ORAC, Laurent has several good ideas for an EDA AAR aircraft pool...
Regarding A400M,
The U.K. is not planning to use the A400M for refueling, but senior officers have stated a desire to fit HDUs to one or more of that aircraft to be deployed in the Falkland Islands in support of the four Eurofighter Typhoons based there. This would eliminate the need to deploy one of the U.K.’s Airbus A330 Voyager tankers to that site on a permanent basis.........
Yes, the Atlas would certainly be ideal for the South Atlantic theatre. Even better if there were 2, both with probes, the modified rear door, palletised FRU when required, a pair of wing AAR pods and at least 1 cargo bay tank. I sincerely hope that the Atlas CBTs are generic, so that with 2 in theatre one aircraft could be re-roled to the 2 CBT fit when necessary...
But of course there's the none-too-small matter of the AirTanker exclusivity clause to consider....
