A400M MSN01

[aviation]

Anche su Repubblica.it

http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/il-pr ... 0162?video

[richelieu]

Ed ora EADS punta al bersaglio grosso .....

DATE: 11/12/09
SOURCE: Flight International

EADS builds case for A400M sale to USAF
By Stephen Trimble

EADS North America chief executive Sean O'Keefe today revealed three factors he believes could sway the US Air Force within five years to buy the Airbus A400M transport.

The A400M, which achieved first flight this morning, could fill an anticipated airlift gap created by a wave of Lockheed Martin C-5A retirements, Boeing C-17 programme termination and Lockheed C-130J size and performance limitations, O'Keefe told reporters during a breakfast event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

EADS anticipates that the A400M would be the USAF's only option to address the gap, which could occur slightly before the middle of the next decade, he said.

EADS analysts identified the three factors based on an internal assessment. The company has not shared its findings with the USAF, nor discussed plans with service officials for an A400M acquisition, O'Keefe said.

The EADS assessment conflicts with USAF plans to continue buying C-130Js and flying all 59 C-5As, although the latter were removed from the reliability enhancement and re-engining programme (RERP) last year to save money.

The USAF has attempted to shut down the C-17 production line every year since 2007, but Congress has added funds to buy 33 more airlifters beyond the USAF's stated requirement. Congress is currently debating conflicting proposals to add between three and 10 more C-17s in the Fiscal 2010 budget.

"That doesn't fill the [airlift] gap at all even if Congress buys a few more," O'Keefe says.

The A400M's future, however, is itself uncertain. Airbus has asked its customers to agree on new contract terms to absorb cost overruns reportedly greater than 5 billion Euros.

The A400M programme is scheduled to complete the flight test phase and enter service in 2012.

..... come dire ..... l'appetito vien mangiando .....



..... però, però, però .....

[richelieu]

..... però ..... però ..... però .....

..... si direbbe stiano facendo i conti senza l'oste ..... in questo caso Lockheed-Martin ..... che, giusto un anno fa, aveva presentato la proposta di una versione a fusoliera allargata del C-130J denominata C-130XL "Fat Hercules" .....

Fonte: Aerospace Daily and Defense Report (AW&ST)

Lockheed Explores Niche For Widebody C-130

Oct 1, 2008
Graham Warwick

Lockheed Martin is studying widebody derivatives of its Hercules military airlifter able to carry larger loads, but believes the “C-130XL” would only be a niche product and not a replacement for its C-130J tactical transport.

The C-130XL is one of several concepts being studied to fill the “white space” requirement for intra-theater transport of heavy U.S. Army equipment in the 2020 timeframe, says Jim Grant, vice president of business development for global mobility.

“If today the C-130J can carry 95-percent-plus of everything in theater, in 2015-25 we still see the J carrying 90 percent of what the Army wants to move,” he says. “But there are some vehicles [such as the Future Combat Systems] that will be too big for the J.”

As a result, Lockheed Martin sees a “small white space to carry outsize equipment that will have to be moved by something,” Grant says, and it is looking at “how to fill that white space in the out-years.”

In addition to three notional sizes of larger C-130J derivative, the company is studying stealthy short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) concepts for the Air Force and tiltrotor vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) concepts for the Army.

The Air Force and Army are trying to combine their battlefield transport requirements under the Joint Future Theater Lift program, but it is not clear whether their competing desires for STOL and VTOL capability can be reconciled in one program.

“There are things we don’t know,” Grant says. “What payload? What ranges? What runway conditions? If they need Hercules-size field operations, then could it be a derivative of the C-130?

“If it’s down in the 1,000-2,000 foot STOL, none of the aircraft out there can routinely do that,” he says. “If the Army pushes hard for VTOL, none of today’s aircraft can carry an FCS-size vehicle in a vertical environment.”

The three sizes of conceptual C-130XL being studied are targeted at payloads of around 62,000, 72,000 and 80,000-85,000 pounds — up from around 42,000 pounds for the C-130J. All would have a wider, but not necessarily longer, fuselage.

“If we size the payload bay to handle larger vehicles, how much do we have to change about the aircraft? Can we increase the STOL capabilities? That depends on the requirements,” he says.

While a 62,000-pound payload design could use the C-130J’s wing and engines, the larger concepts would require more changes. “What can we do with the current propulsion? At what point do we need different propulsion? We are looking at all options,” he says.

Lockheed Martin sees a C-130XL complementing and not replacing the C-130J. “It would run in parallel, to meet a very specific requirement,” Grant says. Although it could end up similar in size to the Airbus A400M, he does not foresee a big international demand for a larger Hercules. “You could see a small fleet within a fleet – someone with 12 Js and two to three XLs.”

DATE: 22/09/08
SOURCE: Flightglobal.com

Lockheed Martin unveils wider, larger C-130XL to fight A400
By Stephen Trimble

Lockheed Martin has unveiled the first public image of a widened version of the C-130 that could be offered for sale to the US Air Force within five years.

Dubbed the C-130XL, the project remains under study by Lockheed's Aeronautics division in Marietta, Georgia, the site of C-130 production dating back to 1954.

The aircraft could be offered to meet an emerging US Air Force need for a larger version of an intratheater airlifter after 2015. Boeing is already proposing to augment the C-130 fleet with the C-17B, which includes higher-thrust engines, larger flaps and a third main landing gear. EADS North America wants to offer the Airbus A400M for the same requirement.

©Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin has proposed widening the fuselage of the C-130J Hercules to meet emerging US Air Force requirements after 2015.

Jim Grant, Lockheed's vice president for air mobility and special operations, said the C-130XL would be sized to carry a maximum cargo payload in the "mid-60,000lb" range. Lockheed wants to avoid setting a specific figure until it can determine the USAF's "sweet-spot" for future cargo needs, he added.

The USAF has acknowledged it may need an aircraft with more payload capacity than the C-130 after 2015. The US Army currently plans to acquire manned ground vehicles for brigade combat teams equipped with the Boeing Future Combat System that exceed the C-130's payload limits.

E qui, in proposito, c'è Bill Sweetman su "Ares" del 23 Settembre 2008 .....

On the other side, with the ax and saw, is Lockheed Martin, proposing a "C-130XL" with a 65,000 pound payload - just enough for one FCS vehicle or one Stryker - and a new cross section. The idea, the company says, is "A400M capability with a C-130J price tag."

