Five Military Aircraft That Are Made By Airbus

When folks in the United States think about military aircraft, they likely picture those built by the likes of Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and others, but they aren't the only defense contractors on the job. Airbus, a multinational European aerospace company that has been operating since the 1960s, is equally capable of designing, building, and improving a number of military aircraft used by militaries all over the world, including the U.S.

Still, while these aircraft are relatively ubiquitous throughout the West, they don't get as much attention as something like the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, or AH-64 Apache. While the United States does own and operate several different vehicles manufactured by Airbus, the company's primary customers are NATO allies throughout Europe. As a result, the U.S. doesn't fly the Airbus Eurofighter, but plenty of countries do, and it's an exceptional, advanced fighter.

The majority of Airbus' military aircraft are designed for non-combat or combat support operations, but the company is at the forefront of the U.S. Army's newest helicopter in its sizable fleet, the UH-72 Lakota. This and many other impressive vehicles manufactured by Airbus continue to dominate the skies wherever they fly, thanks to the company's exceptional track record and demonstrable successes in the military aerospace industry. These five aircraft are Airbus' most notable that are used by various militaries around the world.

Airbus Military developed the Airbus A400M Atlas in 2003, introducing it to several militaries within NATO in 2013. The aircraft is a tactical airlifter capable of strategic support. The A400M is comparable to the American C-130 and C-17, falling between the two models in terms of size and load capacity. The aircraft has several functions and can be used for tactical airlift, strategic airlift, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and aerial refueling, making it more capable than its American counterparts.

The A400M Atlas can fly up to 5,500 miles before requiring refueling and can fly up to 0.72 Mach (548 mph). In terms of cargo capacity, the aircraft can move up to 37 tons of material within its 12,000 cubic feet cargo hold. That gives the A400M a greater lifting capability than the C-130, which can move roughly 21 tons. Additionally, the A400M can land and takeoff from short, unpaved airstrips. The aircraft can use airstrips measuring under 2,500 feet while transporting 25 tons and enough fuel to make a 580-mile round trip.

While the A400M isn't primarily used for air-to-air refueling, each aircraft comes with the necessary equipment standard. When needed, it can transfer its 16,770 gallons into a variety of different aircraft. They are able to fuel up to two planes at once, with each hose and drogue under-wing refueling pod being capable of transferring 400 gallons per minute. This can increase to 600 gallons per minute while using a single, center-line hose.

The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is primarily an aerial refueling platform, but the aircraft can also be used for a variety of military transport missions. The aircraft entered the service of several nations' militaries in 2011. Since it's relatively new to the market, as of June 30, 2024, only 60 aircraft are in operation since its introduction. The A330 MRTT is purpose-built for refueling, as it carries 245,000 pounds of fuel at maximum capacity, which it can deliver to two aircraft at once, though they're capable of operating in several different mission sets.

In addition to aerial refueling, the A330 has an additional carrying capacity of 45 tons, which can be used to transport up to 300 passengers. Other configurations enable the carrying of 40 stretchers in support of MedEvac missions, including additional seating for 20 medical staff and 100 passengers. The lower deck can hold up to eight military pallets or 27 LD3 containers, and the A330 can support the long-distance deployment of four fighter aircraft over a long distance.

In this capacity, the A330 can support four fighters by supplying additional fuel. While doing this, it can transport 50 personnel and an additional 12 tons of freight cargo over a distance of 3,230 miles. Since its introduction in 2011, A330s have flown over 275,000 hours and have been acquired by fifteen nations around the world. Also notable is that the A330 is the first tanker to receive certification for automatic air-to-air refueling (A3R) boom operations during daylight hours.

Airbus' only fighter aircraft currently in operation is the Eurofighter Typhoon jet, which the United States considers to be a "Generation 4.5" fighter. This puts it in the same category as the latest updates of the F-15 and F-16 or the Russian MiG-35 and Su-30. Airbus introduced the Eurofighter in 2003, and it's since been sold and operated by numerous European nations. As of November 2023, 592 Eurofighters are in operation, so the aircraft has seen wide use since its introduction.

Of the many impressive features the Eurofighter boasts, its shape and wing configuration is the most striking. The jet's design includes canards (small wings behind the nose) and wings that extend back to the tail. This provides exceptional maneuverability and directional mobility while the aircraft flies just below supersonic speeds. This gives the aircraft an exceptional turn rate, making it harder to track, target, and pursue. The Eurofighter is more than a great flying aircraft, as its capabilities make it a lethal fighter in today's airspace.

The Eurofighter is a multirole fighter with numerous capabilities, including the ability to fly up to Mach 2 (mph), it can fly at a max altitude of 55,000 feet, and it's well-armed. The Eurofighter carries the Meteor, Iris T, ASRAAM, and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and a variety of air-to-surface ordnance, including the Stormshadow, Brimstone II, numerous bombs, and more. Additionally, the Eurofighter's surface is made of 15% metal, giving it stealth capabilities that make it comparable to more advanced fifth-generation fighters.

The Airbus C295 is a tactical transport aircraft developed through the '90s and first introduced in 2001. Like the company's other fixed-wing military aircraft, the C295 is operated by numerous countries. Since its introduction, Airbus has produced and delivered 225 to its customers. Unlike the two transport aircraft previously mentioned, the C295 is a medium transport, so it cannot move as much cargo as the A330 or A400. Still, it's no slouch and can move up to nine tons of cargo or carry as many as 71 troops.

While it's smaller than the aforementioned aircraft, the C295 can be used for refueling and transferring fuel to both fixed-wing and helicopters, so it's versatile. Like most military aircraft, the C295 has several variants which enable it to conduct a variety of missions. In addition to tactical transport, these include maritime surveillance, close-air-support, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection, airborne early warning (AEW), MedEvac, and water bombing to fight forest fires.

The C295 also boasts the latest and greatest in cockpit technology and features the Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), which enables all of its variant mission types. This makes the aircraft highly flexible and modular, enabling future updates to be integrated seamlessly into the aircraft's base systems. Additionally, the aircraft is outfitted with various radar systems, threat detection sensors, satellite communications (SATCOM), and other commo technology that enables support to all kinds of missions; whether supporting units on the ground or the sea; the C295 is fully mission capable.

The Eurocopter UH-72 was designed and built by American Eurocopter for the United States Navy and Army. Like other U.S. choppers, the UH-72 received a Native American name: Lakota. The helicopter was first introduced in 2007 and was chosen to replace the Bell UH-1H/V Iroquois and OH-58A/C Kiowa helicopters as the U.S. military's primary light helicopter. Since its introduction, more than 480 UH-72s have been produced and delivered, with the latest model, the UH-72B, taking the lead in 2021. This version includes a 5-rotor version (replacing the older 4-rotor version).

The UH-72 is used by several services, including the Army National Guard. The Guard operates the UH-72 in a variety of missions, including search and rescue, disaster relief, border security, and drug interdiction operations. Other services use the helicopter for transporting troops and materials, aviation support, ISR, MedEvac, command and control, and flight training, so its versatility has made it an ideal replacement for the two airframes it supplanted in the U.S. inventory.

There are several variants, including proposals for armed versions and an unmanned variant, which may enter the inventory for the Army and U.S. Marine Corps by the late 2020s. The USMC could use an unmanned version as a logistics coordinator, though it's unclear if it will be placed fully into service. The UH-72 can fly at a maximum speed of 167 mph, though they cruise at 153 mph. They can fly up to 426 miles away to a service ceiling of 13,181 feet.