KUALA LUMPUR: DEPUTY Royal Malaysian Air Force chief Lt-Gen
Datuk Roslan Saad recently tested the nation's next-generation transport
aircraft in France.
Following the test flight, which took place in Toulouse
"It is an enormous pleasure to fly the aircraft that is
going to be at the heart of the RMAF's transport capabilities in the future.
"It is a real 'pilot's aircraft' and I look forward to
seeing it enter service so that we can apply its capabilities on a wide variety
of missions," said Roslan.
The government is expected to take delivery of the first
aircraft in January 2015.
The agreement to buy the A400Ms was first highlighted by the
New Straits Times in December 2005. A few days later, a memorandum of
understanding for the procurement of four aircraft for the RMAF was signed
between the government and Airbus Military.
The negotiations also centred on making the Malaysian
aerospace industry a partner in the A400M programme.
Along with the deal for the aircraft, Airbus Military also
signed a RM907 million agreement in designing and manufacturing composite A400M
airframe parts with Composites Technologies Research Sdn Bhd.
Larger than the C-130 Hercules transport plane, which is
currently used by the RMAF, the A400M was purchased to boost the RMAF's
capabilities to transport cargo and troops. It has a length of 43.8m with a
wingspan of 42.4m and a height of 14.6m.
It is a multi-role military tactical airlifter built to
compete with other aircraft companies in replacing the ageing fleets of
Hercules and C-160 Transall planes in air forces around the world.
With a payload of 37 tonnes, the A400M can carry twice the
load of the Hercules. It is capable of conducting strategic operations,
tactical missions and delivering fuel.
The aircraft has a high-flotation landing gear which allows
take-offs and landings on short, unpaved airfields. This is crucial in
battlefield conditions where the aircraft can land on semi-prepared airstrips
with less than 1km of runway.
A total of 174 aircraft had been ordered by Belgium , France ,
Germany , Luxembourg , Malaysia ,
Spain , Turkey and the United Kingdom
The aircraft programme, however, had been plagued by
problems that caused customers to receive their planes late. The RMAF was
supposed to take delivery of its first plane next year.
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