Luftwaffe Airbus A400M transporter plane sighted in Sydney during war exercises

The arrival of a rare German war plane at Sydney Airport has excited plane watchers, but there’s a mystery around why it has been diverted from war exercises in Darwin.

Sydneysiders were treated to the rare sight of a German Luftwaffe war plane spending a weekend at Sydney Airport before it made a spectacular take off just before midnight on Monday.

The mystery arrival of the Airbus A400M transporter plane – complete with the familiar black German cross on the fuselage – sparked keen interest from plane spotters and the public.

It’s the first ever of its type from the German Air Force – Team Luftwaffe – to land in the Harbour City.

The plane is in Australia for Exercise Pitch Black – a biennial three week war exercise being conducted in the Top End involving 17 countries.

But why it came down to Sydney for the weekend is a closely guarded secret, with airport and defence officials alike tight-lipped.

The German Luftwaffe plane parked in the General Aviation Section of Sydney Airport. Picture: David Jones

The German contingent – six Eurofighters, four A400M multirole aircraft and three A330 aircraft – is that nation’s largest peacetime deployment in the Indo-Pacific.

It’s also the first time Germany is taking part in the joint drills, which also involve NATO countries such as France and Britain, as well as the United States, Canada and Southeast Asian nations.

A United States Air Force F-15C Eagle from Kadena Air Force Base in Japan arrives in Darwin for Exercise Pitch Black 22. Exercise Pitch Black is the Royal Australian Air Force’s largest and most complex Large Force Employment exercise.

Up to 25000 personnel and 100 aircraft are taking part in the exercises, with RAAF Base Darwin one of the main centres.

Airbus says their plane is the “backbone” of military air transport activities.

A Defence spokeswoman confirmed the German Luftwaffe transporter had landed in Sydney as part of Exercise Pitch Black.

Planespotters were treated to a view of the German Air Force A400M 54+21 departing Sydney airport after being here over the weekend. Picture: Grahame Hutchison via Twitter

After a weekend in Sydney, the German Air Force A400M 54+21 departed tonight at 2130L, and will head back to Darwin for Exercise Pitch Black @SydneyAirport@bundeswehrInfo#a400#a400mpic.twitter.com/w8vCcvFgTv

— 16Right Media (@16right_media) August 22, 2022

“The aircraft has been in the Northern Territory as part of the exercise, bringing personnel and equipment to RAAF Base Darwin,” she said.

“The aircraft is now heading back to Germany via Sydney, Papeete, Isla De Pasqua, and Cochabamba.”

The German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht had told German news media that their focus was still on the Ukraine war – but “we must also direct our attention towards other regions”.

The country also sent a navy frigate to waters off Taiwan last year for the first time in two decades to do joint exercises with Japan.

It follows escalating tensions with China over the sovereignty of Taiwan.

Originally published as Luftwaffe Airbus A400M transporter plane sighted in Sydney during war exercises