The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) has demonstrated a new long-range deployment capability after an Airbus A400M completed a nonstop 6,750-nm (12,500-km) flight from Wunstorf Air Base to Hawaii using only aerial refueling provided by other A400M aircraft.
The mission lasted nearly 17 hours and included two air-to-air refueling operations that transferred about 35 tonnes of fuel, allowing the transport aircraft to reach Hawaii without landing. According to the Luftwaffe, the flight was designed to prove that the A400M fleet can carry out long-distance deployments independently, without relying on allied tanker aircraft or refueling stops along the route.
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The aircraft followed a polar route via Norway, Iceland, north of Greenland and Alaska before crossing the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. Flying close to the North Pole also allowed crews to evaluate navigation and operations in high-latitude conditions rarely encountered during routine European missions.
Because the A400M cannot carry enough fuel for such a long flight at takeoff, the German Air Force used two additional A400Ms configured as tankers. One refueled the aircraft between Norway and Iceland before diverting to Norway, while a second aircraft positioned in Alaska carried out another refueling roughly two-thirds of the way through the mission.
Luftwaffe A400Ms | Luftwaffe 
Luftwaffe A400Ms refueling in the air | Luftwaffe
According to Colonel Markus Knoll, commander of Air Transport Wing 62, the concept allows Germany to deploy aircraft rapidly without requesting tanker support from partner nations or securing multiple overflight clearances and landing permissions.
The capability could be particularly valuable for evacuation missions, humanitarian operations or military deployments requiring a rapid and discreet response, where minimizing diplomatic coordination may be critical.
The mission also highlighted one of the A400M's lesser-known capabilities. Aircraft equipped with the Hose Drum Unit (HDU), installed in the rear cargo ramp, can refuel another A400M in flight. While the Luftwaffe has used the system for years to refuel fighter aircraft, this mission focused on tanker-to-transport operations within its own fleet.
Knoll described the maneuver as particularly demanding because two large transport aircraft fly less than 20 meters apart at about 500 km/h while maintaining precise formation. The challenge was increased by the duration of the mission, with crews conducting the final refueling after more than 10 hours in the air and nearly 18 hours on duty.
With 53 aircraft ordered and all of them already delivered, Germany remains the A400M's largest operator. Those aircraft account for about 30% of all orders placed for the military transport.
