British A400M undertakes types longest flight

A Royal Air Force A400M Atlas transport aircraft has set two new records for the aircraft type en route to Guam to participate in the US-led Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023. 

The non-stop flight from the aircraft’s home base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire took 20 hours and 36 minutes, setting the record for the longest flight by an A400M, as well as for the closest flight to the North Pole by the type so far.

The record-breaking journey required aerial refuelling three times from two RAF Voyager Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft. 

The A400M Atlas entered RAF service in late 2014, and the 22nd and final aircraft was delivered earlier this year before the fleet took over from the C-130J Hercules, the last of which was retired on the 28th of June.

The Atlas has been gradually undergoing testing to broaden its range of capabilities, with the first air-to-air refuelling (AAR), which was vital to this record-breaking flight, taking place just two years ago.

The record-breaking aircraft, ZM420, the penultimate aircraft to be delivered to the RAF, departed RAF Brize Norton just after 8 am on Monday, shortly followed by Voyager ZZ337, which both flew north over the UK, passing to the west of Iceland before they conducted the first aerial refuelling of the flight east of Greenland. The Atlas then flew over Greenland while the Voyager turned south, conducting more aerial refuelling, likely of RAF Lossiemouth-based Typhoons, in AARA 4 over the North Sea, east of RAF Lossiemouth, where it subsequently landed and has been conducting further AAR sorties out of in recent days.

Meanwhile, the Atlas crossed the far north of Canada before passing into US airspace over north-eastern Alaska. Around 5 pm UK time, the second Voyager tanker, ZZ332, which had prepositioned to Eilson AFB the day before, took off to meet the Atlas for its second refuelling of the flight over northern Alaska. The aircraft then flew southwest together before conducting the third and final refuelling over the Aleutian Islands around 9 pm UK time.

The Voyager then returned to Eilson AFB, while the Atlas flew on south over the Pacific Ocean towards Anderson Air Force Base, where it arrived just before 5 am UK time or 2pm local time on Tuesday. After around 6 hours on the ground at Eilson AFB, the Voyager also departed for Guam, arriving around 01:30 local time.

Upon arrival in Guam, the two aircraft, support personnel, and elements of the Tactical Medical Wing joined their counterparts from the US, Australia, Canada, France, Japan and New Zealand. The exercise will involve roughly 70 transport aircraft and 3000 personnel and will run until July 21st.

It will occur across a 3000-mile area ranging from Japan to the north, Hawaii to the east and Australia to the south, with RAF aircraft expected to land in Japan to “demonstrate the UK’s commitment to the recently signed Hiroshima Accord between the UK and Japan.” 

Air Commodore Lyle, the RAF Air Mobility Force Commander, described the exercise as an “outstanding training opportunity” demonstrating the “speed, reach and utility of the RAF” and its ability to “project air power” in a timely manner.

The US Air Mobility Command said the exercise will support 15,000 US and partner forces taking part in various exercises this year and will “hone vital readiness skills and enhance interoperability” across various mission areas including airlift, aerial refuelling, aeromedical evacuation and humanitarian and disaster assistance.