I don't know where you get your 'huge increase in fuel consumption' from? But wth nearly twice the power of the Tyne, the TP400 certainly doesn't have twice the thirst.
The larger OEW is partly due to the fact that the A400M is a rugged aircraft with a tactical load limit of in excess of 2.5g. Something which cannot be said of the Belfast.
As for using C5, A380, C-17 or B747, then transferring to a 'tactical' aircraft - that's precisely what the A400M is designed to overcome! It has the payload/range/speed of a strategic transport (but not the outsize capability of the An124, for example) - plus the characteristics necessary for a modern, rugged, tactical transport. As well as the ability to be used as a tactical tanker.
Last edited by BEagle; 29th August 2007 at 06:57.