France is upgrading its Airbus A400M military transport aircraft with new intelligence, surveillance, and command capabilities under a programme aimed at transforming the aircraft into a multi-mission battlefield coordination platform, Airbus announced on Tuesday.

Airbus Defence and Space said it had signed a contract with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), acting on behalf of France's Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), to develop a new “Parallel Mission System” (PMS) for the French A400M fleet.

The programme will enhance the aircraft's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and enable it to serve as an airborne tactical command-and-control platform.

“The A400M is a true Swiss Army knife for the armed forces that use it. It has the capabilities and potential to continue expanding the scope of its missions,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, executive vice president for air power at Airbus Defence and Space.

“With this development, the French Air and Space Force is acquiring an aircraft capable of becoming a tactical command and control tool in the air,” he added.

The new system will include mission-management software, tactical situational awareness consoles installed in the cargo hold, and an optronic sensor integrated into the aircraft.

According to Airbus, the upgrades will allow crews to monitor multiple sensors, coordinate complex military operations, and eventually control drones and missiles launched directly from the aircraft's cargo compartment.

The enhanced aircraft will also be able to support collaborative combat operations involving ground forces, helicopters, and fighter jets.

Airbus said the first upgraded French A400M will receive the new systems in 2027, followed by flight testing in 2028. Additional aircraft in the French Air and Space Force fleet will subsequently be retrofitted to carry the PMS equipment.

The A400M Atlas, developed by Airbus, is a four-engine military transport aircraft used by several European and international air forces for strategic and tactical airlift, aerial refueling, and humanitarian missions.

Beyond the current programme, Airbus said it is exploring further capabilities for the aircraft, including long-range electronic jamming, deploying drones and missiles in flight, increasing payload capacity from its current level to 40 tonnes, and adding aerial firefighting capabilities.

Source: PR