It's an interesting idea, but Lockheed Martin concedes that the XL would need new propulsion systems and it is possible that the wing would have to be redesigned to take the weight and power loads. The result could be the fixed-wing answer to the CH-53K - which, as we know, is a simple derivative of the CH-53E with new engines, transmission, main and tail rotors, flight control system, avionics and fuselage. What could possibly go wrong? After all, the C-130J itself was a straightforward C-130 derivative with off-the-shelf engines, and that program went off just...

Inutile dire che l'intera faccenda potrebbe diventare quanto mai interessante .....

[richelieu]

Qualche notizia in più sul primo volo e sugli sviluppi futuri .....

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

More on the A400M
Posted by Sean Meade at 12/11/2009 3:35 PM CST

Christina Mackenzie writes:

"Well, at least it now flies!" delightedly laughed an Airbus Military employee in his bright yellow safety jacket just after the A400M had lifted its 130 tons or so slowly into the crisp blue skies of a southern Spanish autumn.

Five different aircraft, some with up to 16 tons of on-board test equipment, will participate in the trials.

The six members of the A400Ms first-flight crew were wearing parachutes and helmets and sitting on an inflatable dinghy ... just in case! Fernando Alonso, head of test flights at Airbus and who was himself in the right-hand seat for the first flight of the A380, said after the first hour of flight that the crew were flying at 8,000 feet over South-West Spain and had already extended flaps and landing gears which was "normal procedure".

Alonso said there were a few glitches just before take-off as two resets were needed to get the equipment used to change the settings of the different computers to work satisfactorily but "this never put the first flight into question and was just a minor problem." The flight could have taken place even if this equipment had not been reset correctly but would have meant that this flight "which is a real test flight" could not have tested different computer settings.

Before the A400M took off for the first time this morning it had gone through four weeks of extensive and increasingly challenging ground tests. The four Europrop International (EPI) TP400D turboprop powerplants producing 11,000 shp (shaft horsepower) equivalent to 8,200kW each - the most powerful propeller engines ever fitted to a non-Russian aircraft - were run at full power; the electrical systems and on-board data network exhaustively tested and numerous taxiing runs were made at progressively higher speeds culminating in a rejected take-off at a speed of 123kt (227kph) on Dec. 8.

The A400M will be certified with both military and civilian authorities so tests to obtain European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification will account for 1,850 flight hours while the remaining 2,520 hours will be used for military certification and qualification.

Aircraft msn1 and msn 2 will be the most heavily equipped with test equipment and will fly 1,200 hours and 1,100 hours respectively. The third and fourth aircraft will have medium equipment loads and fly 975 hours and 870 hours respectively, while the fifth will have only a light load and fly 225 hours mostly for military operations requirements.

In order to find specific weather conditions, the aircraft will be tested in Keflavik, Iceland for crosswind testing (i can personally attest to the wind in Iceland!); Greenland, Canada and Sweden for cold weather testing; United Arab Emirates and Guyana for hot weather operation; Bolivia and Colombia for high altitude exercises and Tunisia for sandy conditions.

Facilities in the partner nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom) will be used for military operations tests including low-flying, paratrooping, rough runways, crew workload assessment and defensive aids testing

[richelieu]

Le parole dell'equipaggio .....

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

What They Said: the A400M Test-Flight Crew
Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 12/11/2009 3:56 PM CST

One doesn't usually keep a monarch waiting. But the test-flight crew of the A400M did.


The A400M taxis up to the tribune at the end of its 3hr45min first flight

Spain's King Juan Carlos 1, two defence ministers – Spain's Carme Chacon and France's Hervé Morin – , EADS' CEO Louis Gallois, Airbus CEO Thomas Enders, their own families (watching somewhat nervously from the tribunes) and about 2,000 other people waited nearly an hour as they took the aircraft through its first paces for 3 hours and 45 minutes instead of the originally planned three hours.

After being met at the foot of the aircraft steps by the King, the ministers and the CEOs, chief test pilot Ed Strongman stepped up to the microphone looking delighted and used words such as “sparkling, fantastic, remarkable” to describe the maiden flight.


King Juan Carlos I of Spain stands amidst the jubilant A400M test crew

“We had a fantastic flight. We managed to cover a significant part of the flight envelope,” he said adding that the take-off was “sparkling.” He described the interface as “very easy” and “intuitive” and addressing the massed Airbus Military employees told them “We hope you enjoyed watching your aeroplane fly because we certainly enjoyed flying it.”

The other five team members also spoke but I think senior flight test engineer Didier Ronceray summed it up when he said “last week we had a truck with four fans. Now we have a wonderful airplane.”

photos: Christina Mackenzie

[JT8D]

Riporto dal nostro portale:

http://www.md80.it/2009/12/12/decolla-la400m/



Paolo

[Toeloop]

Due domandine da niubbo: come mai solitamente durante il maiden flight non vengono mai retratti i carrelli? Questo poi, in particolare, è stato decisamente lungo e sono state provate anche quote piuttosto elevate da quello che ho potuto vedere.
La seconda domanda riguarda le tre strisce chiare che stanno sull'impennaggio verticale: servono per qualche sensore?

[MarcoGT]

Due domandine da niubbo: come mai solitamente durante il maiden flight non vengono mai retratti i carrelli? Questo poi, in particolare, è stato decisamente lungo e sono state provate anche quote piuttosto elevate da quello che ho potuto vedere.

Da qualche parte ho letto che nel primo volo potrebbero esserci dei problemi...figuriamoci se il carrello, una volta retratto, non si estrae più

[richelieu]

Secondo volo e ..... vacanze natalizie .....

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

A400M Completes Second Hop

Posted by Robert Wall at 12/23/2009 7:50 AM CST

Planned data analysis from its December 11 first flight and bad weather conspired to push the A400Ms second flight off a couple of days, but the aircraft did complete its second mission from its Seville, Spain, base yesterday.
Following the 3 hour 10 minute mission, the basic flight envelope has now been opened, Airbus Military says.
The aircraft reached its maximum Mach number, at 0.72 Mach, and reached 30,000 ft.
After pushing hard to get to first flight before year-end, the folks in Spain now get a break. The A400M isn't slated to fly again until early next year.
Come January, one of the priorities will be to get to Toulouse, to inaugurate the flight test facility there. Another is to clear the engines to the moisture sensitive instruments on the propellers can be removed -- they slowed flight testing of the C-130 engine test bed and also the A400M.

