Airbus delivers ‘first combat ready' A400M to Spain

The first A400M for the Spanish Air and Space Force to be fitted with the Indra InShield DIRCM countermeasures was delivered to the service on 11 February. (Airbus Defence and Space)

Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has delivered to Spain its “first combat-ready” A400M airlifter, as the manufacturer described the milestone on 12 February.

The aircraft with company manufacturing serial number MSN120 was the first to be delivered from the final assembly line (FAL) in Seville to the Spanish Air and Space Force equipped with defensive countermeasures.

“Airbus delivers the first combat-ready A400M for the Spanish Air and Space Force,” Airbus DS said, adding, “Operating in contested airspace can expose the A400M to increasing threats. To ensure mission success in hostile environments, Airbus Defence and Space has integrated, for the first time, the Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system into an A400M within the Spanish Air and Space Force fleet.”

The company added that the Spanish Air and Space Force will now conduct an operational evaluation of the DIRCM over the coming months before making a decision on rolling it out across its wider fleet of 27 aircraft, of which 14 have so far been delivered to Ala 31 (31st Wing) at Zaragoza Air Base in northeastern Spain.

The Indra InShield DIRCM uses laser technology to deflect infrared-guided missiles. The certification by the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) and the integration into MSN120 took place over approximately two years, coinciding with a scheduled maintenance period.

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