Turkish Air Force Command`s A400M Fleet Completed
President of Defense Industries Prof. Dr. İsmail DEMİR announced on his social media accounts: "Our A400M Fleet has been completed! Within the scope of the A400M Project, in which we are involved in the design and production to meet the tactical transportation needs of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), our 10th and last aircraft produced for TurAF entered the inventory. Congratulations."
Under the Agreement signed between OCCAR and AMSL Company on behalf of the Consortium consisting of Germany (53), Belgium-Lux (8), France (50), United Kingdom (22), Spain (27), and Turkey (10) for the A400M Transport Aircraft Project, a total of 103 aircraft have been delivered to date.
Additionally, a total of 4 aircraft were ordered by the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the first non-consortium user of the A400M, and aircraft deliveries within this scope were also completed. Under the contract signed in 2021, Kazakhstan also ordered two aircraft as the ninth user country of the A400M aircraft.
The A400M Aircraft Final Assembly Line was opened in August 2007. The ceremony of handing over the A400M Aircraft from the final assembly line to the flight line was held on June 26, 2008, in Spain. The first flight of the A400M Aircraft was carried out on December 11, 2009.
The Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) is the executive of the project on behalf of Turkey. Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ), together with the aviation industries of the participating countries (Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain), undertakes the responsibility for the design and production of the aircraft in proportion to the number of aircraft purchased by the countries. TUSAŞ has a share in the production of structural components and systems. In addition to the main structural components of the A400M Aircraft, such as the Front Mid-Frame, Rear Fuselage Upper Section, Paratrooper Doors, Emergency Exit Gate, Rear Upper Escape Cover and Tail Cone, and the Aileron and Spoilers, which are among the most critical flight control surfaces, are designed and produced by TUSAŞ engineers and technicians.
The A400M aircraft uses the TP400 engine, a turboprop engine designed by the Euro Prop International (EPI) consortium (Rolls-Royce, MTU, Snecma, and ITP), a subcontractor of AMSL. Among the sub-contractors of EPI on the engine, TUSAŞ Engine Industries, Inc. (TEI) is also included.
MSN009, the first aircraft delivered to Turkey within the scope of the A400M Transport Aircraft Project, was entered the TurAF inventory in 2014. As a result of the test activities carried out at Airbus's Sevilla/Spain facilities, Turkey became the first country in the Consortium to complete the 'A400M Fleet', with the tenth and last aircraft, MSN 118, accepted on March 29, 2022.
The tenth aircraft, MSN 118, is the first aircraft to be delivered at the new configuration level under the project, and it has higher capabilities than the other aircraft previously entered the inventory. Retrofit activities for the final configuration of TurAF A400M aircraft, which were previously delivered under the contract, are carried out at the Retrofit Center established in Kayseri. In this context, retrofitting of the 2 aircraft has been successfully completed so far.
The tenth Aircraft, which will strengthen the Turkish Air Force and make significant contributions to the defense of our country, was brought to Turkey by the Air Force flight crew on March 30, 2022, after the completion of the acceptance test activities and deployed to the 12th Air Transport Main Base Command in Kayseri/Erkilet.