[richelieu]

Ed ora ..... la campana europea .....

DATE: 23/12/09
SOURCE: Flight International

A400M clears normal flight envelope on 2nd flight: Airbus
By Stephen Trimble

The Airbus A400M has cleared its entire normal flight envelope on its second test flight completed earlier today, the manufacturer says.

Coming 12 days after the A400Ms first flight, the second sortie involved reaching maximum operating speed of 300kt (555km/hr) and maximum Mach number of M0.72.

Test pilot Nacho Lombo and Ed Strongman piloted the aircraft during the 3hr10min flight, which ranged from Seville to northern Spain at a cruising altitude of 30,000ft (9,144m)

Fernando Alonso, Airbus head of flight operations, noted earlier programmes required several flights to achieve the same number of test points.

Airbus plans to complete 1,200hr during the three-year flight test programme. The third flight is not expected until after 1 January.

Fernando Alonso? .....
..... e che aspettano a mettere un cavallino rampante sul muso dell'aereo? .....

[sochmer]

capo test pilot anche del 380

[richelieu]

Cinque aerei per un corposo calendario di voli di collaudo .....

Fonte: AviationWeek.com

More A400Ms To Join Flight Trials

Dec 30, 2009
Robert Wall/Paris

The full extent of flight trials of the Airbus Military A400M military airlifter is due to begin in earnest in 2010 after a stutter-step kickoff.

Poor weather restricted the A400M to only one more flight following its first flight Dec. 11. Those conditions also negated efforts to expand the test infrastructure beyond Seville, Spain, and also start operating from Toulouse, France; test personnel believe that having both sites operational will allow a higher pace of testing.

One of the reasons flight trials have been slowed is because the TP400D turboprop engines are fitted with sensors that are sensitive to moisture. One of the objectives in the coming weeks will be to quickly perform the tests requiring those sensors to be able to remove them and avoid additional delays, says an Airbus official.

The limited flight operations in December 2009 notwithstanding, Airbus was able to clear the normal flight envelope for the airlifter on its second flight. During that mission, the A400M reached a maximum operating speed of 300 knots and maximum Mach number of 0.72. Flight altitude reached 30,000 feet. Fernando Alonso, the head of Airbus flight operations says that "the fact that we achieved so much on the second flight is a great testament to the quality of the aircraft and very promising for the future of the program," noting that clearing the envelope usually takes longer.

The second flight did not see a repeat of the engine miscue the first-flight crew saw. During that flight, crew experienced an anomaly in one channel of the full authority digital engine control. Because telemetry and flight crew saw different information, the engine was turned to flight idle as a precautionary measure.

However, initial flight trials have already identified fixes that will be made before the aircraft is delivered.

Airbus will eventually involve five aircraft in the three-year flight test campaign split between the Seville and Toulouse but spanning the globe as cold-weather conditions or hot-weather, high-altitude performance are examined.

Seville will serve as the base for about 1,970 flight test hours and Toulouse for 2,400 hours, says the program's chief flight test engineer, Eric Isorce. Around 60% of the flight test activity is focused on the military certification, the rest for the civil activities unfolding in parallel.

The unusual, split-base arrangement became necessary to satisfy the program's complex workshare requirements, but test personnel see a benefit by being able to switch work between the sites as needed. Airbus will use a complex flight test monitoring system to support the activities, with telemetry rooms in both locations and seven telemetry antennae in France and five in Spain. A mobile station to track aircraft flying up to 30,000 feet also is part of the infrastructure.

Despite delays, Airbus Military enters the three-year flight test campaign with some buffer remaining in case of glitches, says chief test pilot Ed Strongman.

MSN1 is heavily fitted with wiring and will be used for about 1,200 flight test hours, largely focused on expanding the flight envelope. It will be mainly based at Toulouse, even though initial flights are in Toulouse. It will be used largely to explore the flight envelope.

First flight for MSN2 is planned for March 2010. The aircraft will largely be used for performance and engine certification activities, as well as work on the defensive aids subsystem. Also heavily instrumented, the aircraft is to be used for about 1,100 flight test hours and will be based in Seville.

MSN3, to join in mid-May, is to be used to validate the performance of the autopilot, navigation and fuel systems, hydraulics and other items. To be based in Toulouse, the aircraft would be used for around 975 flight test hours and carries moderate instrumentation. MSN4 is supposed to validate cargo operations and airborne refueling, and should fly around 870 flight test hours from its Seville-base following its planned first flight in about a year.

The first production standard aircraft, MSN6, will have light instrumentation only, and is to be used largely for long-range proving. It will fly around 225 flight test hours - 150 in required long-range proving operations - and be based in Toulouse. First flight is planned for mid-2011.

Airbus Military hopes to receive type certification for the aircraft around December 2011, with initial operating clearance to permit basic logistics tasks to follow by 2012. The first production delivery would take place by the end of 2012.

To avoid handover delays seen on the NH90 and other multi-national programs, the government customers have agreed to share the acceptance validation process, but also accept each others approval to avoid having to duplicate tests.

In addition to the core test activities at Seville and Toulouse, the flight test plan spans the globe to validate various system features. Cold-weather trials should see the airlifter go to Kiruna, Sweden, and Iqualuit, Canada, for instance, or Keflavik, Iceland, for high cross-wind operations. Hot and high performance trials should see the A400M in La Paz, Bolivia, and Medellin, Colombia.

Most of the activity will take place in Europe, though, with low-level flight operations in the U.K., for instance, or signature tests being performed in Germany. Paratroop drops are planned in Turkey.

The A400M is being certified to fly with a two person arrangement down to 150 feet, or 300 feet at night and 500 feet on instruments. The A400M is fully night-vision compatible. The head-up display is serving as the primary flight display for pilots.

To help ensure a high pace of test operations, small maintenance tasks are to be performed overnight, with heavier activities done on weekends. If time gets tight, flight trials could also be performed Saturdays and Sundays.

The five flight test aircraft each have varying levels of test wiring installed to satisfy the different tasks.

Flight test personnel expect fixes to emerge out of the trials. Among the issues identified already in a recent set of ground tests in the run-up to first flight are the need to deal with engine nacelle heating on the ground and higher than anticipated exhaust gas temperatures. Auxiliary power unit exhaust gas is lower than forecast, however, so the exhaust could be made smaller.

