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A400M UK Medium Term Aircraft In-Service Support Contract Extension UK7 Contract Details Notice

Defence Equipment and Support

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

20 Oct 2026 at 10:16

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

08 Sep 2026 at 11:37

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

24 Oct 2025 at 11:26

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Defence Equipment and Support has extended national in-service support for the Atlas A400M military aircraft. The services cover airframe base maintenance, line maintenance and line support, and continuing airworthiness management. The work supports the safe upkeep and operational availability of the UK’s A400M fleet while the aircraft’s capability is upgraded and retrofit work continues. Aircraft maintenance and support are delivered in the United Kingdom and Spain. The contract is with Airbus Military Sociedad Limitada, also identified as Airbus Defence and Space Limited, with Airbus Military UK Limited named for subcontracted work. The requirement is specific to the A400M platform and combines maintenance with the technical and regulatory support needed to keep the aircraft airworthy and compatible with the wider A400M support arrangement.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Airbus Military Sociedad Limitada (AMSL), also identified as Airbus Defence and Space Limited. The award was made on 8 September 2026, and the contract was signed on 21 September 2026. Its value is £189,823,013. The core contract period runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 April 2029, with an option for a further 12 months, potentially extending the period to 30 April 2030, to avoid a gap in support. This was a direct award without competition. Defence Equipment and Support justified the route on technical grounds: AMSL is the aircraft’s original manufacturer and design authority, with unique access, expertise and regulatory approvals. One lot was awarded. Performance is measured through aircraft availability, maintenance return-to-service delays and engine preservation.

This contract demonstrates demand for specialist, integrated support for the Atlas A400M, rather than general aircraft maintenance. A credible competitor would need deep A400M design and technical knowledge, access to the aircraft’s support and interoperability arrangements, and the ability to manage continuing airworthiness alongside base maintenance, line support and retrofit activity. The buyer’s rationale makes clear that relevant maintenance approvals and coordination across regulated organisations are central: suppliers would need to meet the applicable military aviation and maintenance requirements and maintain safe, coherent support as aircraft standards change. The work also calls for the capacity to sustain operational aircraft availability and meet measurable maintenance and engine-preservation performance commitments. Airbus Military UK Limited is identified as a subcontractor, indicating a UK delivery role within the wider supplier arrangement.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

A400M UK Medium Term Aircraft In-Service Support Contract Extension UK7 Contract Details Notice

Notice Description

The extension of the existing A400M-097 contract for national in-service support services for the Atlas A400M Airframe, including Base Maintenance Services, Line and Line Support Services and Continuing Airworthiness Management Support Service

Procurement Information

It is considered that this contract can be awarded in accordance with the justification set out in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 to the Procurement Act 2023 where competition is absence for technical reasons. AMSL hold the unique position of being the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Design Authority (DA) for the A400M aircraft, as well as the provider of common in-service support under the Global Support Step (GSS) arrangement for benefit of all partner nations who co-operated in procuring the design, development and manufacture of the A400M aircraft. In order to provide the required national in-service support services there is specific access, technical know-how and specific interoperability with the GSS arrangement which could only be provided by AMSL. In addition, performance of the national in-service support services is subject to Maintenance Approved Organisation Scheme (MAOS) approval, with all Maintenance Organisations conducting maintenance or repair on UK military registered aircraft required to hold MRP Part 145 approval in accordance with Military Aviation Authority (MAA) Regulatory Article (RA) 4800 series. AMSL as the OEM and DA is uniquely positioned to manage and sustain compliance with the complex regulatory regime applicable to the A400M programme to ensure coherence and seamless integration between the multiple regulated organisational approvals (including the Co-Ordinating Design Organisation, Approved Maintenance Organisation, Contractor Flying Approved Organisation and Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation) to deliver a safe and effective enterprise. Further the A400M aircraft is yet to attain full military operating capability, with AMSL iteratively upgrading the capability and delivering a concurrent retrofit programme. As a result, the build standard of the A400M aircraft remains subject to substantial change and consequentially the platform and its components, design and proven performance remain Page 5 to 6 at a relatively early stage of maturity. As such it is impractical to contract national in service support services with another economic operator and would pose intolerable risk to the capability, effectiveness, readiness and safety of the A400M Atlas aircraft. In summary, AMSL are the only economic operator with the in-depth knowledge, experience and technical know-how to perform the services, whilst ensuring regulatory compliance, satisfaction of interoperability and airworthiness requirements, and delivering the availability for deployment of military operational aircraft that meet the needs of Defence.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d339
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098804-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50211100 - Aircraft maintenance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£189,823,013 £100M-£1B
Contracts Value
£189,823,013 £100M-£1B

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Sep 20261 months ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Apr 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Defence Equipment and Support
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8JH
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Airbus Military Sociedad Limitada (AMSL) [Airbus Defence and Space Limited]

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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