The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has meanwhile been able to deliver 100 units of the A400M military turboprop model. The machine with the MSN111 went to the Spanish Air Force. On May 24, the aircraft completed its transfer flight from Seville to Zaragoza, where the Spanish A400M fleet is based, according to the manufacturer.

In the same week, the global A400M fleet reached 100.000 flight hours in missions around the world in all eight customer nations. Recently, the A400M program successfully completed a major flight test certification campaign for in-flight jackscrew refueling in collaboration with the French procurement authority DGA. This largely completes the A400M's certification objectives, including the first-time refueling of two helicopters at the same time.

The A400M can also drop up to 116 paratroopers simultaneously day and night, either from the side doors with automatic parachute opening, or by jumping off the ramp at the same time with free fall. Recently, tests were carried out in Spain with the parachute test team of the British Air Force, during which the height for the automatic parachute opening was increased up to 7.600 meters and for free fall up to 11.582 meters.

In addition, further tests to increase the dropping capacity of the A400M were completed, including multiple platforms for dropping by parachute (23 tons). France and Spain were involved in these flights. Another option for depositing freight on difficult slopes without aids was also certified: Load shedding of up to 19 tons (in one pass) or 25 tons (in two passes) on pallets on paved or unpaved slopes.

With the certification flights of the automatic low-level flight capability under instrumental meteorological conditions (IMC), the A400M also reached a new important milestone. Thanks to the use of navigation systems and terrain databases without the use of a radar-based terrain following system, this is a first for military transport aircraft. By using this technology, the aircraft is less easily recognizable in hostile terrain and therefore less susceptible to threats in dangerous missions.