Indonesia’s First Airbus A400M Touches Down In Indonesia
AIRBUS Defence and Space has delivered Indonesia’s first A400M airlifter to the Ministry of Defence, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to modernise the Indonesian Air Force’s (TNI-AU) transport capabilities.
The delivery ceremony took place at the Halim Air Force Base in Jakarta, following the handing over of the aircraft at the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain. This is the first out of two A400M aircraft ordered by Indonesia in 2021 with the second A400M expected to be delivered next year which has been progressing steadily at the Final Assembly Line. This A400M first took its maiden flight in August, “performing a range of manoeuvres to validate the aircraft’s handling and evaluate key systems”.
Additionally, Airbus will provide the TNI-AU with comprehensive training and support services to ensure a smooth entry into service. Indonesia will also study the potential integration of the newly developed A400M firefighting kit on-board both aircraft.
The roll-on / roll-off modular firefighting kit allows the A400M to be rapidly converted into a water bomber aircraft, capable of dropping up to 20,000 litres of retardant or water in a single pass. This new capability will significantly bolster Indonesia’s ability to respond to wildfires across its widespread and often hard-to-reach terrain.
The A400M delivered to Indonesia is configured for cargo, troop transport, MEDEVAC, and humanitarian missions. It can carry a maximum payload of up to 37 tonnes of heavy or oversized loads, including helicopters, vehicles, and relief supplies. For an average mission carrying 30 tonnes, the A400M can fly 2,400 nautical miles, covering the entire archipelago from Jakarta. Designed for operational flexibility, it can operate on short, unpaved runways and also serves as a multi-role aerial refuelling platform, acting as a force multiplier that extends the reach of the TNI-AU.
Ahead of the arrival, a TNI-AU social media post stated, “Four TNI-AU pilots have completed the Full Flight Simulator (FFS), Crew Resource Management [CRM] and Mission Planning and Restitution System [MPRS] A400M-type rating course at the Airbus International Training Centre (ITC) in Seville, Spain.”
“Head of International at Airbus Defence and Space Karl-Heinz Grossman said, “Today we welcome Indonesia as the tenth operator of the A400M. This delivery is a strong demonstration of the trust placed in the aircraft’s multi-role capabilities and suitability for operations in diverse and challenging environments such as the country’s geographic complexity. We look forward to supporting the TNI-AU as it begins operating the A400M for national and regional missions.”
Indonesia also signed a letter of intent for potentially four more A400Ms, becoming only 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 10 countries prior to Indonesia’s receipt of the A400M, including Kazakhstan and has accumulated more than 200,000 flight hours and carrying out various missions including humanitarian assistance.–-shp/adj/dl (Pix:AIRBUS)