Airbus Military will supply a Thales full-flight simulator (FFS) for the A400M Atlas airlifter to the UK Royal Air Force in spring 2014, ahead of the aircraft’s entry into RAF service in late 2014. A joint venture between Airbus Military and Thales will maintain the FFS, which will be located at RAF Brize Norton, where all 22 UK Atlas aircraft will be based.

This is the fourth FFS to be procured for the A400M program, the previous three being for France, Germany and for the Airbus Military International Training Centre in Seville, Spain. Thales Training and Simulation are producing them in itsCrawley, UK facility. Airbus Military said the software and data package is being developed to Airbus commercial standards to reduce the time it takes for changes to the aircraft to be reflected in the simulators.