Belgian Air Force receives final A400M Atlas transport aircraft.

Belgium has welcomed its final A400M, bringing the total number of aircraft in the Belgian-Luxembourg unit to eight, with seven for Belgium and one for Luxembourg. The delivery of this fleet, which began in October 2020, was completed in January 2024 after some delays.
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Airbus A400M Atlas of the Belgian Air Force (Belgian Air Component) taxiing during the 15th Wing's open doors in Melsbroek air base on May 27, 2023 (Picture source: Alain Henry de Frahan)

The Belgian Air Component received the last A400M last week, as reported by the Belga news agency. The aircraft was immediately deployed for its first mission the following weekend. An official ceremony is planned for the end of February. The Belgian-Luxembourg unit now counts eight aircraft, seven for Belgium and one for Luxembourg. The deliveries stretched from October 2020 to January 2024. The first aircraft arrived a year late. The seventh plane was delivered in May 2022. The fleet reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in the autumn of 2021 and Limited Operational Capability (LOC) in the spring of 2022. Full Operational Capability (FOC) is expected by the end of this year or the beginning of 2025.

The arrival of the A400Ms necessitated significant work at BruMil airport, starting with a new maintenance hangar in 2021 and a flight simulator building in 2023. The second phase involves the complete renovation of the Melsbroek base, including a new aircraft platform (APRON) to facilitate operations around and on board the aircraft, an administrative building for the military airport services, a passenger and cargo terminal, the integration of dining facilities for staff, and the modernization of the sewage system. The Design, Build, and Maintain (DBM) contract was launched in November 2020, with completion expected early this year. Construction work is scheduled from 2025 to 2029.

Launched in May 2003 to meet the needs of seven European nations grouped within OCCAR, and later joined by Malaysia, the A400M is a collaborative European effort. Its assembly takes place in Spain, with its wings, largely made of composite materials, manufactured in the UK, and the fuselage built in Germany. The aircraft performed its inaugural flight on December 11, 2009, and was first delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013.

The A400M is distinguished by its large cargo hold, capable of transporting military and humanitarian equipment such as heavy helicopters, infantry fighting vehicles, or humanitarian excavators. It significantly exceeds previous-generation tactical transport aircraft in terms of range, speed, altitude, and payload, providing essential capabilities directly where needed, whether near a natural disaster or a theater of operations. It has already been operationally deployed by the French and Turkish Air Forces in various regions, including Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the African Sahel Region, Mali, and the Middle East.

One of the notable features of the A400M is its maximum range of 4,800 nautical miles (about 8,900 kilometers), with a high cruising speed of Mach 0.72. The aircraft's cargo hold has a volume of 340 cubic meters and can deliver heavy payloads of up to 37 tons. It is equipped with four EuroProp International (EPI) TP 400 turboprop engines, allowing it to fly at altitudes up to 37,000 feet (about 11,300 meters) and potentially higher for special operations. This high-altitude capability allows the A400M to avoid poor weather and turbulence, thus reducing fatigue for crews and passengers.

The A400M is also designed as a dual-role transport and air-to-air refueling aircraft, offering a cost-effective solution for air forces that require both capabilities. It can be quickly reconfigured to perform two-point air-to-air refueling operations, with a basic fuel capacity of 63,500 liters, which can be further increased with additional cargo hold tanks. The A400M is unique in its ability to refuel a wide range of probe-equipped military aircraft, including helicopters and fast jets, at their preferred speeds and altitudes.

To augment the A400M fleet, the STAR plan envisages the acquisition of three small transport aircraft between 2029 and 2032 for 170.24 million euros. This initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of the fleet and avoid deploying a large A400M for smaller cargo loads.