A400M bestillinger - Reduksjoner i mange land

French Accept First A400M; Spain Wants Fewer

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE » AUGUST 9, 2013

by  CHRIS POCOCK

Turkey will be the second of the seven partner nations in Europe to take delivery of the A400M. Its first aircraft is shown conducting engine runs at Seville on July 29. The French air force took delivery of the first production aircraft four days later. (Photo: Airbus Military)

August 9, 2013, 11:10 AM

The French Air Force accepted its first A400Mairlifter on August 2, when an all-military crew flew the first production aircraft–MSN7–from Seville to its operational base at Orleans. The flight followed a July 31 declaration by the pan-European procurement agency OCCAR that Airbus Military had achieved the contracted specifications for the initial operating capability of the new airlifter. The French defense procurement agency DGA described the first delivery as “the culmination of a long, complex and painstaking process.” Airbus Military noted that more than 5,000 flight-test hours had been amassed during a 10-year development process.

This milestone should be the signal for Airbus Military to step up its export marketing efforts for the A400M. It has forecast total sales of 300 aircraft over the next 20 years, and 400 over 30 years. The seven European partner nations in the program have contracted for a collective 170 aircraft. But the export situation has been complicated by the desire of some European nations to reduce their offtake. Germany revealed some time ago that it wants only 40 instead of 53. Last week, a defense official told the Reuters news agency that Spain wants only 14, instead of 27. When France published its new six-year defense procurement plan last week (French acronym: LPM), it did not confirm that the country will still acquire the 50 A400Ms originally planned. The UK is the next biggest customer, having already reduced its total to 22 from 25.