgrade program, the improvements made to the aircraft through user feedback and design changes are called retrofitting. As a consequence of the 2nd HBFM having completed all A400M aircraft maintenance requirements since 2017 quickly, affordably, and safely, negotiations were started for the A400M retrofit activities to be carried out in our country.
Accordingly, the 2nd HBFM, located on the campus of the 12th Air Transportation Main Base Command, was certified by Airbus Defence & Space (ADS) to offer C-Level Overhaul services for A400M aircraft after a year-long audit, and the certificate was presented at a ceremony held in February 2018. The A400M Aircraft Retrofit Project Agreement was signed between ADS and ASFAT A.Ş. at a ceremony held on October 3, 2019. The agreement paves the way for the 2nd HBFM to provide retrofit services for the A400M aircraft serving friendly and allied countries in the region in addition to those in the inventory of TurAF. The 2nd HBFM is currently the only maintenance center in the world that can perform retrofit operations on the A400M, aside from Airbus' two centers in Spain and one in Germany. With the acquisition of the retrofit capability by the 2nd HBFM, the maintenance activities of the factory have attained international standards, and significant added value has been provided to our country.
Through this project, the 2nd HBFM became an ADS-approved maintenance center, and its Quality Management System and maintenance practices were upgraded to EMAR-145 (European Military Airworthiness Requirements) level. Thanks to the A400M Retrofit operations carried out within the 2nd HBFM/Aircraft FASBAT Directorate; the treasury was able to save approximately EUR 1 million per aircraft.
Thanks to the retrofit activities, the 10 A400M Aircraft in TurAF inventory are being upgraded to the level of avionic hardware and software version of the most recent aircraft to be delivered under the A400M Program on a specific timeline. On the other hand, it is said that ADS is in talks with ASFAT/the 2nd HBFM about shifting part of its A400M retrofit activities there due to its more affordable and faster schedule.
Technical Features of the A400M Aircraft
Let's briefly go over some of the technical features of the A400M, which can carry 3 to 4 crew members. The aircraft has a 37-ton carrying capacity and can transport 116 fully equipped soldiers/paratroopers, 66 stretchers, and 25 medical personnel. Its length is 43.11 meters, wingspan is 42.36 meters, and height is 14.67 meters. The aircraft has an empty weight of 78 tons, a maximum take-off weight of 141 tons, and a maximum landing weight of 123 tons. The A400M can reach a range of 3,300 km with maximum payload, 4,500 km with 30 tons of payload, and 6,400 km with 20 tons of payload.
With the entry of the A400M aircraft into the TuraAF inventory, large quantities of heavy vehicles, supplies, and equipment that could not previously be carried on transport aircraft have started to be transported. The aircraft can carry two UH-1H /T129 ATAK/AH-1W SuperCobra or one Skorsky/Cougar-type helicopter, six Stinger batteries, six Land Rover-type vehicles, and two medium-sized trucks. The A400M aircraft can carry containers up to 40 ft high, which are also used on cargo vessels to carry materials that cannot be carried on other transport aircraft and are too tall to fit on standard pallet-loading height aircraft
