Kazakhstan adds two more A400Ms

Kazakhstan has signed a deal to procure two Airbus A400M aircraft.

The manufacturer revealed on 1 September that the contract includes a complete suite of maintenance and training support. 

The new contract will bring the total number of A400M aircraft worldwide to 176, and the latest order enables the Kazakhstan Air Defence Forces to sharpen their ability to respond and engage in any mission rapidly and effectively, according to Airbus. 

‘The A400M will become the cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s tactical and strategic airlifting operations’ said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.

 With more than 100 aircraft delivered and 100,000 flight hours in operation, the A400M has proven its capabilities, reaching a state of maturity that many potential customers were waiting for.’ he added 

Airbus also stated that it expects Kazakhstan to place even more orders for this platform in the future. 

The country has now become the ninth customer for this platform, joining Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the UK. 

No details have been disclosed on the value of the contract, and as Shephard Defence Insight reports, the unit cost for the A400M is not clear.

While figures reported by the  Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) suggest that each unit is valued at $141 million, this does not align with details provided by customer countries.

For instance, the UK reported in 2015 an overall cost of $188 million per aircraft (at the 2015 exchange rate).

Based on those numbers the overall value of the Kazakhstani deal could swing between $282 million and $376 million.