Spain doesn't know what to do with 13 ordered Airbus A400M Atlas planes worth over $1.5 billion

The Spanish Defense Ministry cannot decide how to use more than a dozen Airbus A400M Atlas transport planes.

Here's What We Know

Several years ago Spain signed a contract to buy 27 A400M Atlas aircraft. In late spring 2013, the Ministry of Defense announced that it planned to use only 14 aircrafts. The 31st Wing of the Spanish Air Force is already operating 13 of the 14 planes. The last one will be delivered in May 2023 to the Zaragoza airbase, on schedule.

At present, the Ministry of Defense has not made a decision on the future of the remaining 13 A400M Atlas units. Initially, the department wanted to sell the planes to interested countries. However, deliveries of the planes would begin in 2025 and continue through 2030, according to an amendment to the contract between the department and Airbus that was made in 2016.

The sale looks like a viable option because Airbus' planes have already been able to perform well. The A400M Atlas has flown a number of big missions, including evacuating Afghanistan in 2021, delivering medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic and sending weapons to Ukraine.

Source: Bulgarian Military

Image: Store Norske Leksikon

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