[FAS]

capo test pilot anche del 380

Alonso
è vice presidente Senior della divisione Flight ed Integration Tests
è un ingegnere e non un pilota


il chief test pilot dovrebbe essere Jacques Rosay

[sochmer]

ah ok grazie per la precisazione

[richelieu]

Airbus gioca le sue carte ..... e minaccia l'abbandono del programma

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

Enders Game

Posted by Douglas Barrie at 1/5/2010 8:53 AM CST


Picture credit: Airbus Military


Traditionally it is more usual that defense ministries threaten to ax programs on cost grounds, rather than the industry lead. Airbus Military, however, is taking just this tack on the A400M airlifter as it tries to force a decision – and concessions – from the partner nations.

Tom Enders, the Airbus CEO, is reportedly looking at chopping the program if no agreement is reached by the end of this month. The last deadline for a deal to be cut was the end of December 2009.

The likely focus of the industry and political posturing is Germany, which has so far publicly given no indication that it is willing to accommodate changes in the program that would ease the financial pressure on Airbus and its parent EADS.

The argument is reminiscent of the debate in Germany in 1992 over continuing participation in the then European Fighter Aircraft. On this occasion the then Defense Minister Volker Ruhe appeared determined to pull Berlin from the program arguing it was unaffordable – with industry warning of the industrial impact of such a move. A deal was cut at the eleventh hour – following – claims and counter-claims by the interested parties being made in the press.

In a narrow sense all Enders is doing is attempting to protect his shareholders interests by raising the possibility that Airbus walk away from the A400M given the financial implications of the program as presently structured.

The consequences of such a move would be far reaching, with ramifications throughout Europe.

London is believed to have provided a surprisingly sympathetic ear – though it is not thought to have been able to provide any additional funding. Instead the UK is expected to drop the number of aircraft to be purchased from 25 to between 14-19 aircraft, though the overall funding level will remain the same.

[richelieu]

Sempre dal sito di AW&ST ..... ma con qualche informazione supplementare .....

Fonte: AviationWeek.com

Airbus Concerned About A400M Talks

Jan 5, 2010

By Robert Wall - PARIS


There is growing concern at Airbus that talks between A400M buyers to renegotiate the firm-fixed price development and production contract may not come to a successful conclusion.

Since March of last year, governments have been in discussions over whether and how to modify the A400M contract terms. Under the existing arrangement, the deal is heavily loss-making to the Airbus Military consortium after program delays have mounted and put the program about three years behind schedule. Officials for EADS, the largest industrial partner in the consortium, have said that under current contract terms they could not continue to execute the program.

Airbus Military is looking for governments to put more money into the program to bridge the funding gap that is now estimated to top €5 billion. That would effectively drive up the unit cost of each airlifter. Speaking after last month’s first flight of the A400M, Airbus president Tom Enders argued in favor of such an adjustment.

However, since then Enders has signaled to other Airbus officials he was concerned the inter-governmental deliberations will not come to a successful conclusion and that preparations may have to be made for the program to be halted. Industry officials confirm the report first published by the Financial Times Deutschland.

The French government has signaled it would be willing to reset the contract and has been urging other partners to show leeway. Germany has been maintaining a hard stance, saying it wants to retain the total procurement number and not put more money into the project. The U.K. appears willing to compromise, keeping its spending at predefined levels, but reducing the number of A400Ms it would receive in return. The U.K. was to receive 25 airlifters, but the number now under discussion is between 14-19, with the final figure dependent on the outcome of the ongoing negotiations.

[FAS]

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100105-24361.html

Airbus boss reportedly set to ditch A400M military transport
Published: 5 Jan 10 09:59 CET
Updated: 5 Jan 10 14:51 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/money/20100105-24361.html

The German head of European plane maker Airbus is preparing to ditch its A400M military transport project which is bogged down in talks with clients, the Financial Times Deutschland reported on Tuesday.

Thomas Enders reportedly told a group of Airbus directors last month he "no longer believed in pursuing the programme" and had begun to prepare for it to be terminated, the paper said.

Lists of engineers to be transferred from the A400M to the development of two other key aircraft, the A380 superjumbo and the A350, have already been drawn up, the newspaper added.

Airbus and its parent group, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), have been in discussions over cost overruns for several months with seven countries that were to buy the transport plane.

A total of 180 aircraft had been ordered for around €20 billion ($29 billion) but clients are being asked to pony up billions more to cover unexpected costs. The newspaper said Enders estimated the chances of reaching an agreement at around 50-50.

And the German executive "is not ready to threaten the civil aviation division, which is doing well, just for the A400M," a source close to the matter was quoted as saying.

The plane made its maiden flight on December 11 in Spain, but deliveries are at least three years behind schedule.

A spokesman for Airbus said the company had restructured the troubled project in recent months, but there had been no progress on the issue of price. Therefore Airbus had asked European governments to bear a portion of the increased cost.

“We hope the discussions with the nations making the first orders will be finished with a positive result in January,” he said.

And the German Defence Ministry said it aimed to continue with the troubled project.

"We... will continue to clarify the necessary details for a continuation of the programme with the industry until the end of the month," a ministry spokesman said.

He added that state secretaries from the seven countries planning to buy the plane were planning to meet in mid-January.

The A400M is the largest European military project in history. Seven nations – Germany, France, Spain, Britain, Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg – want to use it as their primary heavy-lift transport. Germany, with 60 planes, is covering the lion’s share of the order.

AFP/DDP/The Local (news@thelocal.de)

[richelieu]

Da "Il Giornale" di oggi .....

giovedì 07 gennaio 2010, 07:00

Braccio di ferro Parigi-Berlino sui costi dell’A400M

di Redazione

Divergenze tra Francia e Germania sull’ipotesi di abbandono del progetto di velivolo militare A400M da parte di Airbus, avanzata dal presidente dell’azienda aeronautica Thomas Enders.
Se Parigi si è detta da subito «pronta a pagare» almeno in parte i costi supplementari del programma, Berlino è reticente.
«È fuori discussione che il nostro Paese paghi qualcosa in più dei 650 milioni di euro extra previsti dal contratto», ha detto all’Handelsblatt una fonte vicina al ministero della Difesa tedesco, facendo riferimento alla clausola di salvaguardia contro aumenti legati all’inflazione e altri sovrapprezzi.
Più accomodante il ministro dell’Economia, Rainer Bruederle, secondo cui «una soluzione sensata si può trovare» da qui a fine mese, data limite per le trattative tra Eads, casa madre di Airbus, e i sette Paesi che hanno sottoscritto ordini per velivoli A400M.
Di tutt’altro avviso il governo francese, la cui priorità, espressa dal ministro della Difesa, Hervé Morin, è che il progetto A400M «sia portato a termine».
La trattativa per salvare il progetto, lanciato nel 2003 con un budget iniziale di 20 miliardi, non si preannuncia comunque facile.
Soprattutto se si pensa che la principale acquirente dell’A400M è proprio la Germania.

