Britain builds maintenance hangar for A400M transports

LONDON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- A three-bay maintenance hangar for Britain's fleet of A400M transport aircraft has been completed at a Royal Air Force base, the Ministry of Defense reports.

The structure at RAF Brize Norton can house three A400M Atlas aircraft as well as the C17 Globemaster and the A330 Voyager when static.

The structure is nearly 92 feet high, covers more than 288,000 square feet and features solar panels to provide up to 70 kilowatts of electrical power.

Once outfitted and operational next year, it will also hold a ground equipment store, engine and tire bays and a three-story office and amenities block.

The building was constructed by Balfour Beatty under a $52 million contract from the Defense Infrastructure Organization.

"The A400M Atlas will be the mainstay of the RAF's air transport fleet so this hangar is a vital facility which will enable the aircraft to be maintained and repaired," said DIO Project Manager Denis Williams. "I'm delighted to mark the completion of DIO's role in this pan-defense project."

The RAF A400M fleet will eventually number 22 aircraft. They are to replace the service's C-130 transports.