Certainly the A400M is not a smooth sailing program. Since its launch in 2003, the military transport aircraft regularly gives a headache to Airbus. This is still the case early this year. Airbus Defence and Space is reviewing its schedule for 2015 deliveries with different client countries, announced Tuesday the CEO of DS Airbus in France, Jean-Marc Nasr. DS Airbus is expected to unveil its new 2015 calendar deliveries of military transport aircraft A400M “probably late February” , has he said on the occasion of the presentation of greetings to wish Press defense and space division of Airbus Group.
“You’ll have more information on this topic here probably late February,” he believed, can -be on the occasion of the publication of the annual results of the parent company, Airbus Group. “I hope I do not have a date, he said. When the group will present the closing of accounts in late February, he will tell all of the major programs. The A400M will surely be the program which is will talk more with the A350 and A380. “
New challenges
The German Ministry of Defense said Thursday fear a delay in deliveries the A400M, which it expects five units in 2015 after having received its first aircraft in December 2014. In addition, an official from the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries said on Monday that the country was expecting delays in Deliveries of his two early A400M in 2015, having already had to wait longer than expected for the first two he received in 2014. Airbus Group acknowledged on Friday delivery problems at a meeting with the joint organization of Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), which manages the European programs.
“There is no serious problem” , assured the CEO of Airbus DS in France. The German magazine Spiegel reported last Wednesday that only two out of five aircraft could be delivered to Germany this year because of assembly problems of the fuselage. “There is no body problem itself” , said Jean-Marc Nasr, citing difficulties with the organization of the supply chain. “ We would like to improve that system.”
And France?
Jean-Marc Nasr declined to specify the number of A400M that France, which already has six A400M in its fleet, will receive in 2015. Neither of the other country for that matter. According to him, “ the new target delivery will be agreed with customers States and OCCAR in the coming weeks” . The French army in hopes four this year, including two devices with a new standard that will include equipment drops, drops of men and refueling. Aircraft with the new standard will be well delivered during 2015, said Jean-Marc Nasr. A spokesman for the French Defense Ministry said it is not aware of any delays in deliveries for the A400M in 2015.
In 2014, the group delivered nine aircraft, including three new customers (Germany, United Kingdom and Turkey). In all, 174 aircraft have been ordered by eight countries to date. The year 2015 “ will be the year of rise of the A400M” , nevertheless said Jean-Marc Nasr. He has said that Malaysia would receive its first aircraft in 2015 on the four ordered in 2005.
Several countries interested in exporting the A400M
Jean-Marc Nasr hopes “strongly” sign export contracts for the A400M this year. Between five and ten countries have already indicated their interest and several negotiations are well advanced. The A400M is presented including Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan, and has attracted the interest of several countries in the Gulf, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, had said Airbus last year.
Beyond the A400M, he stressed that the aircraft manufacturer had earned last year made 28 transport aircraft of small and medium-capacity drives (CN235 and C295) and a plane refueling A330 MRTT flight, five were delivered in 2014. Airbus DS and has a backlog of 163 A400M, CN235 and C295 30 and 13 A330 MRTT.
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