The Ministry of Defence has signed a £190 million extension to the A400M Medium-Term Contract, securing in-service support for the RAF’s Atlas fleet until April 2029, according to RAF Brize Norton. The deal sustains more than 350 skilled jobs across the UK.
Support delivered from Brize Norton
Airbus will deliver the work through its UK Support Centre at RAF Brize Norton. The agreement covers maintenance, repair and support for the A400M Atlas, which carries out humanitarian relief, troop transport, global force projection and NATO tasks.
A small team from the A400M In-Service Support Delivery Team, part of the NAD Group at Brize Norton, led the negotiations. It worked with colleagues across Defence, the RAF, industry partners and Airbus. Talks lasted eight weeks.
Savings and greater availability
The contract cuts costs for Defence while widening the support package available to the fleet. It introduces enhanced services designed to improve supportability, resilience and operational performance.
Those measures should lift the number of fully mission-capable aircraft available each day from 10 to 13 by the end of 2027. That represents a 30% increase and gives commanders more aircraft to meet global demands.
Air Commodore Si Young, Head Air Mobility NAD Group, said the speed of the deal showed what MOD and industry can achieve together. “This contract will deliver continued improvements in A400M fleet availability,” he said, building on growth in recent years. He added that it offers excellent value for money to taxpayers.
Partnership with Airbus
The agreement also strengthens the working relationship between Defence and Airbus on the A400M programme. Brize Norton, home to the RAF’s Air Mobility Force and Airbus’ UK A400M Support Centre, remains central to the UK’s air mobility capability.
Learn more on the RAF website
