Airbus Defense and Space delivered the seventh A400M Atlas military transport aircraft to France on Friday for use by the French Air Force.
The aircraft delivered to the Direction Générale de L'armement procurement agency is configured to allow paratroopers to exit the plane in flight from its rear ramp, the French Ministry of Defense said,
The A400M Atlas is powered by four turboprop engines. It can carry as much as 40 tons of cargo, can take off and land on unprepared air strips, and can perform in-flight refueling. Its cruising speed is 485 mph, while its range is 1,782 nautical miles with a maximum payload.
The aircraft delivered to France was the 13th production aircraft of 174 currently on order. Six had previously been delivered to France, two to Turkey, two Britain, one to Germany and one to Malaysia.
