Yesterday, Thursday, February 13, a Royal Air Force (RAF) Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft landed in Punta Arenas, Chile. The aircraft, registered as ZM421, took off in the morning from Mount Pleasant Air Base, located on Soledad Island (Islas Malvinas), without any official statement regarding the purpose of its flight.
According to flight tracking platforms, the A400M avoided Argentine airspace along its route. It is worth noting that the Argentine Air Force operates an INVAP RPA-170M radar in Cabo Santo Domingo, Río Grande, with a range of 315 km, which may have influenced the aircraft’s flight path.
Users on the social network X reported the arrival of the A400M at Chabunco Air Base in Punta Arenas. However, there have been no official statements from the RAF or the UK Ministry of Defence regarding the aircraft’s operation in the region.
Recently, the aircraft reportedly departed, possibly heading towards Antarctica, presumably en route to Rothera Research Station, located on Adelaide Island on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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