France might arm the A400M Atlas transport aircraft with missiles to fully exploit its capacities
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As reported by Opex360 on June 15, 2025, France is examining the potential transformation of the Airbus A400M Atlas into a heavy combat aircraft with multirole capabilities beyond tactical airlift and aerial refueling. The French Air and Space Force (AAE) originally committed to acquiring fifty A400M aircraft. However, the 2024–2030 Military Programming Law (LPM), enacted in August 2023, reduced this number to at least thirty-five by 2035.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The A400M, which can be refueled in flight, is capable of flying up to 9,000 km in twelve hours without midair refueling, can operate from all types of runways, and is also equipped to fly automatically at 500 feet altitude in low visibility conditions. (Picture source: French Air Force)
An amendment introduced in March revised the target to thirty-seven aircraft by 2030. Despite this reduction, statements from the Ministry of the Armed Forces suggest that the total number of A400Ms could eventually exceed the original fifty, depending on the outcome of considerations around replacing the existing fleets of fourteen C-130H and four C-130J Hercules transport aircraft with additional A400M units. This replacement could lead to the acquisition of eighteen more A400Ms.
Colonel Bastien Cardot, who leads capability development for transport aircraft and helicopters within the AAE’s general staff, has outlined that operational feedback indicates the A400M’s potential remains underused. He argues that the aircraft could serve as a complement to fighter jets in scenarios involving increasing threat density and complexity. He suggests that the aircraft’s characteristics, such as long endurance and flexibility of deployment, could contribute to resolving the issue of generating sufficient mass in future conflict scenarios. The A400M, which can be refueled in flight, is capable of flying up to 9,000 km in twelve hours without midair refueling, can operate from all types of runways, and maintains a low logistical footprint. It is also equipped to fly automatically at 500 feet altitude in low visibility conditions, which Airbus notes was the first such capability in a military transport aircraft.
The aircraft’s power system, comprising four TP400 engines rated at 11,000 horsepower each, provides significant electrical output. This energy surplus could support additional systems, such as directed energy weapons, advanced communications relays, or computing servers for future collaborative combat networks. According to Colonel Cardot, the A400M could release kinetic effectors such as short-range missiles or guided bombs stored in the cargo bay or mounted under the wings. He notes that enabling the delivery of firepower requires the integration of onboard targeting, surveillance, and intelligence capabilities. These elements are seen as prerequisites and are currently under review for implementation on French A400M aircraft.
France already has prior experience in this field through the C3ISTAR (Command, Control, Communication, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) suite used on the retired Transall C-160s operated by Squadron 3/61 Poitou. That system incorporated a day/night optronic turret, a laser designator, and an image processing console, enabling missions involving reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and targeting. In addition, the French SME Turgis & Gaillard is pursuing the SSA-1702 NITRATHE project, which aims to install a pod under the A400M’s wing for reconnaissance, targeting, and transmission functions. These prior capabilities and ongoing development initiatives could facilitate the addition of surveillance and strike functions on the Atlas platform.
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) is also considering roles for the A400M beyond supporting ground operations in permissive environments. Colonel Cardot has stated that the aircraft could contribute to deep strike missions within major aerial operations, including near non-permissive airspace. He proposed the integration of mass-produced, low-cost munitions to deliver concentrated fire capable of saturating adversary air defenses. This role would include precision long-range strike missions. According to him, the A400M could then qualify as a heavy combat aircraft able to launch a large volume of effectors from beyond the range of surface-to-air threats. It could also support the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) by launching cruise missiles or connected effectors, and by conducting offensive electronic warfare or saturation operations. Notably, as previously reported by Army Recognition in August 2023, the Japanese Defense Ministry is also assessing the potential of arming its C-2 transport aircraft with long-range missiles, such as the locally-made Type 12 SSM or the American AGM-158 JASSM.
