The Bundeswehr will receive two Airbus A321-200NX to transport up to 163 passengers. Alternatively, the cabin can be equipped to transport up to six intensive care patients or up to twelve mildly or moderately ill or injured people. Mixed configurations can also be installed. The experience of recent years, particularly the recent experience with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, has shown that unrestricted national access to these capacities is necessary.
The Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) and Lufthansa Technik AG (LHT) signed a contract for the equipment of the two aircraft on July 8, 2020. The financial resources for this were approved as part of the adoption of the second supplementary budget 2020 on July 3, 2020.
The two aircraft will be transferred to Hamburg to LHT in August and October 2020 as a so-called “Green Aircraft”. Lufthansa Technik prepares the aircraft for various missions such as troop transport and the MedEvac role. For this purpose, the aircraft are modified, the cabin equipment is added, the MedEvac components are installed and military components are equipped. With the appropriate installations, the aircraft can be used in 18 different interior configurations.
LHT supplies 14 patient transport units (PTU), up to six of which can be fitted on an aircraft. Two PTU serve as reserve.
The A321-200NX is the further development of the A321 series with a particularly efficient engine and winglets that reduce fuel consumption by around a fifth and enable an increase in range to 7,400 km. The two aircraft will be operated by the Federal Ministry of Defense's flight readiness unit, using synergy effects with the already introduced models of the Airbus A320 family.
The schedule stipulates that the aircraft will be handed over to the Bundeswehr in 2022 after the conversion and setup work has been completed.
Gerhard Heiming
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