A400M Is Faster, Has Twice The Capacity Of C130

By Norazurra Aziz KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) -- The Airbus Military A400M aircraft which the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is set to receive from January 2015 has a higher capacity and travels faster, RMAF air operations commander Gen Ackbal Abdul Samad said. Compared to the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft which the RMAF currently owns, the travel speed of the A400M is between 400 and 420 knots per hour, which is nearly 50 per cent faster than the C-130, he said. "It also has a superior range and has twice the load capacity of the C-130. It's worth to own this aircraft," he said. Yesterday, he was flown on the aircraft, named Grizzly 4, together with members of the media, which took off from the RMAF base in Subang, Selangor. The aircraft flew to Kuantan, Pahang before returning to Subang, a flight which only took 40 minutes. The aircraft took off and landed smoothly and the cabin was noticeably quieter and spacious. Ackbal, who also test piloted the aircraft, said the A400M's control relies on a sophisticated computer system and not so much on "cockpit men". "We need three crewmen for the C-130 but only two for the A400M. There is also an autopilot mode like those available in commercial aircraft," he said. RMAF commander Gen Rodzali Daud said on Sunday that the A400M would give the force three major boosts, namely in heavy airlift capability, tactical capability and air-to-air refuelling capability. Ackbal added that the aircraft was also capable of carrying heavy military machinery such as tanks as well as helicopters which cannot be carried by the C-130. It can also take in trucks as well as a container lorry measuring 6.09 metres in length. It also has the capacity to take 116 fully-geared paratrooopers at a time. Malaysia will receive four such aircraft at the cost of RM3.5 billion (US$1.14 billion), inclusive of logistics and training package, in a deal signed in December 2005. -- BERNAMA