On Saturday, April 18, 2026, European company Airbus Defence and Space, part of the Airbus SE group, announced on social media that the previous day it had delivered the last of 53 ordered four-engine A400M-180 Atlas heavy transport aircraft to the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe. The previous delivery took place in February this year.
Photo: Airbus Defence and Space
The first A400M-180 transport aircraft entered German service in December 2013. The aforementioned 53 aircraft were originally contracted, with an option for 7 more, but Germany ultimately decided not to exercise it. The A400M replaced the Transall C-160 aircraft, which were retired on December 15, 2021. With the completion of deliveries, Germany became the largest operator of the type in the world. The aircraft are operated by Tactical Airlift Wing 62 (Lufttransportgeschwader 62, LTG 62), based at Wunstorf Air Base in Lower Saxony.
Since September 2025, work has been underway to retrofit 22 of them with Israeli DIRCM (Directed Infrared Counter Measures) self-defense systems from Elbit Systems. The work is being carried out by Airbus Defence and Space in Spain and is scheduled to be completed in 2032.
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence also wants 13 of them to be made available to other NATO countries as part of allied support for transport capabilities. In the future, the German Atlases are to fly on 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), commonly referred to as biofuel.
In December 2023, an A400M CPTT (Cargo Hold Part Task Trainer), one of two ordered, was delivered to the base in Wunstorf. The other was delivered to the Transport and Airmobile Aviation School in Altenstadt, Bavaria. In Wunstorf, it joined the CHT-E (Cargo Hold Trainer Enhanced) simulator, which is specialized for training cargo hold crews, especially loadmasters and ground personnel.
To date, Airbus Defence and Space has delivered 139 production A400M-180 Atlas aircraft. The order backlog comprises 39 aircraft, which are to be delivered to Kazakhstan, France, and Spain. The manufacturer is currently seeking to sell additional aircraft to Indonesia, which has already received two but whose contract includes an option for four more, and to Poland.
We just handed over the keys of the 53rd German #A400M to the German Air Force! And we are not stopping here – we are continuing to unleash the potential of this incredible aircraft together with the operating air forces:
●Payload boost: Increasing the maximum payload from 37… pic.twitter.com/nQzismD8gI
— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) April 18, 2026
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