The arrival of two Spanish NH90 Lobo helicopters in the USA aboard two A400Ms

Last Tuesday we saw here the embarkation of two NH90 Lobo helicopters of the Spanish Air Force onto two A400M Atlas.

The loading of two NH90 military helicopters onto two Spanish A400M Atlas aircraft
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This complex process was aimed at transporting both helicopters, operated by Wing 48, to Gulfport, Mississippi, USA for Exercise Southern Strike 2026, an air special operations training exercise organized by the Mississippi Air National Guard. This is the first time that Spanish A400Ms have carried an NH90, the largest and heaviest helicopter ever transported by these aircraft operated by Wing 31, based in Zaragoza. A new milestone for Spanish military aviation.

This Friday, the US Armed Forces' multimedia portal DVIDShub.bet released a video showing the arrival of the two A400Ms in Gulfport and the operations to unload the two Spanish helicopters:

DVIDShub.net has also published four photos of the Spanish aircraft, taken by Staff Sgt. Dylan McCrink of the Air National Guard.

The arrival of one of the Spanish A400Ms, the T.23-10 (31-30), in Gulfport on February 17. For this flight, the aforementioned aircraft and the T.23-13 (31-33) were used.

The two Spanish A400Ms are now parked on the apron of the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), the epicenter of this exercise. Both aircraft have their loading ramps open. We see the T.23-10 (31-30) in the foreground and the T.23-13 (31-33) behind it.

One of the Spanish NH90 Lobo helicopters in a hangar at Gulfport CRTC next to a large American flag. It still has its main rotor removed and is missing two of the tail rotor blades, its configuration for loading onto an A400M.

Spanish personnel from Wing 48 alongside an NH90 Lobo, HD.29-17 (803-17), in a hangar at Gulfport CRTC working on the aircraft to make it operational for this exercise. Below you can see some screenshots from the video showing the arrival of the two Spanish A400Ms and the unloading and transfer of the two NH90 Lobos at Gulfport CRTC.

The T.23-13 (31-33) just landed at Gulfport CRTC.

The T.23-10 (31-30) taxiing on the Gulfport CRTC platform.

Engine number 4 of the T.23-13 (31-33). In the background we see the T.23-10 (31-30) with its loading ramp already open.

Spanish personnel manually unloading one of the NH90s from an A400M.

A Gulfport CRTC tow tractor hooking up one of the Spanish NH90s.

The tow tractor pulling the Spanish NH90. Behind it we see the A400M T.23-10 (31-30) and behind it a C-130J-30 Super Hercules of the 143rd Airlift Wing of the Rhode Island Air National Guard.