Luxembourg’s new A400M makes maiden flight
Airbus on 13 April confirmed that the Luxembourg Armed Forces’ new A400M airlifter has carried out its maiden flight at Seville Airport in Spain.
The initial flight lasted 5h before returning back to Seville Airport at 16:08 (CET).
The aircraft will be jointly operated by a binational unit from Belgium and Luxembourg and it is expected to be delivered in Q2 FY2020.
Whilst the A400M has been ordered by Luxembourg, the aircraft, known as MSN104 (pictured), will be based in neighbouring Belgium.
Shephard Defence Insight reports that each A400M aircraft costs approximately $187 million and has a maximum range of 4,800km.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition]()
New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition
The US$234 million award for 16 Sikorsky UH-60Ms preserves near-term production, but funding uncertainty and an undefinitised contract leave the US Army’s long-term Black Hawk requirements unresolved.
-
![V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal]()
V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal
Bell Boeing will supply 73 additional ODSSHI kits as NAVAIR prepares to introduce predictive drive-system monitoring across US and Japanese V-22 fleets.
-
![AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics]()
AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics
The US Air Force is evaluating demonstrators for uncrewed cargo missions as it considers logistics requirements across the Pacific and other contested environments.
-
![Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad]()
Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad
European counter-drone developers are securing early orders in the Middle East while slow domestic acquisition processes threaten to redirect production capacity, expertise and investment away from Europe.
