RMAF Acquired 4 Airbus A400M Atlas

[Pieter C. 5]

Belgium Says Airbus A400M Talks On Track

 

September 29, 2009

 

A senior Belgian government minister said on Tuesday everything pointed to a deal on the delayed Airbus A400M military transport, being reached by year-end as planned.

 

Belgium and six other European NATO nations agreed earlier this year to renegotiate their contract with Airbus parent EADS to try to prevent delays derailing the EUR20 billion euro (USD$29.1 billion) project.

 

"I'm an optimist. So far... all indications commit me to believe that we will be able to proceed," Pieter De Crem, Belgium's defence minister, said on the sidelines of a meeting of European ministers in Sweden.

 

European ministers are scheduled to meet in October to review progress toward an agreement.

 

The A400M project, which involves around 4,000 production jobs, has been hit mainly by delays in engine software development, forcing Europe's largest aerospace group EADS to take EUR2.4 billion in charges in its accounts

 

Belgium has ordered seven of the planes, as well as one further aircraft in cooperation with Luxembourg. In total, 180 aircraft have been ordered with Germany the biggest buyer.

 

Officials have said the Airbus parent could face a hefty bill to help fill gaps in troop transport capacity, not least for British and French operations in Afghanistan, while development problems are ironed out.

 

"For the time being, my mindset is not one of Airbus Military already being in a position under pressure or having fines," De Crem said. "I am still, and I think most of my colleagues, on the positive side of the table. But this cannot last for another year or more."

 

De Crem also sought to dampen expectations that European buyers of the aircraft would allocate extra funds to the project beyond what has already been agreed, calling this "an illusion" as defence budgets were scaled back in the economic downturn. "At least for Belgium, that is inconceivable," he said.

 

(Reuters)

[BC Tam 2]

..... Pieter De Crem, Belgium's defence minister, .....

Uncle Pieter,

All along we thought you're Dutch

[Pieter C. 5]

Uncle Pieter,

All along we thought you're Dutch

 

Belgium used to be Dutch until about 200 years ago, hence the common name in both countries

 

Airbus Contractor Completes A400M Engine Trials

 

October 1, 2009

 

British engineers have completed engine trials on the Airbus A400M military transport plane, clearing a significant obstacle to its long-delayed maiden flight, sources close to the matter said.

 

The in-flight tests have been carried out by fitting one of the A400M's newly developed turbo-prop engines to the wing of a converted Lockheed C130 Hercules transport plane at Marshall Aerospace, a specialist firm in Cambridge, England.

 

Sources familiar with the project said the test aircraft -- known to engineers as a 'flying test bed' -- had completed 54 hours of test flights with the West's largest ever turbo prop fitted in place of one of its ordinary engines on the wing.

 

The chief executive of Airbus parent EADS reiterated on Monday that the planemaker aims to fly the A400M aircraft itself around the end of the year.

 

Completion of the engine trials is a boost for the A400M as EADS pursues talks to rescue the EUR20 billion euro project with its seven launch nations: Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey.

 

The plane's future had been placed in doubt due to mounting financial losses and persistent delays that prompted some including Britain to reconsider their purchases.

 

(Reuters)

[Pieter C. 5]

Airbus Confident A400M To Fly By Year-End

 

October 11, 2009

 

Airbus is confident its delayed A400M military transport plane will fly by the end of the year but dismissed a magazine report that its maiden flight could come as early as November 30.

 

No date has yet been set for the first flight, a spokeswoman for Airbus Military said on Saturday.

 

German weekly magazine Focus said the aircraft could take to the skies as soon as November 30, citing sources close to suppliers.

 

"Many dates will be leaked by people who have little knowledge of all the work which is to be undertaken until the first flight and, in particular, all the ground tests which are all dependent on each other," the spokeswoman said.

 

"Therefore any date which may be circulated is a fantasy."

 

Europe's largest military project, designed to provide badly needed capacity to transport troops and heavy equipment to combat zones such as Afghanistan or to carry out humanitarian relief operations, has been dogged by technical delays and mounting financial losses and is four years late.

 

Airbus parent EADS is in talks to rescue the EUR20 billion euro (USD$29.5 billion) contract with the seven European nations that ordered the plane: Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey.

 

Sources close to the matter said earlier this month that technicians had completed engine trials on the A400M, clearing a significant obstacle to its maiden flight.

 

"We are very confident to be able to fly the aircraft by the end of the year and hopefully before and we cannot confirm any date," the spokeswoman added on Saturday. "It will take to the air as soon as the test pilots are ready."

 

(Reuters)

[Pieter C. 5]

Airbus Reaffirms A400M Flight, Reshuffles Jobs

 

October 13, 2009

 

Airbus reaffirmed plans to get the delayed A400M military transport plane flying by the end of the year as it announced a raft of management changes on Tuesday.

