A400M to be cancelled?

[ColintheCaterpillar]

Can't see it being cancelled. Politically within the nations involved and from a PR sense it would be an absolute disaster for European industry.

[KINROTATE]

Very interesting now that the first flight has taken place. The spec on this aicraft is quite amazing, it can fly at fl400
with the big boys & low & slow for chopper refuelling, carry allsorts of payloads & reverse uphill. so it's a cross between a C17 & C130, isn't that what was wanted? ok it's been delayed like all multipartnered projects...always seems to happen eh?



just my opinion

Graham

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be

The view from FL400 will be spectacular, just a shame everything behind will be calling for higher or lower FL's trying to get around this flying airways blocker.

[Unknown74]

Now that news wouldn't surprise me!

[ColintheCaterpillar]

The view from FL400 will be spectacular, just a shame everything behind will be calling for higher or lower FL's trying to get around this flying airways blocker.

Good. Revenge against all those airways blockers doing M0.75-0.79!

[Vulcanone]

....

[P-3K]

Not quite Vulcanone, the article itself, if it's the same one I have, states that it is EADS North America who are suggesting that the USAF could have a use for the A400 following an internal assessment and that "the company has not shared it's findings with the USAF" and "The EADS assesment conflicts with the USAF plans to continue buying C-130Js and flying all 59 C-5As,".

Not trying to be contrary, just highlighting that there is nothing about the USAF actually considering the aircraft.

Scott

[Dunk]

A400 may be scrapped if governments don't come forward with more cash for development.

Cue Gordon Brown handing over huge amounts of cash whilst closing more bases!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/business/8452493.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GOOSE]

Sorry Dunk already under discussion, merged.

[GOOSE]

SOURCE:Flightglobal.com

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.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... irbus.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GOOSE]

and a wee bit more from defensenews -

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =AIR&s=TOP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[HighlandSniper]

BBC - Airbus chief says he 'may cancel A400M' military plane

Better speed up production of C-130Js and C-17s.

[Sean Mac]

Yeah my dad works for Airbus for the Civil side but they were tolled thay have to the end of the month to choose whether thay whant to continue production over budget or completly sese production of the Aircraft completly.


Regards
Sean McRandle.

[T_J]

Interview of Ed Strongman, Chief Test Pilot - Military, on flying the A400M

Number 1 'Flying the A400M'

http://www.iag-inc.com/podcast.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TJ

[GOOSE]

From defensenews -

The seven partner countries involved in the Airbus A400M project were to meet Jan. 14 in London amid doubts about the future of the delayed and over-budget program.

France has vowed to "do everything to save" the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft project, but Germany appears reluctant to invest more cash. And Britain said that it "remains committed ... but not at any cost."

Turkey has already refused to put more money into the program, which is three years behind schedule and which is estimated need more than 5 billion euros and up to 11 billion euros to be completed.

Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain are the other countries involved in the project and set to take part in the meeting at the British Ministry of Defence.

European aircraft maker Airbus and its parent group, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), were not invited to the talks.

Airbus has said it could pull the plug on the project unless it gets extra money pledges by the end of the month, warning that the failure of the A400M program could hurt the viability of the company as a whole.

Airbus has 52,000 employees around Europe, with some 10,000 working on the A400M, a transporter that can carry troops, armored vehicles and helicopters.

The seven client nations have ordered a total of 180 aircraft for $29 billion (20 billion euros).

French Defence Minister Herve Morin told RFI radio on Jan. 14 that Paris was ready to share the burden of the extra costs.

"I'm not bothered by the fact that we would have to pay part of the cost overruns, because I believe this is a magnificent program," Morin said. "We must still negotiate and these additional costs have to be shared between the countries and the manufacturer."

Morin is hoping for a cost-sharing agreement before the end of January and ahead of a NATO defense ministers' meeting Feb. 4 and 5 in Istanbul. But Germany has shown little appetite to shell out more money.

"We are striving to find a solution in accordance with the signed contract and we will not be rushed," German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm told a press conference Jan. 13.

Britain's defence ministry said Jan. 12 that it remains committed to the project "but not at any cost.

"We regard the ongoing negotiations as the best means by which to determine a more deliverable program," a ministry spokesman said at the time.

Germany and France are the project's biggest customers, with 60 and 50 orders respectively - which means Berlin's position will be crucial.

"Key to A400M moving forward from here is Germany - not Britain," said Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at brokerage firm BGC Partners. "I guess that Germany will be put under a degree of pressure today but nothing will emerge until they get back home and report back to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Overall I still expect a deal on A400M price and quantity to emerge over the next 10 days or so."

The heads of Airbus and EADS ramped up pressure on the governments this week to pledge more money for the program by the end of January, warning that the future of the company depended on it.

EADS chief executive Louis Gallois also expressed disappointment that the Jan. 14 meeting did not involve the plane maker.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =AIR&s=TOP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GOOSE]

EADS latest -

The future of the Airbus Military A400M transport aircraft programme remains in limbo, with the top management at Airbus and parent company EADS admitting that no meetings have yet been scheduled with the programme's partner nations at which crucial price renegotiations could take place.

Speaking at an EADS press conference in Seville, Spain, on 12 January, company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Louis Gallois said a deadline of 31 January was effectively in place for an agreement to be made between EADS and the A400M partner nations: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the UK. After this date, Gallois said, EADS must file 2009 financial results with its auditors. He declined to say specifically what would happen to the programme itself after this date, citing the need to retain 'negotiating room' with the partner nations. However, the implication was that, with no more money from the partner nations, Airbus could not afford to take the programme any further.

"We are spending between EUR100 million and EUR150 million [USD145 million and USD217 million] per month. We just cannot continue beyond the end of January without knowing where we are going financially," said Gallois. "Today, I am sending a message of urgency to the governments: we are ready to negotiate at any time. ... After 31 January a decision will have to be taken anyway. We will take our own decision. Our duty is to protect as much as possible the interests, capacity and sustainability of EADS and Airbus."

[Ben Montgomery]

Any news on whether the A400M is still expected to be heading to Tolouse for flight testing? Me and Phill are off on a trip there in Feb to have a look round the facility, and it would be great to see the A400, especially if (I hope not) it does end up being cancelled.