Airbus A400M Atlas Specs, Variants, Cost and Operators

The Airbus A400M Atlas is Europe’s four-engine military transport, able to carry up to 37 tonnes of cargo and land on rough strips that a C-17 or a C-5 cannot use. Built to replace aging C-130 Hercules and C-160 Transall fleets, it sits between those tactical workhorses and heavy strategic airlifters, and it has been delivered to around ten air forces despite a famously troubled development.

37 t

Maximum payload

4

Europrop TP400-D6 turboprops, about 11,000 shp each

116

Paratroopers carried, per Airbus

2013

Year of first delivery, to France

What is the A400M Atlas

The A400M was launched in the early 2000s by seven European nations that wanted a common military transport. Airbus (then EADS) won the contract, and OCCAR, the European armaments agency, manages it. The design had a clear brief: fly farther and carry more than a C-130, yet still operate from short, unpaved runways and deliver loads by air drop.

The aircraft first flew in December 2009 and entered service with France in 2013. It is assembled in Seville, Spain, by Airbus Defence and Space. The name Atlas comes from the Greek myth of the Titan who held up the sky.

A400M Atlas specifications

Airbus A400M key specifications

Parameter	Value
Role	Tactical and strategic military airlifter
Manufacturer	Airbus Defence and Space
Engines	4 x Europrop TP400-D6 turboprops, about 11,000 shp each
Length / wingspan	About 45 m / 42 m
Maximum payload	37,000 kg
Maximum takeoff weight	About 141,000 kg
Cargo hold	About 17.7 m long, 4 m wide, 3.85 m high
Cruise speed	About Mach 0.68 to 0.72
Range	About 3,300 km with maximum payload, about 6,400 km with 20 t, per Airbus
Troops	Up to 116 paratroopers or 120 troops, per Airbus
Runway	Rough and unpaved strips supported

Figures are rounded and taken from Airbus descriptions, which are manufacturer claims. Real range varies with load, weather and fuel reserves.

The hold can carry armored vehicles, helicopters, bulky pallets and even large engines. The engines, built by a consortium including Rolls-Royce, Safran, MTU and ITP Aero, are the most powerful turboprops ever certified in the West. For context on the British partner in that group, see the profile of Rolls-Royce.

Why the A400M was late and over budget

The program went badly wrong. Engine and propeller gearbox delays pushed the first delivery years beyond the original plan, and cost overruns reached billions of euros. A 2015 crash of a test aircraft near Seville, which killed four crew, was traced to engine control software that had been incorrectly installed. Customers renegotiated, cut orders and in some cases resold aircraft.

Most problems have since been addressed, though gearbox durability and delivery of the full tactical capability, such as low-level flying, parachuting and defensive systems, took years longer than promised. Operators generally report that the aircraft now performs as designed, although the learning curve has been costly.

A400M variants and roles

A400M roles and configurations

Role	Description
Tactical airlift	Cargo and troop transport to rough airstrips
Air drop	Paratroops and heavy platforms by parachute
Aerial refueling	Hose-and-drogue pods under the wings to refuel fighters and helicopters
Medical evacuation	Stretcher and intensive-care modules
Firefighting and humanitarian	Roll-on kits for water drops and aid delivery

Capabilities vary by customer configuration. Not all operators have all roles certified.

The tanker role matters because it makes one aircraft type useful for both transport and support to combat aircraft. Europe’s wider airlift shortfall is part of why the A400M matters, and it competes with Embraer’s C-390 and the US-built C-130J, covered in this site’s ranking of military transport aircraft.

A400M operators and use

The launch customers were Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Malaysia and Kazakhstan also bought the type, and Indonesia has ordered it, according to Airbus. More than 100 aircraft have been delivered, with orders running higher. The A400M has supported French operations in Africa, evacuation flights from Kabul in 2021 and humanitarian missions around the world.

It is a transport, not a combat aircraft, so it has no combat kill record. Its record is in logistics: moving soldiers, vehicles and aid over long distances at a scale few other European aircraft can match.

Editor’s read

The A400M is the aircraft Europe needed and, for years, could not quite deliver. It has now become a reliable part of several air forces, and the question is whether Airbus can deliver on the sales it has left to win.