[richelieu]

Se, puta caso, il programma dovesse naufragare (cosa cui, peraltro, credo poco), per Lockheed-Martin (C-130J) e Boeing (C-17) si prospetterebbe una vera e propria "Pesca Miracolosa" .....



..... quello più grosso è, ovviamente, il C-17 .....

[richelieu]

Intanto ..... Una boccata di ossigeno per il C-17 .....

DATE: 06/01/10
SOURCE:Flight International

UAE ups C-17 order to six aircraft, from four

By Craig Hoyle

The United Arab Emirates has unexpectedly increased the size of its order for the Boeing C-17 by signing a deal to buy six of the strategic transports.

The UAE in February 2009 announced its intention to buy four C-17s, along with 12 smaller Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports, with the combined airlift investment to be worth an estimated $3 billion.

Boeing says the UAE air force and air defence on 6 January signed a contract for six C-17s, with four to be delivered in 2011 and the remainder to follow during 2012. "Financial terms are not being disclosed," it adds, but confirms that the fleet will be operated within the company's C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership framework.

The UAE air force says the introduction of the C-17 will give the service "the ability to perform a variety of humanitarian and strategic lift operations around the world, in support of both national and international missions".

Two C-17s are already in service with Boeing's first Middle Eastern customer for the type, following their delivery to Qatar last year. The type is also in service with the air forces of Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, plus with a consortium of 12 NATO and Partnership for Peace states.

[richelieu]

Intanto ..... Una (probabile) futura boccata di ossigeno per il C-17 .....

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

Indian Summer for C-17?

Posted by Guy Norris at 1/8/2010 1:04 AM CST

Boeing appears to be on the verge of securing a long cherished breakthrough order from India that would add 10 more C-17s to the orderbook, ensuring continued production at Long Beach, California into 2013.

According to a report being filed by my colleague Neelam Mathews, India’s Ministry of Defense has sent a Letter of Request to the U.S. government for a Foreign Military Sales purchase of 10 C-17s. Assuming this is officially confirmed on Jan 8, the news marks a dramatic revival in fortunes for the beleaguered line which has been under threat of closure for almost four years as the backlog dwindled and the company fought to preserve a viable line that could make international sales affordable.


America to Agra? The C-17's rugged short field performance (as shown here in this tactical take-off from Bicycle Lake, Calif.) seems to have impressed in India. (Boeing)

Coming hot on the heels of this week’s confirmation of the order for six C-17s from the United Arab Emirates, plus recent clearance for the further acquisition of 10 more for the U.S. Air Force and a seventh for the U.K., the Indian order would extend firm orders to 259. Of these, some 212 have been delivered leaving a potential undelivered backlog of 47. At Boeing’s current production rate of 15 a year this provides sufficient work for more than three years worth of manufacturing, though the company is exploring ways of trimming back the rate to extend the production run.

Ironically some of these studies are understood to have been sparked in part, at least, by the desire to keep the line active to accommodate India’s wishes for deliveries to be stretched out over several years. Part of the problem closing the deal with India is believed to have centered on devising a compromise between the protracted delivery schedule and the realities of maintaining the line with the shrinking orderbook.

It seems possible therefore that the spate of late orders may provide Boeing with a bigger cushion than it dared hope for as its rate studies proceed. While 15 more aircraft are planned for 2010, the boost of 17 international orders could enable it to ease back production to around 12 to 13 per year for 2011 onwards and keep it viable for additional business both at home and abroad. It seems the massive gamble Boeing took several years ago to support long lead suppliers on its own nickel is about to pay off.

[richelieu]

Mentre ..... in Europa .....

FONTE: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

Live or Let Die: the A400M Debate Continues

Posted by Robert Wall at 1/7/2010 5:28 AM CST

The future of Europe’s military airlifter, the Airbus Military A400M, has been up in the air for so long, it may be surprising anybody still gets exercised over the issue.

However, with another meeting of government officials pending to discuss the way forward, and Airbus boss Tom Enders signaling he is starting to think about how to wind down the program if there is no future, Europe is stirring once again about what should be done. But, little surprise, there’s no consensus from the commentator circle.

For instance, the Financial Times’s Paul Betters, in his well respected European View column, today argues Airbus should ground “its military albatross.” Betts has an interesting argument: the A400M has been a drag on Airbus’s commercial business and getting rid of the program would allow the company “to do what it does best – building civil aircraft.”

But the German Sueddeutsche Zeitung, in its A400M commentary today, argues that alternative procurements would likely not be cheaper and that the job losses would be considerable.

Government officials will meet mid-January to address the issue once more.

Although previous rounds have failed to bring about a resolution, Airbus is making clear it needs a decision either way, now. That, at least, is a fair position. The financial burn-rate on the program is considerable. And in the unlikely event governments would terminate the A400M, they do owe companies involved the courtesy of doing so promptly to minimize the considerable financial pain.

[richelieu]

E infatti ..... l'India si è mossa .....

Fonte: AviationWeek.com

India Requests Boeing C-17s

Jan 8, 2010
By Neelam Mathews
New Delhi


India’s Defense Ministry has sent a letter of request to the U.S. government for 10 Boeing C-17 strategic airlifters, via the foreign military sales (FMS) process.

Boeing’s statement this morning follows immediately after a United Arab Emirates announcement for the purchase of six C-17 Globemaster IIIs.

