Atlas A400M beach landing training at Pembrey Sands in West Wales 140623 CREDIT RAF — Aircrew from LXX & 30 Squadron have been honing their beach landing skills (Picture: RAF).

Aircraft

Atlas conducts beach landing training in West Wales

An Atlas A400M has carried out beach landing training at Pembrey Sands in West Wales as the aircraft it is due to help replace flew a farewell tour of the UK.

The Atlas is designed to land in remote locations, and aircrew from LXX & 30 Squadron at Brize Norton have been practising landing the aircraft on natural surfaces such as grass or sand.

The training involved disembarkation drills of Pathfinders from 16 Air Assault Brigade.

Pathfinders from 16 Air Assault Brigade who practiced their rapid disembarkation drills in Pembrey Sands 140623 CREDIT RAF — Pathfinders from 16 Air Assault Brigade practising their rapid disembarkation drills in Pembrey Sands (Picture: RAF).

As soon as the aircraft landed the braces of the Pathfinder's vehicles were released and they drove off the ramp at the back of the aircraft.

The Atlas is a transport vehicle, set to replace the Hercules which is being retired in June.

"The Atlas A400M is a step forward in technology, it can carry twice as much, 50% further, 25% faster and the training in Wales today demonstrates its ability to land on short unprepared runways," said Wing Commander Gav Anderson, Officer Commanding the Air Mobility training squadron.

At 148ft in length, the Atlas can carry 116 equipped troops including vehicles and Chinook helicopters.

When operating in hostile environments, the ability for crew and vehicles to swiftly disembark is crucial.

The A400M beach landing training was facilitated by the RAF’s Tactical Air Traffic Controllers 140623 CREDIT RAF — The A400M beach landing training was facilitated by the RAF’s Tactical Air Traffic Controllers (Picture: RAF).

To optimise the training opportunity, the Atlas A400M was accompanied by extra pilots who practised these specialised landings, including a series of 'touch-and-go' as well as 'full-stop' landings on the short temporary runway.

A touch-and-go landing involves landing on the runway and taking off again without coming to a full stop.

The new Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, admitted last month that the transition from the retirement of the Hercules and the takeover by the Atlas would leave a capability gap for Special Forces operations.

He said: "There is a gap from when the Hercules goes out of service to when the A400M picks up all of those capabilities.

"The niche issues where the gap is is around the airdrop and the kind of things we can drop from the aircraft."

Three RAF Hercules flew across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, on Wednesday to mark the aircraft's retirement.