The first Airbus A400M new generation airlifter for the German Air Force has begun final tests towards its delivery. The four engines on the aircraft, known as MSN18, were successfully run simultaneously for the first time on 28 September at the Airbus Defence and Space Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain.

In German Air Force service the A400M will replace the ageing C-160 Transall fleet. The TP400 engines assembled by Europrop International in Munich, give the A400M nearly eight-times as much installed power as the C-160. It can carry twice the load of its predecessor over intercontinental distances at speeds comparable to more expensive jet aircraft, but still land on short or unprepared airstrips close to the scene of military or humanitarian action.