Airbus A400M aircraft (Photo: AFP/VNA) Accordingly, the contract, which will become effective in 2022, includes a complete maintenance and training support package. A Letter of Intent was also signed for Indonesia’s future acquisition of four additional A400M aircraft.
This new order will further expand the A400M footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. The A400M offers outstanding capabilities to Indonesia, providing its air force with the perfect platform to deliver large and heavy loads into remote areas and multiplying its airpower projection thanks to reliable aerial refuelling capabilities, Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space in a statement posted on the Airbus website.
Capable of operating from rough and short runways, the A400M will strengthen the Indonesian Air Force’s airlift capabilities to rapidly respond to any crisis, demonstrated in the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the country in 2018. The A400M was the first large airlifter able to deliver heavy loads like fuel trucks and excavators as well as food, clothes and medical supplies using a damaged and short runway in Palu (Central Sulawesi, Indonesia).
"The A400M is a truly multi-role platform and will greatly enhance the Indonesian Air Force’s tactical air-to-air capabilities. This aircraft will play a key role in other key missions including paratrooping and heavy cargo transportation,” said Prabowo Subianto, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia, as quoted by Airbus' statement./.
VNA
