The German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) is considering sponsoring a multinational air transport wing to fly the excess 13 Airbus A400M transport aircraft it will start receiving in 2018.
The German parliament decided in January 2011 to sell 13 of the 53 A400Ms ordered for the Luftwaffe, but so far no buyer has been found.
Noting that the Luftwaffe's current structure does not support more than the planned 40 aircraft and storing them would still cost money, Parliamentary Defence State Secretary Markus Grübel told parliament on 17 March that the preferred solution is to assign them to a multinational wing based in Germany.
The briefing made no mention of specific nations that might participate in an A400M unit, but Jane's understands that Switzerland and the Czech Republic are among those that have shown interest.
Grübel's briefing identified Lechfeld Air Base south of Augsburg, Bavaria, as a possible base for the multinational wing, although there are no firm plans as yet. Lechfeld currently hosts no active units and serves as an alternative airfield for the Luftwaffe's 74th Tactical Air Force Wing.
Until a multinational wing is established, the excess 13 A400Ms could be used by the Luftwaffe to compensate for its currently reduced inventory due to ongoing retrofits and maintenance measures affecting its A400M fleet.
While the BMVg is still calculating the possible additional costs, initial estimates put the price tag for activating the excess 13 aircraft for duty at EUR505 million (USD545 million): EUR355 million for configuration adaptation, maintenance, and personnel, with an additional EUR150 million for infrastructure at the future air base. The running costs of a multinational air transport unit would have to be negotiated between the participating nations.
Germany already has an agreement with France to set up a joint air transport squadron that is scheduled to begin operating Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft from Évreux, France, in 2021
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