The first series production example of Airbus Military's A400M Atlas has emerged from the paint hangar at the company's San Pablo final assembly site in Seville, Spain, with freshly applied French air force markings.

 A400M French air force - Airbus Military

Airbus Military

Aircraft MSN7 is the first of a contracted 174 A400Ms that will be produced for European partner nations Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the UK, as well as first export buyer Malaysia.

Following an earlier five "Grizzly" development aircraft currently involved in a flight test programme, the transport is scheduled to be delivered to the programme's launch operator by the end of the second quarter of 2013. It is the first of 50 A400Ms on order to replace the French air force's aged C-160 Transalls.

Source: Flight International