Airbus has entered into two strategic contracts with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), aimed at bolstering the capabilities of the A400M aircraft. OCCAR, based in Bonn, manages the A400M program on behalf of the Launch Customer Nations, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The new agreements cover the A400M Global Support Services (GSS3) and Block Upgrade 0.
Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space, emphasized the strategic importance of the A400M, stating: “The A400M is a clear enabler of the sovereignty of our nations and the strategic autonomy of Europe. Global deployments like the Kabul airlift mission or the more recent Pacific Skies exercise highlight the need for interoperability and commonality among our customer nations. This new framework agreement is the answer to that increasing requirement. With 130 A400M in operation and more than 200,000 flight hours achieved by the fleet, the new agreement allows our customers to benefit from significant savings while keeping the same highest standard of services and performance.”
Joachim Sucker, OCCAR-EA Director, added: “To enable sustained operation of a high-end military system like the A400M, a robust support environment is paramount. The GSS3 contract signed by OCCAR with Airbus illustrates A400M user nations’ ambition to sustainably operate the A400M in the most demanding environments, benefiting from the range, the payload and the versatility of the A400M to fulfil an incredibly large scope of missions.”
Global Support Services Contract
The Global Support Services contract replaces a previous agreement signed in 2019 and encompasses all A400M user nations. It offers a comprehensive range of tailored services designed to meet customer needs, including ground tools, spare parts delivery, and technical support. This flexibility allows industry and operators to explore new areas of collaboration and service concepts.
The A400M GSS3 contract introduces a fully integrated suite of common services, utilizing shared resources and specific national requests. Performance-based, the agreement establishes a new partnership framework focused on pooling and sharing, with clear performance indicators to enhance fleet availability and reduce ownership costs.
Block Upgrade 0 and Enhanced Capabilities
The second contract, known as Block Upgrade 0, represents the first upgrade of the A400M’s operational capabilities beyond the original launch contract. This upgrade will enhance critical systems, such as flight management systems, ensuring compliance with the latest NATO requirements. New capabilities will include Tactical Information enhancements, a Satellite-Based Landing System, Narrow Band SATCOM, and Wi-Fi.
Block Upgrade 0 encompasses the development, certification, implementation, and in-service support of these enhancements. The initial phase has already commenced and is expected to conclude by the end of 2026, with subsequent phases, including fleet embodiment and in-service training, continuing through the end of the decade.
Having demonstrated operational maturity in combat and humanitarian missions for over ten years, these enhancements will significantly expand the A400M fleet’s tactical and strategic capabilities, improving performance and reducing crew workload.
