RMAF to Buy Hulk-Sized Airbus

By Leslie Andres

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed. – The Royal Malaysian Air Force’s C-130 fleet of

transport aircraft will soon include four Airbus A400M to boost its

capabilities to transport cargo and troops.

Negotiations between Airbus Military SL, the manufacturer of the

aircraft, and the Government were recently concluded.

Sources told the New Straits Times a memorandum of understanding will

be signed between the parties at next week’s Langkawi International

Maritime and Aerospace exhibition.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will witness the ceremony,

tentatively scheduled for Dec 8 at the Mahsuri International Exhibition

Centre.

“You can be sure the deal is worth billions of ringgit,” said the

sources.

The A400M, 43.8m in length with a wing span of 42.4m and a height of

14.6m, is a multi-role military airlift plane which is expected to

eventually replace the world’s aging fleets of C-130 Hercules and C-160

Transall.

With a payload of 37 tonnes, the A400M can carry twice the volume of

the current aircraft. It is capable of doing strategic operations,

tactical missions and tanking operations (receiving and delivering fuel).

The aircraft has a high flotation landing gear which allows for

take-off and landings to be done from short, unpaved airfields.

This is crucial in battlefield conditions where the aircraft can land

on semi-prepared strips with less than 1,000m of runway.

The air force may utilise the plane in the role of a tanker.

The RMAF already has several KC-130 aircraft, which double as

transporter and tanker. The same capability is available in the A400M on

a larger scale.

It can be quickly converted into a tactical tanker, allowing it to

refuel a wide range of aircraft and helicopters in mid-air at altitudes

appropriate to their missions.

Airbus Military was set up in January, 1999, to manage the European

A400M military transport aircraft project.