Colonel Lardot has summarized that armed heavy transport aircraft could deliver precision strikes globally, at short notice, in large volumes, with minimal logistical preparation, either accompanying air raids or operating independently. He adds that such a transformation from a multimission A400M to a truly multirole platform presents many challenges, especially in crew training. The aircraft’s current configuration already supports a wide range of missions, including strategic projection, medical evacuation, tactical airland and airdrop, in-flight refueling, and humanitarian support. It has been used in operations such as Apagan in Afghanistan and Sagittaire in Sudan, where eight A400M flights evacuated nearly 900 people to Djibouti between 22 and 26 April 2023. The aircraft also contributed to Operation Résilience during the COVID-19 crisis and was involved in disaster relief following the February 2022 earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
Since 2013, twenty-one A400Ms have entered service with the French Air and Space Force. All aircraft delivered since 2022 are produced in the final development configuration, including full automation of airdrops and support for high-altitude drops. The aircraft features terrain-following capability at very low altitude in zero visibility, a capability under trial in French forces. The A400M also includes the latest self-protection suite and tactical communications systems, enhancing survivability and connectivity in contested environments. Its airdrop capabilities include mixed gravity and ejection drops, with equipment deployed via the central rear ramp and paratroopers exiting from side doors. The aircraft has also been certified since November 2022 to refuel helicopters in flight. France, the first nation to receive refueling pods specifically designed for this purpose, is expected to begin experimental operations during the summer of 2025. These trials will complement existing refueling capabilities for fighter and transport aircraft.
The A400M Atlas is equipped with four TP400-D6 engines, each rated at 11,600 horsepower, and has a maximum payload of 35 tonnes. It can carry two Tiger attack helicopters, a CAESAR self-propelled howitzer, or two armored VAB vehicles with troops and equipment, or up to 116 paratroopers. The aircraft’s internal fuel capacity is 50 tonnes. Its maximum takeoff weight is 141 tonnes, and its cruising speed ranges from Mach 0.68 to 0.72. The A400M’s range reaches 4,700 nautical miles in ferry configuration. Its cargo hold volume is 340 m³, larger than that of the C-130J-30 (170 m³) and the C-130H (130 m³), positioning it between the C-130 and the C-17 in terms of size and capability. At Orléans-Bricy Air Base, the Tactical Display Team has been demonstrating the A400M’s low-altitude tactical flying, short landings, and high-performance maneuvers since 2018. The aircraft is integrated into the second layer of France’s future combat air system (SCAF), thanks to its modularity and connectivity with other operational assets
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As reported by Opex360 on June 15, 2025, France is examining the potential transformation of the Airbus A400M Atlas into a heavy combat aircraft with multirole capabilities beyond tactical airlift and aerial refueling. The French Air and Space Force (AAE) originally committed to acquiring fifty A400M aircraft. However, the 2024–2030 Military Programming Law (LPM), enacted in August 2023, reduced this number to at least thirty-five by 2035.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The A400M, which can be refueled in flight, is capable of flying up to 9,000 km in twelve hours without midair refueling, can operate from all types of runways, and is also equipped to fly automatically at 500 feet altitude in low visibility conditions. (Picture source: French Air Force)
An amendment introduced in March revised the target to thirty-seven aircraft by 2030. Despite this reduction, statements from the Ministry of the Armed Forces suggest that the total number of A400Ms could eventually exceed the original fifty, depending on the outcome of considerations around replacing the existing fleets of fourteen C-130H and four C-130J Hercules transport aircraft with additional A400M units. This replacement could lead to the acquisition of eighteen more A400Ms.
Colonel Bastien Cardot, who leads capability development for transport aircraft and helicopters within the AAE’s general staff, has outlined that operational feedback indicates the A400M’s potential remains underused. He argues that the aircraft could serve as a complement to fighter jets in scenarios involving increasing threat density and complexity. He suggests that the aircraft’s characteristics, such as long endurance and flexibility of deployment, could contribute to resolving the issue of generating sufficient mass in future conflict scenarios. The A400M, which can be refueled in flight, is capable of flying up to 9,000 km in twelve hours without midair refueling, can operate from all types of runways, and maintains a low logistical footprint. It is also equipped to fly automatically at 500 feet altitude in low visibility conditions, which Airbus notes was the first such capability in a military transport aircraft.
The aircraft’s power system, comprising four TP400 engines rated at 11,000 horsepower each, provides significant electrical output. This energy surplus could support additional systems, such as directed energy weapons, advanced communications relays, or computing servers for future collaborative combat networks. According to Colonel Cardot, the A400M could release kinetic effectors such as short-range missiles or guided bombs stored in the cargo bay or mounted under the wings. He notes that enabling the delivery of firepower requires the integration of onboard targeting, surveillance, and intelligence capabilities. These elements are seen as prerequisites and are currently under review for implementation on French A400M aircraft.
