The Belgian Air Force has taken delivery of its first of seven Airbus A400M military transport aircraft. The aircraft was handed over to the customer at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville (Spain) and subsequently performed its ferry flight to the 15th Wing Air Transport in Melsbroek (Belgium), where the aircraft will be based.
This A400M, known as MSN106, will be operated within a binational unit composed of a total of eight aircraft, seven from the Belgian Air Force and one from the Luxembourg Armed Forces.
The second A400M for Belgium will be delivered in early 2021.
Alberto Gutierrez, Head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space, said: «With the delivery of this aircraft all launch customers are now equipped with the A400M. MSN106 will join Luxemburg’s aircraft in the binational unit operated jointly with Belgium. Despite challenges due to Covid-19, our teams have achieved all 10 aircraft deliveries scheduled this year, bringing the global fleet in operation to 98 aircraft».
Specifications
| DIMENSIONS | |
| Overall Length | 45.10 m/148 feet |
| Overall Height | 14.70 m/48 feet |
| Wing Span | 42.40 m/139 feet |
| Cargo Hold Length (ramp excluded) | 17.71 m/58 feet |
| Cargo Hold Height | 3.85-4.00 m/12 feet 7 inch-13 feet |
| Cargo Hold Width | 4.00 m/13 feet |
| Cargo Hold Volume | 340 m3/12,000 feet3 |
| WEIGHTS | |
| Maximum Take Off Weight | 141,000 kg/310,850 lbs |
| Maximum Landing Weight | 123,000 kg/271,200 lbs |
| Internal Fuel Weight | 50,500 kg/111,300 lbs |
| Maximum Payload | 37,000 kg/81,600 lbs |
| ENGINE (×4) | |
| EuroProp International TP400-D6 | 11,000 shp/8,200 kW |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| Maximum Operating Altitude | 12,200 m/40,000 feet |
| Maximum Cruise Speed (TAS) | 300 knots/345 mph/555 km/h |
| Cruise Speed Range | 0.68-0.72 M |
| RANGE | |
| Range with Maximum Payload (37,000 kg/81,600 lbs) | 1,780 NM/2,050 miles/3,300 km |
| Range with 30,000 kg/66,000 lbs Payload | 2,450 NM/2,796 miles/4,500 km |
| Range with 20,000 kg/44,000 lbs Payload | 3,450 NM/3,977 miles/6,400 km |
| Maximum Range (Ferry) | 4,700 NM/5,406 miles/8,700 km |