French A400M in Pitch Black: flying a few feet off the ground

‘Take-off!’, announces commander Dorian, pilot of the French Air and Space Force’s A400M aircraft. A few seconds later, the 8,250kW of power from each of its four engines propel it into the Australian sky.

It’s nine o’clock on a hot winter Tuesday morning at Darwin Air Base in northern Australia, and the French A400M is about to make a tactical flight as part of Pitch Black 2024. The exercise offers perfect conditions: 20 allied countries are participating in joint missions and the terrain is ideal for tactical training. There are very few obstacles and the desert areas are sparsely populated.

Crossing the enemy lines

Today, the A400M is taking part in a strike mission in enemy territory. “As part of the allied coalition, the aircraft will penetrate enemy lines and airdrop material by gravity,” commander Dorian explains. “We are checking that our release methods, our communication methods and a whole range of tactical tools are compatible with the methods used by our partners, but also by fighters, helicopters or tankers.”

After reaching cruising speed and altitude, we make our way towards enemy territory. The first hour in the A400M goes by smoothly. As if it were a commercial flight, we hardly feel any turbulence or turns.

Suddenly however, the pilot starts to manoeuvre the A400M at turns of up to 120º and we notice how the G-forces of the aircraft are pressing down on our necks. It is the unmistakable sign that the operation has begun. The calm is over.

As fast as 300 knots, as low as 300 feet

The A400M begins to descend quickly. Its agility allows it to perform low-level flying as if it were a fighter aircraft. This helps to avoid enemy attacks in hostile territory.

“We fly very, very low; we fly very, very fast to get away from any potential threats that might detect us or even try to harm us,” says commander Dorian.

300 knots (555 km/h) and at an altitude of just 300 feet (90 metres) - this is the exact opposite of the calm first hour of the flight. The left and right turns are repeated. The plane demonstrates its great agility and power in an operation that the commander describes as “risky”.

Meanwhile, in the cargo hold of the A400M, the military personnel rock back and forth in unison with the changes in altitude and speed. The more experienced military personnel stare into infinity as if it were a normal day at the office. The less experienced surfers remain silent. 

Having evaded the first threat, the aircraft moves deeper into hostile territory. The hills, rivers and trees of the Australian desert terrain can be seen in great detail just metres away. You can practically touch them. The two tactical loadmasters watch the terrain carefully through the windows of the A400M. They are assessing where to drop the payload in support of the military personnel deployed on the ground.

After coordinating with the pilot, the loadmasters lower the ramp, a blast of air enters the interior of the A400M and the launch of the payload is simulated. A few minutes later, the operation is repeated at another ground crew support point.

After an hour of tactical flight and a successful mission, the A400M returns to the air base escorted by two French fighter jets. Over a period of two weeks, the A400M will carry out two tactical flights per week.

PÉGASE 2024: France's major deployment in the Indo-Pacific

The French Air and Space Force has deployed in the Indo-Pacific region from the east, together with the Spanish and Germans in Pacific Skies, and from the west with the British as part of Griffin Strike.

Throughout, the French have employed the A400M for logistical and tactical tasks, as well as search and rescue missions. 

With its many islands, remote areas and rugged terrain, the Indo-Pacific region is perfectly suited to the A400M, which can land on unpaved runways just under 750 metres long, refuel fighters and other aircraft in flight or, as the French have demonstrated, fly at low altitude and infiltrate enemy territory in support of ground missions.

“Our A400M participates in highly intense missions”, concludes General Guillaume Thomas. He is in charge of Pégase 2024, the French deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. “The aircraft is very versatile and can be used for a wide range of missions. This makes it a key component of our defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific.”