The Atlas A400M enthuses the BBC. Contract for a training school in Brize Norton (UK)
(BRUSSELS2) The UK Ministry of Defense today (4 March) signed a contract with Airbus Military and Thales UK to prepare for the arrival of the A400M Atlas into the Royal Air Force. Signed for 18 years, the contract aims to provide training and training services to the A400M Atlas. An amount of £300 million has been earmarked for this investment, which will be provided mainly by A400M Training Services Ltd, a company created jointly (joint venture) between Airbus Military and Thales UK.
The training school will be built on the RAF base at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, where the A400Ms will also be based. It should be completed in the spring of 2014. It will train crews and ground staff on the new RAF transport aircraft. The contract thus includes the design, construction and management of a training school for the A400M, as well as the installation and maintenance of full flight simulators as well as training equipment (Cost: £226 million ). Another contract provides for the development, manufacture and installation of protection systems in hostile environments (Cost: £80 million).
The UK has purchased 22 A400M transport aircraft to replace their C130 Hercules fleet. The first British A400M will enter service in the course of 2014. A BBC reporter was able to board the plane in flight. He comes out pretty excited. As shown in his interview with chief test pilot Ed Strongman. Judge by his report here