The Turkish Air Force (TuAF) is carrying out acceptance tests of the first of the ten A400M transport aircraft, which is built by Airbus Military consortium.
In May 2003, Turkey ordered around ten A400M aircraft in a bid to deal with its cargo transport requirements, which are scheduled to be received in the next two to three years.
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A Turkish procurement official was cited by DefenceNews as saying that there have been a couple of ‘minor problems’ with the initial aircraft and the acceptance tests have not yet been completed.
"These are not major difficulties and we hope the tests will be completed soon," the official said.
Designated as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities, the A400M completed its first engine runs in August 2013 in addition to its initial taxi trial.
Also called MSN9, the aircraft can also be configured to conduct long-range cargo and troop transport, medical evacuation, aerial refuelling and electronic surveillance missions.
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By GlobalDataCapable of transporting more than 100 fully equipped troops or a 30t payload, the turboprop aircraft comes with a six-wheel, high-flotation main landing gear, and short soft-field landing and takeoff capability, allowing troop and equipment transportation to Mali or Afghanistan.
Airbus Military has received orders for the aircraft from the air forces of Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Malaysia, the UK, Turkey and France.
In addition to this, Airbus Military has also entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to form Airbus Military Turkey (AMTR), which would assist in offering in-service support (ISS) services for the Turkish A400M fleet.
