14 January 2013 Last updated at 12:58 ET
The first of two C17s left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Sunday
The Africa minister has warned against allowing a "terrorist haven" to develop in northern Mali, telling MPs the situation was a "serious concern".
Mark Simmonds said it was right for the UK to provide "limited support" to help French military efforts against Islamist rebels.
Two RAF C17 cargo planes are assisting, with technical personnel sent to Bamako airport in Mali's capital to help.
France has attacked the militants since Friday, to support Mali's government.
It has called a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in the West African country later on Monday.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Simmonds said: "The situation in Mali is a serious concern for the UK. It would not be in our interests to allow a terrorist haven to develop in northern Mali.
"As a responsible member of the Security Council, we must support the region in limiting the danger of instability in that part of Africa, threatening UK interests," he said.
Technical faultThe first of the two C17s left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Sunday and was loaded with French armoured vehicles and other equipment at the Evreux airbase in Normandy overnight.
It was due to fly to Bamako on Monday morning, but was delayed due to a "minor technical fault", an MoD spokesman said.
The problem is thought to be short-term and the plane is expected to be ready to depart later.
A second C17 has now arrived at the French airbase and is expected to be the first to leave for Mali once it is loaded.
Mr Simmonds told the Commons that a small detachment of technical personnel had also been deployed to Bamako airport, where it will operate and defend the aircraft.
Earlier, defence minister Andrew Robathan told the Commons the UK's commitment of two RAF planes was planned to last a week.
And Prime Minister David Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Britain would also share intelligence with France as part of its campaign.
"There is a very dangerous Islamist regime allied to al-Qaeda in control of the north of that country. It was threatening the south of that country and we should support the action that the French have taken," he said.
"So we were first out of the blocks, as it were, to say to the French 'we'll help you, we'll work with you and we'll share what intelligence we have with you and try to help you with what you are doing'."
The government's National Security Council is set to discuss the situation in Mali when it meets on Tuesday.
Training missionThe European Union has said it would bring forward a military training mission to Mali, which would be launched "in the second half of February or early March".
In December, the EU said it would train Malian and other African troops before they tried to retake the north from rebels, but the spokesman said that ongoing fighting made the mission more urgent.
Continue reading the main story[h=2]Mali crisis background[/h]
Asked whether the UK would play any part in the training, the prime minister's official spokesman told reporters: "We are discussing that training mission with our European partners."
The French are trying to halt an advance by rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda, who have been pushing south from their northern base against the Mali government.
They deployed 550 troops last week after Mali forces lost control of the strategically important town of Konna to the rebels.
The town has since been recaptured by Malian troops with French aerial support.
Islamist groups and secular Tuareg rebels seized a swathe of northern Mali in April 2012 after taking advantage of chaos following a military coup.
On Monday, Islamists took the town of Diabaly, 400km (250 miles) from Bamako, in a counter-attack, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
He said Islamists had retreated in the east, but said French forces were facing a "difficult" situation against well-armed rebels in western areas.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris said the fallout from the action was potentially enormous for French President Francois Hollande.
He said the consequences ranged from the risks of military mission creep, to the strategic repercussions on France's relations in Africa, to the very real threat of terrorist reprisals on hostages and in France.
The Africa minister has warned against allowing a "terrorist haven" to develop in northern Mali, telling MPs the situation was a "serious concern".
Mark Simmonds said it was right for the UK to provide "limited support" to help French military efforts against Islamist rebels.
Two RAF C17 cargo planes are assisting, with technical personnel sent to Bamako airport in Mali's capital to help.
France has attacked the militants since Friday, to support Mali's government.
It has called a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in the West African country later on Monday.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Simmonds said: "The situation in Mali is a serious concern for the UK. It would not be in our interests to allow a terrorist haven to develop in northern Mali.
"As a responsible member of the Security Council, we must support the region in limiting the danger of instability in that part of Africa, threatening UK interests," he said.
Technical faultThe first of the two C17s left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Sunday and was loaded with French armoured vehicles and other equipment at the Evreux airbase in Normandy overnight.
It was due to fly to Bamako on Monday morning, but was delayed due to a "minor technical fault", an MoD spokesman said.
The problem is thought to be short-term and the plane is expected to be ready to depart later.
A second C17 has now arrived at the French airbase and is expected to be the first to leave for Mali once it is loaded.
Mr Simmonds told the Commons that a small detachment of technical personnel had also been deployed to Bamako airport, where it will operate and defend the aircraft.
Earlier, defence minister Andrew Robathan told the Commons the UK's commitment of two RAF planes was planned to last a week.
And Prime Minister David Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Britain would also share intelligence with France as part of its campaign.
"There is a very dangerous Islamist regime allied to al-Qaeda in control of the north of that country. It was threatening the south of that country and we should support the action that the French have taken," he said.
"So we were first out of the blocks, as it were, to say to the French 'we'll help you, we'll work with you and we'll share what intelligence we have with you and try to help you with what you are doing'."
The government's National Security Council is set to discuss the situation in Mali when it meets on Tuesday.
Training missionThe European Union has said it would bring forward a military training mission to Mali, which would be launched "in the second half of February or early March".
In December, the EU said it would train Malian and other African troops before they tried to retake the north from rebels, but the spokesman said that ongoing fighting made the mission more urgent.
Continue reading the main story[h=2]Mali crisis background[/h]
- The rebel groups, some with links to al-Qaeda, took control of the large areas of the north of the country in April 2012
- The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and Islamist Ansar Dine are the two major Tuareg groups involved in the current advance
- The MNLA grouping wants independence for the Tuareg's northern homeland, which it calls Azawad
- Ansar Dine has ties to al-Qaeda's north Africa branch, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which specialises in taking Westerners hostage for ransom
- It wants to remain part of Mali but wants to introduce Sharia across the whole country, which is largely Muslim
- The West African regional grouping Ecowas had agreed to launch a coordinated military expedition to recapture the north at a meeting in Nigeria in November, with UN backing in the Autumn
- But France has now moved to help its former colony try to halt the advance
Asked whether the UK would play any part in the training, the prime minister's official spokesman told reporters: "We are discussing that training mission with our European partners."
The French are trying to halt an advance by rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda, who have been pushing south from their northern base against the Mali government.
They deployed 550 troops last week after Mali forces lost control of the strategically important town of Konna to the rebels.
The town has since been recaptured by Malian troops with French aerial support.
Islamist groups and secular Tuareg rebels seized a swathe of northern Mali in April 2012 after taking advantage of chaos following a military coup.
On Monday, Islamists took the town of Diabaly, 400km (250 miles) from Bamako, in a counter-attack, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
He said Islamists had retreated in the east, but said French forces were facing a "difficult" situation against well-armed rebels in western areas.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris said the fallout from the action was potentially enormous for French President Francois Hollande.
He said the consequences ranged from the risks of military mission creep, to the strategic repercussions on France's relations in Africa, to the very real threat of terrorist reprisals on hostages and in France.