Turkish A400M carries military equipment in debut international flight

ANKARA

AA Photo

Atlas, a giant A400M carrier plane that the Turkish military acquired from manufacturers Airbus in May, has completed its first international flight, the army said in a written statement July 7.

Atlas carried the Solotürk , a demonstration team using a F-16 fighter jet, to London on July 2 and touched down in Luxembourg on its return, the statement read.

Turkey is the second country after France to add an A400M to its military inventory.

“The Atlas airplane, which has a large cargo capacity, is an important addition to the Turkish Armed Forces; a requirement of a big and influential air force that can perform operations without being dependent on the land; and a strategic capability for our state,” Air Force Command Chief Gen. Akın Öztürk said in a speech during the delivery ceremony of the A400M on May 12.