 

The planemaker's military division said it had appointed a new head of engineering as part of a shake-up of positions by the recently appointed head of Airbus Military, Domingo Urena.

 

Miguel Angel Morell, the new head of engineering and technology, was previously in charge of Airbus military derivatives and is seen as a key player in efforts by parent EADS to build and sell aerial refuelling tankers.

 

The move comes as EADS, in partnership with Northrop Grumman, faces a new USD$35 billion competition against Boeing to sell mid-air tankers to the US Air Force.

 

Airbus Military is responsible for building both the A400M military airlifter and the MRTT mid-air refuelling tanker which has been sold to countries including Britain and Australia.

 

The maiden flight of the A400M has been delayed by almost two years due to engine and software development problems, forcing EADS to renegotiate the EUR20 billion euro contract with the seven European NATO countries that first ordered the plane.

 

"Airbus Military is getting ready for some important milestones such as the A400M first flight to take place by the end of the year, the first A330 MRTT deliveries to operators in Australia and the UK, and the US tanker competition," the company said in a statement.

 

The previous engineering chief, Rafael Acedo, has been appointed head of strategy, Airbus Military said in a statement.

 

Jaime Perez-Guerra, a former spokesman for Spanish airline Iberia, was appointed head of communications.

 

Spain clashed earlier this year with EADS over the sacking of senior Spanish management officials and a reorganisation that saw its military plane business integrated into Airbus instead of remaining as a standalone EADS unit, industry sources say.

 

(Reuters)

[Pieter C. 5]

Airbus A400M Buyers Discuss Extending Contract

 

October 19, 2009

 

Buyers of the delayed Airbus A400M military transporter are edging towards a deal that could see deliveries spread over a longer period rather than cutting the number of planes ordered, sources close to the talks said.

 

Details have to be ironed out before ministerial talks now expected in late October.

 

But if confirmed, such a compromise could limit the financial pain which has weighed on shares in Airbus parent EADS and ease pressure on arms budgets by staggering Europe's largest defence order over a longer period.

 

The A400M is a troop and heavy equipment transporter sold to seven European NATO nations to support their global operations, but which is mired in cost overruns and years of delays.

 

Buyer nations agreed in July to renegotiate the EUR20 billion euro (USD$29.9 billion) contract, but left question marks over the number of planes on order and the status of billions of dollars of penalties for late delivery hanging over EADS.

 

"Fewer aircraft will be delivered over a specified time period; that much looks pretty certain," a source familiar with the talks said, asking not to be identified.

 

To balance the books, that would mean either cutting back the programme by cancelling orders that fall outside the agreed timeframe, or prolonging the contract to allow Airbus Military to deliver planes over a longer period without new penalties.

 

The prospect of outright cancellations receded when Germany's new centre-right coalition last week indicated it had no plans to cut Berlin's order for 60 aircraft.

 

Rescuing Europe's largest defence project is a top priority for Airbus parent EADS, which would have to repay over EUR5 billion in advances, shrinking its cash pile by more than half, if plans for the airlifter were cancelled.

 

EADS will still face penalties for delays but the two sides are discussing to what extent these can be offset against adjustments for inflation, known as the GDP deflator, that are built into the fixed-price contract, the sources said.

 

Whatever the outcome, EADS is expected to take hefty charges for losses when a new agreement is agreed, possibly later this year.

 

EADS officials declined to comment.

 

Another source said that barring adjustments, major buyers were expected to back stretching the contract over a longer period rather than cutting planes because of airlift shortages.

 

"I would not be surprised if this happened," he said.

 

FLIGHT TESTS

 

Tackling the problem this way could skirt round short-term budgetary crises and avoid an unbudgeted surge in 'catch-up' deliveries of the planes, which cost EUR100 million each.

 

"When programmes are delayed, you can get a spike in payments which is difficult for defence ministries to budget for, especially when there are other large programmes at the same time," said a former European defence procurement official.

 

Britain, Germany and Spain have signed up for more Eurofighter combat jets over roughly the same period and countries everywhere are reviewing unpopular defence spending.

 

Talks have been slowed by coalition negotiations in Germany.

 

Ministers from the seven original buyers -- Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Turkey -- had been due to meet in Germany in mid-October but may now meet in Spain at the end of the month, one source briefed on discussions said.

 

Germany is the largest buyer with a third of the original order book for 180 A400Ms, followed by France with 50, Spain, where it will be assembled, buying 27 and Britain 25.

 

Malaysia and South Africa have ordered a further 12 between them, though Pretoria has expressed concerns over costs.

 

A project official said Airbus developers would hand the first aircraft to the flight test team in Seville, southern Spain, in the first half of November. EADS has said that after taxi trials, the long-delayed maiden flight is due by year end.

