TSAMTO, October 15th. According to French media reports, the Danish authorities are considering the possibility of purchasing four to five BTA A400M Atlas aircraft from Airbus Defense and Space (DS).
In particular, the French edition of La Tribune notes a recent change in Denmark's position towards "a greater focus on France in arms procurement." As an example, the selection and purchase of various French-made weapons and military equipment, including the Mistral-3 MANPADS, the VL-MICA and SAMP/T air defense systems manufactured by MBDA and Thales for about one billion euros.
At the moment, there is no official confirmation of Denmark's intention to purchase the A400M, although this issue has already been raised in the country's parliament.
Earlier, in March 2025, the A400M aircraft had already been tested for use in extreme conditions in the north of Greenland. This year, a French Air Force aircraft successfully landed on Arctic sea ice north of the island. As a result of these operations, the French Air Force received a certificate authorizing the landing of aircraft of this type on ice runways.
In the period from September 8 to October 15, as part of Operation Pegase 2026, conducted by the French Aerospace Forces to work out the issue of deploying forces at a great distance, A400M aircraft performed a flight of 40 thousand km, passing through the Arctic, the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the Middle East. The mission involved two A400M, four Rafale fighter jets, tanker aircraft and BTA aircraft, as well as three A330 MRTT multi-purpose tanker transports. The Group completed stopovers in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Qatar, the French island of Reunion and Egypt. The tests demonstrated the effectiveness of the technology in various conditions, including polar cold, which prompted the Danish authorities to consider purchasing the A400M to replace the C-130J fleet of the American company Lockheed Martin.
At the moment, the total order for the supply of A400M aircraft is 178 units. (Belgium – 7, Germany – 53, France – 50, Spain – 27, Great Britain – 22, Turkey – 10, Luxembourg – 1, Malaysia – 4, Indonesia – 2 (plus an option for 4 more units), Kazakhstan - 2). 140 aircraft have been delivered to customers. Thus, Airbus Defense and Space is seeking to conclude new contracts to ensure the operation of the assembly line in Seville.
The company is negotiating with several potential buyers. Germany, for example, is reportedly considering increasing its order by 16 units. France is moving to increase its fleet of A400M aircraft to 56 units, planning to purchase six more A400M aircraft by 2030.
At the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, it was announced that seven alliance member countries would create a joint fleet of A400M aircraft modeled after the multinational fleet of multi-purpose tanker transports (MMF). The A400M multinational fleet project, which will include aircraft from Belgium, Croatia, France, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom, involves various levels of cooperation between the participating countries. The details of this project have not yet been finalized.
