NATO launches initiative for multinational A400M fleet

Seven NATO member states have launched a High Visibility Project aimed at creating a future Multinational Airbus A400M Fleet, marking a major step towards strengthening Europe’s strategic airlift capabilities.

Announced during the NATO Summit Defence Forum in Ankara, the initiative brings together Belgium, Croatia, France, Poland, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. Inspired by the successful Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) programme, the project will explore a “pooling and sharing” model that could eventually see participating nations jointly owning and operating Airbus A400M transport aircraft.

The initiative also envisages cooperation in maintenance, training, infrastructure and procurement, creating an integrated capability to support strategic airlift, air-to-air refuelling, medical evacuation, disaster relief and aerial firefighting missions.

Airbus welcomed the announcement, highlighting that more than 135 A400Ms are currently in service worldwide, having accumulated over 270,000 flight hours. The manufacturer described the aircraft as the backbone of air mobility for several major European NATO members.

At the same time, NATO confirmed that Finland has officially joined the Multinational MRTT Fleet, becoming the programme’s ninth participating nation alongside the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Czechia, Sweden and Denmark.

The MMF currently operates nine Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft from a total order of 12. The fleet has supported operations on NATO’s eastern flank, evacuation missions from Afghanistan and multinational exercises in the Indo-Pacific, demonstrating the benefits of multinational cooperation in strategic air mobility.