London, United Kingdom: The UK Ministry of Defence has extended its support contract with Airbus for the Royal Air Force’s A400M Atlas fleet in a £190 million deal aimed at increasing the number of fully mission-capable aircraft available each day from 10 to 13 by the end of 2027, a 30% improvement in availability.
The Ministry of Defence announced the agreement on 1 October 2026, with the official release updated on 2 October 2026. The 31-month extension to the A400M Medium-Term Contract will keep Airbus providing maintenance, repair and support services through April 2029 from its UK Support Centre at RAF Brize Norton. The procurement value is listed at £189,823,013, while the MoD announcement rounds this to £190 million. The contract supports the RAF’s fleet of 22 A400M Atlas aircraft and sustains more than 350 UK jobs, including more than 240 Airbus staff and 110 primary subcontractor staff.
The agreement expands the support package available to the Atlas fleet and is intended to improve fleet supportability, resilience and operational performance. The RAF said the deal followed eight weeks of intensive negotiations involving its A400M In-Service Support Delivery Team, Defence, industry partners and Airbus, with the resulting agreement delivering enhanced capability at a reduced overall cost. The A400M supports missions including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, troop transport, global force projection and NATO commitments.
UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said: “This contract extension is a vote of confidence in British engineering, and the workforce at Brize Norton and Carterton who keep our A400M fleet flying.” He added: “By boosting availability of these aircraft, we’re strengthening the RAF’s ability to conduct global operations and deliver on NATO commitments when it matters most, while backing UK jobs and delivering value for money for taxpayers.”
Air Commodore Si Young, Head Air Mobility in the National Armaments Materiel Group, said: “This contract will deliver continued improvements in A400M fleet availability, building on the growth that we have delivered over recent years and giving our Armed Forces the capability they need while offering excellent value for money to taxpayers.” He said the agreement also reflects the strength of the UK’s partnership with Airbus and its commitment to the continued growth of the A400M fleet.
Airbus Defence and Space UK Managing Director Kata Escott said the extension would combine financial savings with increased operational capability, with the planned rise from 10 to 13 mission-capable aircraft each day by the end of 2027 representing a 30% improvement in availability. She said the arrangement would support global air mobility operations, including humanitarian relief, troop transport and NATO commitments.
The extension does not add new A400M aircraft to the RAF fleet. Instead, it is designed to make more of the existing aircraft available for operations. With 10 of 22 aircraft currently mission-capable on the stated daily basis, the target of 13 represents an increase of three aircraft available each day by the end of 2027. The procurement documentation covers the period from 1 October 2026 to 30 April 2029, with a further 12-month extension option.
The contract forms part of the UK government’s wider Defence Investment Plan, which the MoD said commits £298 billion to UK defence over the next four years, with the stated aim of sustaining investment across British industry and strengthening the country’s defence industrial base.
