THE first of the new aircraft that will replace the Hercules fleet at RAF Brize Norton has landed at the base.

The plane, the first of 22 Airbus A400M Atlas transports on order for the RAF, arrived on Monday from the Airbus Defence factory at Seville in Spain after completing acceptance trials.

The four-engine turbo-prop plane will be used for training ahead of a formal acceptance ceremony on November 27 at the air station near Carterton. It will enter service next year.

And the RAF's second Atlas is now undergoing trials in Spain after making its maiden flight recently.

Our top stories

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.