The U.S has been in discussions with the Indian government and Boeing recently completed a series of C-17 demonstration flights in India. In November 2009, in a joint-lift exercise, the U.S. Air Force flew the C-17 in Agra. Aviation Week reported Boeing’s desire to offer India the C-17, which can carry large equipment, supplies and troops directly to small airfields. “The C-17 fits in well with India’s operational requirements,” said Vivek Lall, vice president and India country head for Boeing Defense Space and Security (formerly called Integrated Defense Systems). “The U.S. government received a request for information in 2008,” he added at the time.

A senior Indian air force official recently said the Globemaster aircraft had been chosen after a thorough study because of its range, ease of operation and capability to take off and land on short runways with heavy loads.

India’s present transport fleet has 40 Russian-made IL-76 and over 100 Soviet-built AN-32 cargo aircraft. Six Lockheed Martin C-130Js are on order to be delivered in 2011. The AN-32s are currently undergoing mid-life refurbishment under a joint project with Russia’s Irkut.

The high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed aircraft with a rear-loading ramp, can carry large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across vast distances directly, is said to be the perfect fit for India’s remote airfields.

The Globemaster was on display and participated in daily aerial demonstrations during the Bangalore Air Show in February 2009.

With payload capacity of 160,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off from a 7,600-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles, and land on a small, austere airfield in 3,000 feet or less. The C-17 is equipped with an externally blown flap system that allows a steep, low-speed final approach and low-landing speeds for routine short-field landings, according to the Boeing Web site.

The U.S.-India defense partnership is moving speedily with New Delhi selecting Boeing last year to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. India is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing will deliver the first P-8I within 48 months, and the remaining seven by 2015.

In late October 2009, Boeing submitted two proposals to the Indian Air Force for 22 AH-64D Apache 22 attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters.

“The Apache and Chinook helicopters are the most capable and cost-effective rotorcraft to meet India’s defense and transport requirements,” Lall said, “The Apache will be a capable and lethal defender of India’s troops and assets, while the Chinook will answer many of the country’s military and humanitarian needs,” Lall said in a statement.

If selected, Boeing will build the Apache helicopters at its rotorcraft facility in Mesa, Ariz., and the Chinook helicopters at its rotorcraft center near Philadelphia. Suggested production rates and delivery schedules have not been announced.

[richelieu]

E lo A400M riprende il volo .....

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

A400M: Flight Trials In 2010 Begin

Posted by Robert Wall at 1/8/2010 3:36 AM CST


After its Christmas break, the A400M is back in the air. MSN001 completed its third flight yesterday.

The aircraft, operating again from Seville, was in the air 2 hours and 25 minutes flying yesterday. Michel Gagneux piloted the aircraft this time.

On the near-term A400M flight test agenda is getting the aircraft to Toulouse, to open the second flight test site, and getting moisture sensitive probes needed for early trials removed from the propellers. Once they are gone, missions will be less likely to be scrubbed owing to weather.

Tops on the agenda, of course, is securing the program's future, although that's more a political/industrial issue. But at Ares, we've said plenty about that here already.

Perhaps the thing the flight test personnel could contribute would be for an impromptu landing next Friday at London City Airport, near where European government officials will be debating the future of the program -- yes, that is fanciful and unrealistic, but it would be a nice coup.

[richelieu]

EADS sta perdendo la pazienza .....

DATE: 08/01/10
SOURCE: Flight International

EADS running out of patience on A400M refinancing

By Andrew Doyle

EADS is warning the Airbus Military A400M customer nations that time is running out to save the troubled airlifter, which programme sources say is costing the company more than €100 million ($143 million) a month to sustain.

"We are negotiating," says EADS. "We cannot take the burden all alone. We need to share the burden."

Sources close to the programme rate the chances of a refinancing deal for the A400M being agreed before EADS's end-of-January deadline at "50:50".

The project, running around two years late with the prototype having finally achieved its maiden flight in December, requires another €11.4 bllion of funding to complete. EADS has already made a €2.4 billion provision, leaving additional costs of around €9 billion that need to be covered by the seven partner nations and industry.

EADS declines to comment on reports that it is seeking another €5.3billion from the nations. Representatives of the customer nations will reportedly meet EADS officials for further talks in London on 15 January.

Germany, the biggest A400M buyer with an order for 60, has taken a hard line, warning it is not prepare to contribute more than a further €650 million to cover inflation and surcharges, as set out in its contract. France and the UK have taken a more conciliatory approach, saying that they expect deal to be reached to continue the programme.

[richelieu]

EADS: Fuori i soldi ..... o saremo costretti a chiudere baracca .....

DATE: 12/01/10
SOURCE: Flightglobal.com

A400M 'cannot continue' without more funding, warns Airbus CEO

By Murdo Morrison


EADS chief executive Louis Gallois says the A400M programme cannot continue beyond the end of the month without a commitment by European customer governments to fund the increased costs of developing the military airlifter.

Speaking at an event in Seville today, Gallois said the European giant was spending between €100-150 million ($145-217 million) a month on the programme, which is running two years behind schedule. "We cannot continue beyond the end of January without knowing where we are going financially," he said. "I am sending a message of urgency to governments. We are ready to negotiate at any time."

Gallois said EADS had made a "mistake in accepting a fixed price contract on a programme with huge technical challenges and an unrealistic schedule". He said there were "responsibilities on both sides" for the delay, which has left EADS with a shortfall of €2.4 billion.

"It was the nations who pushed the production sharing between countries, including some choices with engines," he said. "We must find a solution for sharing the burden with them...if we want to protect the capacity of the group, we can't add losses to losses without clear limits."

However, Gallois refused to detail what EADS might do if no further agreement is secured by the end of the month. "Can you leave us room to negotiate with our customers?" he said.

Tom Enders, chief executive of Airbus, which now has direct responsibility for the Airbus Military business, backed his boss's threat. "We cannot continue without a significant financial contribution from our customers. If we don't press for that it will jeopardise the whole of Airbus. The A400M as it is set up today will put the whole of Airbus in jeopardy and I will not go down that road.

Pressure on defence budgets as a result of rising deficits has added to frustration over delayed deliveries among A400M customers, who include France, Germany, Spain and the UK, and politicians in all these countries have warned that taxpayers ought not to have to fund the rising costs of the programme.

[87Nemesis87]

certo se interrompono tutto adesso è proprio il colmo...

[richelieu]

Ed ecco come viene riportata la notizia sull'altra sponda dell'Oceano Atlantico .....

