Brussels / Seville — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is advancing discussions to establish a multinational fleet of Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft, according to Aeroin. The initiative, currently under study by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), seeks to replicate the cooperation model already proven effective with the Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) of Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft, operated from Eindhoven Air Base (Netherlands) by six nations.

The MMF programme, launched in 2016, currently brings together Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg and manages a fleet of 10 Airbus A330 MRTTs with options for additional units. The model allows participating countries to share acquisition and operating costs, maximising flight hour availability without each nation having to maintain its own complete fleet. The NSPA, which also manages the Strategic Airlift (SAT) programme with Antonov An-124 aircraft, already has experience in administering multinational air transport assets.

Currently, seven NATO nations operate the A400M: Germany (53 units, the world’s largest operator), France (18), United Kingdom (22), Spain (15), Turkey (10), Belgium (7) and Luxembourg (1). Additionally, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (a non-NATO country) operates four units. In total, the global fleet exceeds 130 delivered aircraft, with more than 500,000 flight hours accumulated as of 2026. At the Eurosatory 2026 trade fair, held in Paris, Airbus Defence and Space and OCCAR signed a contract to equip French Air Force A400Ms with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through a parallel mission system (PMS), which will also allow managing drones and missiles launched from the cargo hold.

The geopolitical context is driving this initiative. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the strategic importance of military air transport for the rapid deployment of forces and equipment. The plan envisions that NATO member states that do not operate the A400M could access tactical transport capabilities through a system of “shared flight hours” similar to the MMF, which would be particularly attractive for smaller nations such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Slovakia.

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From an industrial perspective, a multinational fleet would reinforce Airbus Defence and Space’s position as a European defence provider, securing maintenance contracts, logistics support and modernisation programmes. The company has already presented a roadmap that includes increasing maximum payload to 40 tonnes, integrating electronic warfare capabilities, and the A400M Mothership concept as a drone mothership platform.

The NSPA is expected to present a detailed feasibility study during the next NATO ministerial meeting, scheduled for the northern autumn of 2026. The initiative adds to other multinational projects of the Alliance, such as the recent selection of the Saab GlobalEye to replace the Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS) fleet under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control programme, with an estimated value exceeding EUR 5 billion.

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