Critics Of The A400M Program Are Now Becoming More Vocal

A400M (Photo from Popular Science)

New RAF Transport Plane Is 'Euro-W*nking Makework Project' -- The Register

Gov refuses to admit what we'll pay for toss A400M.

A peer and former defence minister has described the A400M military transport plane - which is being bought by the cash-strapped UK armed forces for a secret but outrageous amount of money - as a "Euro-wanking make-work project" in the written Parliamentary record.

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More News On the A400M Program

A400M Flight Tests–and Negotiations–Continue -- AINonline
UPDATE:European Nations Agree On Revised Airbus A400M Contract -- Wall Street Journal
Buyers Win 2 Percent Payment Delay on A400M: Sources -- ABC News
Report Downbeat on A400M Export Hopes: German Def Min -- ABC News
Airbus A400M engines close to certification-source -- Reuters
A400M recognised in Popular Science Best of What´s New Awards -- Defpro
Airbus CEO jumps out of an A400M airlifter -- Seattle PI
PICTURES: Airbus chief Enders makes skydive from A400M -- Flight Global

Europe Reaches Agreement To Build The A400M Military Plane

The A400M is over-budget and behind schedule

Final Deal To Build Europe's A400M Military Plane -- BBC

European governments have agreed a final funding deal for the 20bn euro (£17.3bn) programme to build a new military transport aircraft.

The A400M, built by aerospace firm EADS, has been dogged by uncertainties over technical specifications and pressure on defence budgets.

The seven launch customers are the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey.

The defence project, one of Europe's largest, will create 10,000 jobs.

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More News On Europe's A400M Military Plane

European Nations Agree On Revised Airbus A400M Contract -- Wall Street Journal
Europe finalises Airbus A400M bailout deal -- Reuters
Deal reached on A400M financing -- Bloomberg Businessweek
A400M Partners Reach Contract Accord: French Minister -- Defense News
EADS, customer nations finalize deal to save A400M -- Seattle PI
TIMELINE-Fraught journey of A400M transport aircraft -- Reuters

EU Defense Ministers Agree To Continue The Airbus A400M Military Transport Plane Program

Facts on the Airbus A400M military transport plane. European aerospace giant EADS has accepted a proposal from seven partner governments to finance cost overruns of 5.2 billion euros ($7.1 billion) on the A400M military transport plane, French Defence Minister Herve Morin has said.

Spain Says Deal Reached on Future of Airbus Plane -- ABC News

Spanish minister says agreement in principle reached on future of A400 transport plane.

The countries behind the Airbus A400M military transport plane have reached an agreement in principle on the troubled project's future, the Spanish defense minister said Wednesday.

Carme Chacon announced the deal as she opened a two-day meeting of EU defense ministers on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca.

She did not say how the countries would resolve their disagreement over funding the late and over-budget project, saying details of the agreement would be provided on Thursday.

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The A400M military transport plane on its maiden flight last December. dpa

More News On The A400 Transport Plane Program

Agreement reached on A400M military plane costs -- France24/AFP
Spain says deal reached on future of Airbus plane -- Washington Post/AP
EADS accepts A400M financing offer: France -- Sydney Morning Herald
Spanish EU Presidency - Chacón announces initial agreement to save the A400M military transport aircraft project -- Isria
Airbus A400M Buyers Spar Over Loan to Save Project -- Business Week/Bloomberg
Haggling delays 3.5 bln euro A400M bailout -- Reuters
Defense ministers, EADS close to a deal on military transporter -- Deutsche Welle

Three Years Late, 'The Grizzly' Military Transport Plane Finally Takes To The Skies

(Click Image to Enlarge)
We have lift-off: The A400 Airbus finally gets into the sky, and the design specifications that make it so special

From The Daily Mail:

Heading into the blue three years late, Airbus's troubled A400M 'flying truck' military transport plane lifts off for its maiden flight.

The plane took off from Seville, in Spain, yesterday, with the flags of nine countries emblazoned on its side - the seven Nato nations plus Malaysia, which has ordered several planes, and South Africa, which recently pulled out of its order.

Britain has ordered up to 20 of the planes but the project has been dogged by delays and cost-overuns.

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My Comment: And I thought that the problems with the F-35 were bad.

The Airbus A400M Can Fly

Airbus A400M Finally Flies For First Time But Faces £10bn Cost Overruns -- The Telegraph

More than three years late, Airbus's A400M military transport finally has finally taken to skies in a successful first flight in Seville.

But the aircraft remains dogged by controversy, as it emerged that an independent audit commissioned by the nations buying the plane showed it could incur €11bn (£9.9bn) of cost overruns.

Germany said earlier this week that Airbus parent company EADS had identified some €5bn of cost overruns. The company and the seven buyer countries - which include Britain, France and Germany - are negotiating how those costs can be met. Possibilities include assigning a higher unit cost to each plane, meaning fewer A400Ms would be delivered.

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More News On The A400M

After Delays and Cost Overruns, Airbus A400M Takes Off -- New York Times
Audit says 11 bln euros at risk on A400M -sources -- Reuters
Troubled Airbus transporter takes to the skies -- AFP
States, EADS Must Share A400M Overcosts - French Minister -- Wall Street Journal
Airbus A400M makes maiden flight after delays -- BBC
Germany sticking to order for 60 A400M planes-official -- Reuters
Airbus hopes test flight will save the A400M -- Times Online
FACTBOX-Sizing up the Airbus A400M "grizzly" -- Reuters

Europe's A400M Transport Plane Is Overbudget And Late For Delivery

An A400M was displayed for the media in June. The earliest delivery of the first aircraft appears to be at least several years away. Jose Manuel Vidal/European Pressphoto Agency

From The New York Times:

There is no agreed-upon engine design, but rather four entirely different engineering concepts produced by four companies in four countries. The fuselage is too heavy, and the electronic control system has failed several tests.

Such is the current state of the A400M transport plane, Europe’s flagship military project, an enterprise costing €20 billion, or about $26 billion, and spanning more than 15 years.

New plans for the troubled aircraft were supposed to have been unveiled Wednesday, two days before a NATO summit meeting in Strasbourg at which the U.S. president, Barack Obama, was to meet with other NATO members to discuss his plans for Afghanistan. Instead, an internal dispute in the consortium manufacturing the plane broke out Monday that underscored the tenuous future of the project. And the earliest delivery of the first aircraft appears to be at least several years away.

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My Comment: There are a number of legitimate "beefs" about U.S. military programs being over budget and not meeting up to specs .... but this pales in comparison to what happens in European programs.