In late January and early March, the French Air and Space Force, with support from Canada and Denmark, conducted critical Arctic tests. Pilots and crews trained in extreme conditions, facing -30 to -40°C, gaining a better understanding of operations on frozen runways in remote locations.
The French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace, AAE) tested its A400M Atlas cargo aircraft for operations on icy runways in the northern Polar regions. During the tests, the aircraft operated from remote airports in Canada and Greenland in late January and in March, respectively, revealed the service and Denmark’s Defence Command (Forsvaret).
In both the regions, the AAE’s Centre d’Expertise Aérienne Militaire – Air Warfare Center (CEAM) – and its Tactical Airlift Mark Team (EMATT) were involved. The trial flights provided valuable data to the crews on new piloting, maintenance and logistical procedures for expanding the A400M Atlas’ capabilities and operate in extreme cold and icy runways – an area the French had no prior experience with.
With the help of the Canadians and the Danes, the AAE learnt the behaviour of various aircraft components, like gaskets, hydraulics and batteries, in minus 30-40° C temperatures. Obviously, this also provided hand-on experience to better understand the characteristics of runways in those environments.
The effort was dictated by both technical and geopolitical goals – broadening the capability spectrum of the A400M, serving as backup resupply to remote Danish bases in Greenland, and acquiring capabilities to fly missions to Antarctica. Images released by both the AAE and Denmark’s Defence Command, showing the A400M in the ice-covered bases, do not however identify those locations.
Flights in Canada
The AAE said that the A400M trials in Canadatook place from Jan. 13 to Jan. 30, 2025. The CEAM’s EMATT flew an A400M, with crews from the 25th Air Engineer Regiment (25th RGA), first to the CFB Trenton, near Ottawa, which hosts the RCAF’s (Royal Canadian Air Force’s) 8th Wing. Later, “the French crew headed north to land on rough terrain,” further describing it as “gravel terrain, frozen and covered in snow.”
The AAE press release quoted the pilot-in-command, Lt. Col. François-Xavier, who said the test campaign in Canada stemmed from “an expression of need issued by the Capability Development Office” of the AAE’s General Staff (EMAAE), with the goal “to develop the capabilities of the A400M Atlas, particularly in terms of landing on basic terrain, in extreme cold.”
According to the release, the crews “spoke with the technicians and administrators of the civilian airports hosting [the AAE’s A400M] and were able to understand the equipment needed for runway maintenance. In France, we have no experience maintaining rough runways in cold weather,” explained François-Xavier.
The AAE was “able to benefit from the expertise of [its] allies,” saying “their advice was invaluable.” In fact, the service mentioned their “Canadian counterparts are used to working in these conditions” as, “in the middle of winter, approximately 90% of the territory is frozen.”
The Canadians, who routinely operate their C-17 Globemasters here, provided advice so that the French could be “sure that [they] didn’t forget anything in [their] preparation.” For instance, the AAE learnt that it “must ensure that the aircraft is warmed up before the flight, particularly in order to preserve the onboard electronics.”
We must also pay particular attention to all the liquids on board, particularly to avoid damaging the pipes,” François-Xavier added. Additionally, after heading north to land in even colder atmospheres, the 25th RGA learnt to “assess the runways” and maintain them in cold weather, as stated earlier.
Surprisingly, François-Xavier noted that from a technical standpoint, the aircraft performed “quite well,” except for a “few minor electronic glitches during start-up.” “The aircraft’s performance is quite good in cold weather, and the rigidity of the terrain, due to the negative temperatures, prevents any risk of getting stuck on rough, icy terrain,” he said.
Moreover, the A400M’s “grip was greater than expected,” belying “fears” the crew had about “the risk of skidding and loss of control during taxiing, due to the presence of snow and ice on the ground,” or the “greater stopping margin than usual” they planned upon landing. “This [was] mainly due to the Canadians maintaining the icy runways,” François-Xavier said.
The AAE release then revealed the next mission to Greenland, following the “snow-covered and frozen gravel runways” in Canada, which “were the first step of the program.” By “next winter” the AAE’s “goal is to land on ice runways, such as those serving several international scientific research stations in Antarctica.” The final goal, says the AAE’s release, is to “reach the aircraft’s real limits,” in order to “broaden the aircraft’s capability spectrum for certain operations, particularly high-intensity ones,” and be able “to respond to potential operational emergencies.”
Landings in Greenland
In early Mar. 2025, the AAE A400M conducted trials from Greenland’s Station Nord and Mestersvig, according to the Forsvaret, as the French had revealed that to be their next destination in the release about the tests from Canada. The AAE, however, has not released any statement about this leg of the A400M’s arctic capability expansion.
The Forsvaret noted that, while the AAE “has experience operating in impassable terrain” with their A400M, it is not the same as the RDAF’s (Royal Danish Air Force) experience on “runways built of prepared ice and snow” they use in Greenland with their C-130J Hercules.