Fonte:Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

A400M: EADS Waits For An Invitation To Negotiate

Posted by Robert Wall at 1/12/2010 4:17 AM CST

In their now near-daily calls for governments involved in the A400M program to get on with talks on the future of the program, EADS officials are saying they are still waiting for even an invitation to the negotiating table.

With a monthly cash burn of €100-150 million and no clear path forward, EADS chief executive Louis Gallois stresses he “cannot live with such uncertainty.” And, he adds, “we just can not continue beyond January without knowing where we are going financially.”

“Why we are not negotiating? That’s a question I could ask also,” Gallois says, noting that the seven-government arrangement appears to be a problem. One issue appears to be the governments are having problems naming one lead negotiator with industry and also give that government some flexibility to work out a compromise.

But what EADS would do at the end of January if no progress is made Gallois will not say, saying he doesn’t want to show all his cards in advance of the negotiations.

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

EADS Made Mistake Agreeing to A400M Contract

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 1/12/2010 4:57 AM CST

"Very strong pressure" was put on EADS' previous management to accept conditions for the A400M contract that should have never been agreed to, Louis Gallois, EADS' current CEO, said at a New Year's press conference in Seville, Spain.


Speaking literally in the shadow of the A400M, Gallois said it was folly to have agreed to a fixed price on an "extremely demanding program, technologically-speaking, where we're on the leading edge of all technology."

He said that a 6.5 year schedule from contract signing to delivery of first aircraft was unrealistic. "No one is able to deliver a military aircraft under 12 years," he said citing the 14 years it took to deliver the Boeing C-17 and the more than 15 for the Dassault Rafale.

Gallois also said that EADS had "accepted not to choose the engine," and described the organisation of the engine consortium as the "most baroque I've ever seen."

Intanto .....
..... Boeing e Lockheed sono in paziente attesa .....

[richelieu]

Ed ora a terra ..... ma solo per breve tempo .....

DATE: 14/01/10
SOURCE: Flight International

Airbus prepares to ground first A400M to fit additional test kit – including rockets

By Max Kingsley-Jones

Airbus is about to briefly ground its first A400M flight-test aircraft to install additional test equipment, including rockets to assist with stall-testing, before continuing with trials in February.

Flight-testing of aircraft MSN001 began on 11 December, and the aircraft had made five flights by 13 January, all from Airbus Military's final assembly plant near Seville, Spain. Airbus's flight-test chief Fernando Alonso says the A400M's flight envelope was cleared in the early test flights: "We've flown it at its VMO and MMO of 300kt [555km/h] and Mach 0.72."

Alonso says MSN001 is due to be grounded shortly after an expected seven flights, to undergo installation of additional test and calibration equipment. As it is tasked with aircraft handling testing, it will also be equipped with rockets to assist in emergency recoveries during stall tests.

"The rockets are an alternative to the [aircraft] parachutes sometimes used when stall-testing T-tailed aircraft," he says. "They will be able to give us a 'push up the butt' if it gets into a high nose-up attitude."

After the equipment upgrade, MSN001 will be positioned to Airbus's main flight-test centre in Toulouse, France, where it is due to be based for the bulk of its tasks along with MSNs 003 and 006.

Preparations are under way to fly the next A400M, MSN002, which is due to get airborne in March and will be tasked with performance and powerplant tests. This aircraft and MSN004 will be based in Seville for testing, although Alonso says all test aircraft can operate from either centre to obtain the optimum weather conditions.

[i-daxi]

Premetto che come aereo non mi dispiace e faccio tanti auguri ad Airbus, aggiungo però anche questo link recente:

http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010 ... 6027.shtml

Solo per completezza e in ogni caso mi auguro che questi blocchi vengano superati e Airbus possa riprendere il progetto e i lavori quanto prima

[richelieu]

Tutta questa storia mi puzza di ricatto .....
Quando l'Italia, nel 2001, si ritirò dal programma (e a causa di questo si registrarono pure le dimissioni di un ministro), rimasi abbastanza perplesso.
Il precedente governo aveva infatti ordinato ben 22 (più 2 in opzione, successivamente non esercitata) C-130J in sostituzione di 12 C-130H (in origine erano 14, ma 2 erano andati perduti in incidenti) e, sul lato finanziario, non vi erano pertanto più fondi per acquistare i 16 A400M previsti (si pensi inoltre che, a inizio programma, il nostro paese si era impegnato per 44 esemplari !!!).
Ora sono propenso a pensare che entrambe le decisioni siano state a suo tempo azzeccate.
In primo luogo perchè abbiamo a disposizione 21 C-130J nuovi che ci consentono di operare in tranquillità (chiedere a Francesi e Tedeschi), in secondo luogo perchè l'acquisto di tali aerei ha portato alla collaborazione Alenia-Lockheed che ha generato il C-27J, rivelatosi poi un prodotto ben accolto dal mercato .....
Se lo A400M vivrà o meno ..... attualmente è un problema che riguarda più che altro la politica e l'alta finanza .....

[richelieu]

A400M ..... EADS potrebbe chiedere altri 6 miliardi di Euro per continuare il programma .....

DATE: 18/01/10
SOURCE: Flight International

High stakes as A400M nations decide: stick or twist?
By Murdo Morrison

As a game of poker, the stakes do not get higher. With just one A400M having flown, EADS has threatened to scrap the airlifter unless its seven European launch customers can agree by 31 January to stump up funds to keep the programme on track.

Barring a surprise consensus from governments during meetings in London late last week, its act of brinkmanship could go to the wire.

The European aerospace group - parent of the aircraft's manufacturer Airbus Military - has been complaining for over a year that it cannot afford to continue developing the A400M without a fresh injection from governments to help cover the additional costs of building the aircraft. EADS has already written off €2.4 billion ($3.4 billion) to cover losses from the project, and says it cannot risk any more of its cash.

In a "'who-blinks-first" stratagem, EADS chief executive Louis Gallois last week defied warnings from a series of ministers in customer nations that more taxpayer money would not be used to bale out a programme that is more than two years behind schedule, by stating: "We cannot continue beyond the end of January without knowing where we are going financially."

Speaking in Seville, Spain, Gallois said the company is spending between €100 million and €150 million a month on the A400M. "I am sending a message of urgency to governments. We are ready to negotiate at any time."

He also repeated a previous assertion that EADS had made a "mistake in accepting a fixed-price contract on a programme with huge technical challenges and an unrealistic schedule". However, there were "responsibilities on both sides" for the delay, he said.

