French Air Force A400M deployed to Greenland
March 15, 2025
A crew from the French CEAM (Centre d’Expertise Aérienne Militaire) test centre’s Air Warfare Centre landed at Station Nord on Wednesday, 4 March. The A400M then made a total of five flights between Station Nord and Mestersvig with progressively larger amounts of cargo. This short test campaign certified the A400M for operation on ice runways, but also supported the resupply of Arctic Command stations in Northeast Greenland, and demonstrated France’s solidarity with its Danish hosts, and its support for Denmark’s presence in Greenland.
One of the Royal Danish Air Force C-130J test pilots who helped train the French for their certification trials was Major BOF from the Air Transport Wing at Aalborg Air Force Station. He said that: “The French have a lot of experience using what are called dirt strips in Africa but have no experience with ice rinks. They want that, and we have helped them with that.”
BOF said that the discipline is basically the same whether landing on sand or ice, but pointed out that there are some special factors to consider when operating on a landing site at temperatures of minus 30 or minus 40 degrees Celsius. “The equipment quickly gets cold when it’s on the ground. Gaskets become porous, hydraulic leaks can occur, and batteries don’t do well in the cold either, so it’s important to put some heaters on as soon as you land,” he explained.
Major General Søren Andersen, the commander of Arctic Command, said that Arctic Command was pleased with its co-operation with the French Air Force. “Firstly, it is always positive that the Danish Armed Forces’ special competencies are recognized by the French Air Force, and that we can also co-operate with our close allies here in Greenland. Secondly, the certification opens up the possibility that the French can in the long term provide additional redundancy in the resupply to Station Nord and Mestersvig, which are located in highly challenging weather areas where not many have operational experience. Also because the A400M is a larger aircraft than our C130J and can carry a load that is almost twice as large.”
