On 21 September 2028, three Förbundsluftstyrkan A400Ms departed the Irakehi air base serving as Väldurenmaa’s forward staging base, carrying the first Bundeshëer armored vehicles committed to Karakia. Each aircraft carried one KJP-30/30 in a lightened A400M transport configuration. The IFVs had their heavy modular side skirts removed, while the basic/light side skirts remained fitted. Fuel and ammunition loads were deliberately reduced to keep the vehicles within the aircraft’s payload limits while still leaving them capable of moving and defending themselves immediately after landing. Each KJP carried approximately 150 liters of fuel, 250 rounds of 30×173 mm ammunition, around 500 rounds of 7.62 mm coaxial ammunition, and two ready-to-fire fire-and-forget ATGMs. Only the three-person vehicle crews travelled with the IFVs. No dismount infantry were carried, while most additional ammunition, armor modules, personal equipment, and support stores were transported separately. In this configuration, each vehicle weighed approximately 36.3 tonnes, giving the A400Ms greater margin beneath their roughly 37-tonne maximum payload. The three aircraft neither departed nor arrived simultaneously. Their movements were staggered by roughly 20 30 minutes, reducing congestion at small Harkom airport and giving ground personnel enough time to move each aircraft and vehicle clear before the next transport arrived. The destination Harkom airport's approximately 5,280-foot runway was worn but largely intact. Earlier inspections had identified minor cracking and surface damage, but the usable section was considered sufficient for the planned landings. Its condition was nevertheless treated as an operational risk, with particular attention paid to debris, further pavement deterioration, and any damage caused during the successive landings. The first A400M landed at approximately 11:20 AM and moved to the designated unloading area. Once the aircraft had been secured, its rear ramp was lowered, and the KJP’s restraints were removed. The vehicle crew boarded, started the engine, and waited for clearance from the loadmaster before driving directly down the ramp. Within several minutes, the first KJP had cleared the aircraft and moved towards a staging area. The second A400M arrived afterward, followed later by the third, with the same procedure repeated for each aircraft. By the end of the movement, three KJP-30/30s and their crews were on the ground in Karakia, marking the first arrival of regular Bundeshëer armored vehicles in the country. The vehicles were not yet prepared for sustained operations. Their fuel and ammunition loads remained limited, their normal heavy modular side protection had not yet been refitted, and each required inspection after air transport. Additional fuel, ammunition, infantry, mechanics, communications personnel, spare parts, armor modules, and other equipment would arrive separately as the Bundeshëer deployment expanded. There was also little room for mechanical failure during unloading. A KJP refusing to start while still inside an A400M could have seriously disrupted the movement, particularly because suitable heavy recovery equipment was not yet readily available at the airfield. All three vehicles therefore underwent repeated inspections before loading at the Irakeh forward staging air base, while the staggered arrival schedule provided additional time to respond should anything go wrong.
Yes, a lot of slop and HEHEHE Rapid Tactical Offload GO BRRR