"It was the nations who pushed the production sharing between countries, including some choices with [the Europrop International TP400-D6] engines," he added. "We must find a solution for sharing the burden with them. If we want to protect the capacity of the group, we can't add losses to losses without clear limits."

Tom Enders, chief executive of Airbus, which now has direct responsibility for Airbus Military's business, raised the stakes further, stating: "We cannot continue without a significant financial contribution from our customers. The A400M as it is set up today will put the whole of Airbus in jeopardy, and I will not go down that road."

Gallois stopped short of detailing what EADS might do if an agreement is not secured by the end of the month. "Can you leave us room to negotiate with our customers?" he said.

Pressure on defence budgets as a result of rising deficits has added to frustration over delayed deliveries among A400M customers, which include France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

Politicians in all these countries have warned that taxpayers ought not to have to fund the rising costs of the programme. Deliveries should have started in October 2009, but are now not expected until around December 2012.

European defence ministers were scheduled to meet representatives from the OCCAR procurement agency in London to discuss the latest proposals to save the project, with reports having suggested that EADS could require in the region of an additional €6 billion to deliver on the A400M, above its original €20 billion contract with the nations.

Previously one of the fiercest critics of the troubled project, the UK government appears to have adopted a more conciliatory position than that voiced by its previous defence secretary John Hutton, who last year said that no additional funds would be provided.

Current defence secretary Bob Ainsworth told Flight International that the UK needs the A400M, and described the ongoing contractual disquiet as a sign of "tough love".

(Additional reporting by Craig Hoyle in London)

[richelieu]

Un incontro importante ..... forse decisivo .....

Fonte: AviationWeek.com

Critical Talks With Industry Loom On A400M

Jan 19, 2010

By Douglas Barrie

LONDON — European Partner governments and industry will meet within the next week or so to try to hammer out a deal on the Airbus Military A400M airlifter, following the governments reaching broad agreement on a collective position Jan. 14.

Quentin Davies, the British minister for defense equipment and support, says that the London meeting “achieved a wide measure of agreement” among the partner states as to their negotiating position.

Airbus parent EADS wants the partner nations to take on board more of the cost of the badly delayed program — the overrun of which is presently have to be picked up by industry as a result of a fixed-price contract. The program is running around three years late.

Davies says the partner nations — Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey — are now in a position to meet with EADS to try to agree a way ahead on the program. The British ministry says the U.K. remains “committed” to the program, but not at any price.

The U.K. will notionally take 25 of the aircraft out of the present seven-nation order for 180. Given the cost escalation, however, the British procurement is expected to fall to somewhere around 14-19 of the type, while some other partner nation’s numbers could also be re-baselined.

[richelieu]

L'editoriale di "Flight International" di questa settimana .....

DATE: 18/01/10
SOURCE: Flight International

Too big to fail

As with the bank rescues, the damage that would be caused by killing the A400M outweighs the cost of governments bailing the programme out, regardless of where responsibility lies.

Are current bosses of EADS and ministers from seven countries that ordered the A400M responsible for their predecessors' sins? The debacle over the airlifter shows how far Europe's bold journey to create an aerospace champion has gone in the 10 years since EADS was formed - and the distance it still must travel.

EADS was an attempt to replicate with its four partner countries' defence and space capabilities what these nations had begun three decades earlier with Airbus - to create an industrial powerhouse with the critical mass to compete with US primes, and sustain a domestic defence capability extending down the supply chain and creating high-value employment.

All laudable aims. However, the conflict EADS's bosses have had is how free they have been to act as conventional corporate executives and how much politicians have tied their hands.


© Airbus Military
Enders: thumbs up for government intervention

Just as EADS has matured from a politically inspired enterprise into a market leader in airliners and civil helicopters and an emerging global force in space technology, defence and security, its leaders today behave differently than their predecessors a decade ago.

It was the latter who signed the fixed-price contract to deliver the A400M from 2009, and agreed under pressure to buy the engines from a four-nation European consortium that EADS chief executive Louis Gallois now describes as the "most baroque organisation" he has come across. Gallois and Airbus's Tom Enders say they would never have signed that contract and that politicians at the time should not have pushed it as they knew they were handing EADS a Herculean task.

On one hand their stance is a blatant abrogation of corporate responsibility. In what other business could executives get off with washing their hands of poor decisions made by their recent predecessors (banking is a possible exception)? Imagine Airbus penalising A380 customers because the superjumbo was late, rather than finding funds to compensate them for the delay.

On the other hand, the threat to terminate the programme without further government funds is pragmatic and courageous. The pain of governments having to dip into growing deficit budgets to bail out EADS is far outweighed by the risk of damaging Airbus commercially at a time when it needs to fund the A350 programme, destroying thousands of jobs and forcing the seven governments to buy American for their airlift needs.

Like the banks, it seems that - whoever's fault it is - the A400M is simply too big to fail.

[richelieu]

In Spagna ..... poco prima del meeting in Germania .....

Fonte: Ares
A Defense Technology Blog (AW&ST)

Ministers Blow Hot and Cold

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 1/21/2010 1:02 AM CST

Carme Chacon, Spain's diminutive defense minister with the surprisingly deep voice, said after a meeting with her French counterpart Hervé Morin in Paris yesterday that she was extremely optimistic that the outcome of negotiations to be held in Berlin today between Airbus and the seven customer nations of the A400M would be successful.



“Spain is not contemplating anything but an agreement. This is a hyper-competitive aircraft and there is a new political will,” she told journalists. “Spain is prepared to make every effort,” she said, to ensure the project succeeds.

Morin, towering over her despite her discreetly platformed high-heel shoes, added that “French and Spanish commitment to this programme has never failed. We have been the ardent defenders of this programme and have always been together. I think we suffused our other partners with our commitment.”

He stressed the significance of the meeting's venue: Germany, saying that “it is here that the desire to ensure that EADS takes the responsibility for the surcharges is the strongest,” thus hinting that the other nations were prepared to pay more. But he then made a throw-away statement which seemed to contradict everything that had been said in the previous half-hour: “we consider that EADS must pay a very significant part of the surcharges.” So what exactly the procurement chiefs agreed to last Friday in London as their common position to bring to the negotiating table today is anyone's guess. We'll find out soon.

(photo credit: Christina Mackenzie)