Truckkie, you ask about A-400M
Does it have ESF/Fuel Tank inerting and the latest DAS for all 25 airframes?
If it's any help the DEC (Director of Equipment Capability) who covered the A-400M from Apr 2005 to Apr 2008, Brig Hamish McNinch, gave evidence on oath about this at the Hercules Inquest.
He confirmed that the RAF will have 25 A-400Ms (and 24 C-130Js and 6 C-17s), and the coroner asked him
Will all those aircraft be fitted with some form of fuel tank protection?
The Brigadier answered unequivocally, "yes".
However, earlier he had said that the funding had not yet been made available for the whole OBIGGS fit for the A-400M. They had instead funded fitting the pipework, with a view to using the 'Pro-Fit' system which he said can be fitted as required in a matter of hours.
The question of DAS did not come up directly in this part of the Inquest, but the scuttlebutt has it that fewer than half of the 25 aircraft have had funding approved for DAS.
airsound