Military pilots surprise Greifswald: a spectacle in the sky!

Military pilots surprise Greifswald: a spectacle in the sky!

On Wednesday afternoon, June 4, 2025, three Airbus A400M military aircraft caused a sensation when they flew deeply over Greifswald. The planes moved north just a few hundred meters above the city center and completed a sightseeing flight around the island of Rügen. On the way back, they carried out a deep flight over Greifswald again before they continued to flew towards Demmin. These activities were documented by aircraft trackers who pursued the flight together towards Neubrandenburg. A spokesman for the Bundeswehr air ride said that it was a practice flight for the Bundeswehr's day and the machines started in the morning in the Wunstorf air base, where the air transport squadron 62 of the Air Force was stationed. nordkurier.de reports that such exercises are a regular practice to test the applications.

The Airbus A400M is a modern transport aircraft that is tailored to the requirements of the Bundeswehr. With a length of 45.10 meters, a high-decker design and four propeller engines, the aircraft is not only specialized in military transport missions. The cargo space of the A400M holds 340 cubic meters and can transport a maximum payload of 37 tons. This allows the plane to promote up to 116 people and even transport a “tiger” combat helicopter. In addition, it can be used as a flying gas station for other aircraft, such as the Eurofighter, and is also able to lay injured people with a special transport unit. The top speed is 750 kilometers per hour with a flight altitude of ten kilometers. bundeswehr.de added that Germany will have a total of 53 machines of the type A400M.

technological developments and challenges

The Airbus A400M was originally launched as part of the Future International Military Airlifter (Fima) project, which was founded in 1982 as a joint venture between several European armaments companies. The aim was to develop a replacement for the older transport aircraft C-130 Hercules and Transall C-160. However, progress was often under pressure through varying requirements and geopolitical challenges. The first flight of the A400M took place in Seville in 2009, followed by various development phases that have been drawn for years. There were delays, technical problems and additional costs that burdened the program. wikipedia reports on international partnerships and the challenges associated with the development of the A400M, as well as the progress that was made to put the aircraft into service.

In recent years, the A400M has made important contributions to international operations, including evacuations in crisis areas such as Kabul and in the course of humanitarian missions according to natural disasters. With the planning of a multinational air transport association and the interest of other countries in the aircraft, it can be seen that the A400M will play a central role in future military logistics. These developments illustrate the strategic importance and the versatility of the Airbus A400M within NATO and its partner states.