An RAF plane containing a vital 84-tonne shipment of masks, gowns and other personal protective equipment for the NHS frontline staff has landed in the UK.
The Atlas A400M, with the registration RRR4995/ZM416 touched down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire just before 3.40am.
It had been due to arrive on April 19 but was delayed.
The shipment comes as far more than 50 NHS staff have died after contracting the new coronavirus and senior doctors and nurses have raised their concerns as staff don't have the right equipment to protect themselves.
Some are reported to have been washing disposable gear in a bid to stay safe.
The Royal Air Force flew the huge A400M transport plane out to Turkey on Sunday to collect the equipment from their Turkish counterparts.
Reports say the NHS is currently using 150,000 gowns a day.
This is the second shipment to arrive at Brize Norton and comes after the RAF explained the role the A400M has been playing in a critical role in the UK's battle against coronavirus - airlifting seriously ill patients and helping bring personal protective equipment from Turkey to RAF Brize Norton.
The Royal Air Force Atlas C1 (A400M) aircraft have assisted the NHS by airlifting critically ill patients from remote areas of the UK to intensive care units.
The RAF said in a statement: "The Atlas is ideally suited to such tasks, especially at the present time where care has to be taken in protecting both patients and the medical staff caring for them.
"The newest transport aircraft in the transport fleet, Atlas is a tactical airlift and strategic oversize lift capability, meaning it can carry huge loads into and out of areas that may not have ideal airport or runway conditions, such as gravel strips or beaches.
"This makes it an excellent addition to the standby fleet ready to assist the government in the efforts against COVID-19 with its ability to deliver critical supplies to (or retrieve patients) from remote areas of the UK and abroad."
