Written question asked by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Friday, 9 June 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 14 June 2023 (named day). It was answered by James Cartlidge (Conservative) on Wednesday, 14 June 2023 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

A400M Aircraft: Parachuting

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Air Force's A400M aircraft have received clearance for low level parachuting capability.

Answer: The generation of evidence to support an initial clearance for the Low Level Parachute on Atlas is complete. However, a parachuting incident experienced by one of the Partner Nations has required mitigating action to be taken across the programme on safety grounds. Swift collaboration across the international programme has produced a minor modification for the aircraft but revised the transfer of the initial capability to the Front Line until September 2023. The full clearance of Low Level Parachute capability remains planned for January 2024.

Secondary information