Malaysia Is First Stop In Airbus Military A400M Asia Tour

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will be the first and longest stop in the Airbus Military A400M's three-nation Asia tour from April 14-20. The new generation airlifter for the 21st Century would stay in Malaysia, a A400M customer, from April 14-17 and subsequently visit Jakarta (Indonesia), Chiang Mai and Bangkok in Thailand before returning to Europe. The visit, the first time the A400M will be seen in Asia, would give the Malaysian government and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) the chance to see the airlifter at first hand, Airbus Military said in a statement Tuesday. The Malaysian government has ordered four of the new aircraft which has as its launch customer nations Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom, it said. The aircraft that would be flown for the Asia Pacific tour was the Grizzly 4, one of the five development aircraft, it added. For the Malaysian leg of the tour, the aircraft would be welcomed by the Chief of the RMAF on April 15 at the Subang Airbase. It would remain at the airbase on static display for visits by the Malaysian Minister of Defence, RMAF personnel and invited guests, who would be participating at Defence Services Asia 2012. Demonstration flights would take place over the following days with selected quests. The Grizzly 4 would then fly to Jakarta on April 18, Chiang Mai and Bangkok the day after and return to Europe on April 20. The A400M, an all new military airlifter designed to meet the needs of the world's Armed Forces in the 21st Century, is the most cost efficient and versatile airlifter ever conceived and unique in its capabilities. -- BERNAMA