France already has prior experience in this field through the C3ISTAR (Command, Control, Communication, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) suite used on the retired Transall C-160s operated by Squadron 3/61 Poitou. That system incorporated a day/night optronic turret, a laser designator, and an image processing console, enabling missions involving reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and targeting. In addition, the French SME Turgis & Gaillard is pursuing the SSA-1702 NITRATHE project, which aims to install a pod under the A400M’s wing for reconnaissance, targeting, and transmission functions. These prior capabilities and ongoing development initiatives could facilitate the addition of surveillance and strike functions on the Atlas platform.
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) is also considering roles for the A400M beyond supporting ground operations in permissive environments. Colonel Cardot has stated that the aircraft could contribute to deep strike missions within major aerial operations, including near non-permissive airspace. He proposed the integration of mass-produced, low-cost munitions to deliver concentrated fire capable of saturating adversary air defenses. This role would include precision long-range strike missions. According to him, the A400M could then qualify as a heavy combat aircraft able to launch a large volume of effectors from beyond the range of surface-to-air threats. It could also support the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) by launching cruise missiles or connected effectors, and by conducting offensive electronic warfare or saturation operations. Notably, as previously reported by Army Recognition in August 2023, the Japanese Defense Ministry is also assessing the potential of arming its C-2 transport aircraft with long-range missiles, such as the locally-made Type 12 SSM or the American AGM-158 JASSM.
Colonel Lardot has summarized that armed heavy transport aircraft could deliver precision strikes globally, at short notice, in large volumes, with minimal logistical preparation, either accompanying air raids or operating independently. He adds that such a transformation from a multimission A400M to a truly multirole platform presents many challenges, especially in crew training. The aircraft’s current configuration already supports a wide range of missions, including strategic projection, medical evacuation, tactical airland and airdrop, in-flight refueling, and humanitarian support. It has been used in operations such as Apagan in Afghanistan and Sagittaire in Sudan, where eight A400M flights evacuated nearly 900 people to Djibouti between 22 and 26 April 2023. The aircraft also contributed to Operation Résilience during the COVID-19 crisis and was involved in disaster relief following the February 2022 earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
Since 2013, twenty-one A400Ms have entered service with the French Air and Space Force. All aircraft delivered since 2022 are produced in the final development configuration, including full automation of airdrops and support for high-altitude drops. The aircraft features terrain-following capability at very low altitude in zero visibility, a capability under trial in French forces. The A400M also includes the latest self-protection suite and tactical communications systems, enhancing survivability and connectivity in contested environments. Its airdrop capabilities include mixed gravity and ejection drops, with equipment deployed via the central rear ramp and paratroopers exiting from side doors. The aircraft has also been certified since November 2022 to refuel helicopters in flight. France, the first nation to receive refueling pods specifically designed for this purpose, is expected to begin experimental operations during the summer of 2025. These trials will complement existing refueling capabilities for fighter and transport aircraft.
The A400M Atlas is equipped with four TP400-D6 engines, each rated at 11,600 horsepower, and has a maximum payload of 35 tonnes. It can carry two Tiger attack helicopters, a CAESAR self-propelled howitzer, or two armored VAB vehicles with troops and equipment, or up to 116 paratroopers. The aircraft’s internal fuel capacity is 50 tonnes. Its maximum takeoff weight is 141 tonnes, and its cruising speed ranges from Mach 0.68 to 0.72. The A400M’s range reaches 4,700 nautical miles in ferry configuration. Its cargo hold volume is 340 m³, larger than that of the C-130J-30 (170 m³) and the C-130H (130 m³), positioning it between the C-130 and the C-17 in terms of size and capability. At Orléans-Bricy Air Base, the Tactical Display Team has been demonstrating the A400M’s low-altitude tactical flying, short landings, and high-performance maneuvers since 2018. The aircraft is integrated into the second layer of France’s future combat air system (SCAF), thanks to its modularity and connectivity with other operational assets