 

Despite past problems, Airbus is confident the plane will meet "basic guaranteed performance," avoiding further penalties.

 

However the delays could mean extra business for US or Russian rivals that traditionally dominate military transport.

 

Britain is looking at increasing its fleet of Boeing C-17 transporters as an interim measure. Lockheed Martin says A400M delays are set to boost sales of its veteran C-130.

 

(Reuters)

 

Why does Luxembourg need such a big transporter ?

[flee 5]

 

 

Airbus Military’s first A400M transport took off from San Pablo airport near Seville, Spain at 10:15 local time on its historic first flight.

 

Aircraft MSN001 landed at 14:00 local time after a sortie lasting 3h 45min.

 

Airbus says the first A400M has reached a top speed of 230kt (425km/h) during the flight - below the 300kt maximum originally targeted, but that the aircraft has performed as expected.

 

Full Report: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/11/336083/pictures.html

 

Airbus Press Release:

http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/09_12_11_a400m_maiden_flight.html

Edited December 11, 2009 by flee

[Fitri Shukri 0]

Can't wait to see the A400M in RMAF livery

[Ashmil Abd Ghani 0]

Can't wait to see the A400M in RMAF livery

 

Still loooooong time to wait...

[Li Ren 2]

Side view of the new A400M from A.net

 

[Tamizi Hj Tamby 1]

At last,the A400M is flying!

[Izanee 0]

it really looks like the C17 married the C130 and had a kid!

[Waiping 12]

I saw the video they played during LIMA. Nice to see that the plane is finally on test flight. Note the Malaysian flag on the fuselage. Are we the first to confirm interest in this aircraft?

[Fitri Shukri 0]

I saw the video they played during LIMA. Nice to see that the plane is finally on test flight. Note the Malaysian flag on the fuselage. Are we the first to confirm interest in this aircraft?

 

RMAF ordered 4 units of A400M

[Sharil Abdul Rahman 0]

And i thought the A400M will be using the A33x family as the base body.

Any idea what is the MTOW rated for it?

[BC Tam 2]

it really looks like the C17 married the C130 and had a kid!

Note it also has the nose profile of the Lockheed C141 Starlifter

Does the issue of genetic amalgamation brought on by possible marital infidelity warrant further discussion ?!

[flee 5]

I saw the video they played during LIMA. Nice to see that the plane is finally on test flight. Note the Malaysian flag on the fuselage. Are we the first to confirm interest in this aircraft?

Malaysia is the only non European country to order it. France, Germany and UK are the big customers. Here is the full list: http://www.a400m.com/CustomerBase.aspx

 

Note that Malaysia also gets a good share of the components supply to Airbus.

[Izanee 0]

SOuth Africa is the other non European country too ... we both ordered it in 2005. The launch orders were done in 2003

[flee 5]

South Africa recently pulled out of an order for eight A400Ms, leaving Malaysia as the only export customer.

 

Source: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article6952954.ece

[BC Tam 2]

Airbus chief says he 'may cancel A400M' military plane

 

The chief executive of Airbus has warned he is prepared to cancel production of the company's A400M military transport plane.

 

Tom Enders told BBC World that he would consider ending the programme if European governments failed to cough up more cash.

 

"We cannot complete the development of this aircraft without a significant financial contribution," he said.

 

Delays to the A400M project have already increased its budget by 25%.

 

The project is now 5bn euros ($7.25bn; £4.5bn) over its initial budget as a result of weight and engine problems.

 

Airbus will sit down with representatives from countries that have placed orders for the A400M later this week to discuss additional financing.

 

The seven European governments that have ordered the plane will then decide by the end of January whether to pay more.

 

Seven countries - Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the UK - have ordered 180 A400M aircraft in total between them.

 

Under contracts signed ahead of the start of the programme six years ago, Airbus has agreed to sell them the planes for a fixed price.

 

"We made a big mistake when we [entered into] contracts for this aircraft six or seven years ago," Mr Enders said, speaking to BBC World Business Report.

 

"If you make mistakes don't repeat them. We should not again take a decision which would lead us to further problems in the years to come."

 

Customers disagree

 

The A400M, which was designed to fly troops and equipment, is set to replace ageing military cargo carriers in several European air forces.

 

It had been due to go into service last year, but will not take to the skies until 2012 at the earliest. The delay led to South Africa cancelling an order for eight planes.

 

There is a split between those countries who want the aircraft built and in use quickly, notably the UK and France, and those who would prefer to proceed more slowly to spread the cost, in particular Germany.

 

Serious threat

 

Ditching the A400M would cost EADS some 5.7bn euros in advance payments - more than double the 2.4bn euros it has already set aside to cover losses it expects to incur from the project.

