Indonesia’s First A400M Inches Closer To Delivery

INDONESIA’S first Airbus A400M military transport aircraft for the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) has successfully rolled out of the paint shop at the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Seville, Spain. With that, it marks a major industrial milestone ahead of its delivery to the TNI-AU later this year.

The roll-out marks the aircraft’s transition into the final stages of production before its maiden flight,
with the aircraft currently undergoing ground testing activities. Following that, the second aircraft for Indonesia is also making steady progress on the production line, recently achieving its first ‘power-on’, and is now undergoing hydraulic system testing andpilot simulation checks.

Indonesia placed an order for two A400Ms in 2021, a move which would enhance the country’s operational reach, supporting a wide range of missions including strategic and tactical airlift, medical evacuation, humanitarian assistance and aerial refueling. With a payload capacity of up to 37 tonnes, the A400M can carry heavy equipment such as helicopters and military vehicles over distances of up to 2,400 nautical miles, and operate from short or unprepared airstrips – a vital capability for disaster relief operations in remote regions. Additionally, its role as a multi-platform refueling tanker further enhances the TNI-AU’s interoperability and mission endurance.

Indonesia also signed a letter of intent for potentially four more A400Ms. Upon its arrival, Indonesia would be the second operator of the A400M in Southeast Asia after Malaysia began operations with a fleet of four A400Ms since 2015 . The A400M has been delivered to nine countries to date, most recently to Kazakhstan and has accumulated more than 200,000 flight hours and carrying out various missions including humanitarian assistance. -shp/adj/dl (Pix:AIRBUS)