 

There is every chance such losses could rise further, so analysts say Mr Enders' warning is more than just posturing aimed at putting pressure on European governments.

 

"There will come a point where it is better for EADS to simply walk away," said Nomura aerospace analyst Jason Adams.

 

Doing so would severely damage Airbus' reputation and boost arch rival Boeing, which has seen the order book for its A400M rival, the C-17, swell.

 

from the BBC

 

So, has our RMAF quietly cancelled their order too ?

Edited January 12, 2010 by BC Tam

[xtemujin 0]

Engine had problem on A400M maiden flight: report

 

BERLIN

Sat Jan 23, 2010 5:15am EST

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - The Airbus A400M had an engine problem on its maiden flight last month, German magazine Spiegel said in an article on Saturday, citing documents from engine maker Europrop.

 

The magazine said documents showed a steering computer and a backup system failed after 30 minutes of flight, causing the engine to be automatically disengaged. An Airbus spokeswoman quoted in the article said the problem has since been fixed.

 

The A400M's maiden flight on December 11 was two years behind schedule following delays in engine development and other snags that manufacturers blame partly on political interference.

 

(Writing by Brian Rohan)

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60M0PJ20100123?type=globalMarketsNews

[BC Tam 2]

It's a bit long winded, but worth the read

 

Special Report - The incredible saga of Europe's A400M

 

 

Highlights

An even bigger crisis, over a huge funding shortfall, this year forced cash-strapped European governments to back a 3.5 billion euro bailout. "We hate you, but we don't want you dead," an exhausted government negotiator told Airbus officials before a deal was finally struck in March.

 

There was still one problem: ever-rising costs. If a bank robber stole in 100 euro notes the amount that Europe's troop plane had gone over-budget, an A400M would be unable to lift the weight. To perform the getaway, the robber would need a larger Boeing C-17.

Edited June 8, 2010 by BC Tam

[flee 5]

Third A400M takes to the air

 

 

By Craig Hoyle

 

Airbus Military has enjoyed two notable firsts in its A400M programme, with the debut flight of development aircraft MSN003 having been achieved while its first two aircraft were also airborne.

 

Flown from the company's San Pablo final assembly site near Seville, Spain, MSN003 took off at 13:57 local time with a crew of five, including experimental test pilots Tony Flynn and Francois Barre.

 

"The addition of MSN3 to the fleet is great news, and will let us push ahead even more rapidly with the flying programme," says Airbus head of flight operations Fernando Alonso.

 

As of 9 July, the A400M test fleet had logged 100 test flights and a combined 400 flight hours, the EADS company says. This represents continued steady progress since last month's Berlin air show, where MSN001 made its show debut after around 250h had been amassed by the fleet.

 

Airbus Military will have five test aircraft available by mid-2011, with these required to fly a combined total of 3,700h during development testing of the A400M. The transport is expected to enter service around late 2012, following a delivery delay of around three years.

 

Carrying a medium instrumentation load, MSN003 will be dedicated to tasks including proving the A400M's autopilot and navigation systems. The aircraft will be assigned to test duties conducted from Airbus's Toulouse site in France.

 

MSN001 will arrive in the UK on 16 July ahead of its weekend participation in the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The aircraft will then take part in the daily flying display at the Farnborough air show from 19-22 July.

 

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/09/344266/picture-third-a400m-takes-to-the-air.html

[xtemujin 0]

PICTURE: Fifth A400M joins 'Grizzly' flight-test fleet

030112 (Tue)

 

Airbus Military's fifth and final A400M development aircraft has joined the European airframer's "Grizzly" flight test fleet, with the transport having completed a 2h 10min debut sortie from Seville, Spain, on 20 December.

 

Aircraft MSN6 made its first flight with a crew of two experimental test pilots and three test engineers, and took off at a weight of 125t.

 

The first flight milestone marked "the end of a highly successful year for the [A400M] programme", Airbus Military said.

 

The Grizzly fleet had by late December accumulated more than 2,500h of the 3,700h required to complete a core programme of flight testing before the start of production deliveries, it added.

 

The availability of MSN6 will be a key factor in achieving this goal, as it is the first A400M to have been built in a production-representative configuration. It will be used for activities including electromagnetic interference and cargo development testing, plus extreme cold weather trials and operational demonstrations. The aircraft will also undergo 300h of so-called "functioning and reliability" testing intended to prove the A400M's readiness to enter operational use.

 

"The Grizzly fleet will immediately start 2012 with an aggressive test programme, including an increasing proportion of military tests, in preparation for first delivery around the turn of the year 2012-2013," Airbus Military said.

 

To be handed over to the French air force, production aircraft MSN7 is now in final assembly at the company's San Pablo site near Seville.

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/...t-fleet-366464/

[DaTan 0]

How much bigger is it compared to the C130 and how much smaller than the C-17