After delays, technical problems and cost overruns, tragedy. The crash of an A400M for the Turkish Air Force, Saturday, May 9 near Seville, a dramatic episode adds to the long list of woes of the device.
If Airbus confirmed and continue production of the aircraft test flights, four customers of the military transport aircraft (Germany, UK, Turkey, Malaysia) announced suspension of flights from their devices as a precaution, the France now only those “ priority in operations” . The accident, which caused 4 deaths and 2 seriously injured, casts doubt on a device that began just dreaming of export sales.
Estate of hard knocks
The A400M would it be a cursed plane? The history of the device since its launch in 2003 is in any case a succession of hard knocks. In 2009, Airbus Group, then still known as EADS, had almost threw in the towel at the delays and additional costs of the program. An agreement was reached in extremis early 2010, customers and industrial countries sharing a additional invoice of 6.2 billion euros, or nearly a third of the initial budget (€ 20 billion).
Five years later, rebelote, or almost: early 2015, further delays of deliveries and development concerns compelled the Group of Airbus, Tom Enders, to thank the boss military aircraft Domingo Ureña-Raso and director of Rafael Tentor A400M program.
Airbus Group still had to make € 551 million of provisions for fiscal year 2014, which adding to the more than 4 billion already spent. The boss of Airbus Defence and Space Bernhard Gerwert recently spoke of a program in “critical”. Tom Enders even had to publicly apologize to customers States.
to a command C-130
But among customers, anger always scolding. The German Air Force, according to the German magazine Spiegel , had detected 875 breaches of its first aircraft delivered. France, if it has deployed six aircraft on overseas operations, concerned that key capabilities of the device are never reached, such as in-flight refueling of helicopters and lateral release paratroopers. “We must take stock with Tom Enders in July, we are assured in the entourage of the minister of defense. If Airbus is unable to provide us with aircraft specifications, it is a scandal. “
The defense ministry is now considering buying or clearly C-130 American rental (Lockheed Martin), probably half a dozen, and do not exclude a reduction target of 50 A400M initially scheduled for the air force.
to the European Mistakes
Why so many disappointments? The A400M shows all through European cooperation programs. The demands, often contradictory, the air forces of seven countries led customers to create an ultra-complex aircraft to develop, both strategic (long distance transport) and tactical (missions in the theaters of operations).
The political pressure to select a consortium of European engine manufacturers (including Rolls-Royce and Safran), rather than Pratt & amp; Whitney Canada, did not help: Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, was downright respondent Noël Forgeard order to choose the European solution, resulting in a very delicate TP400 engine developing between the four industries concerned (Rolls-Royce, Safran, MTU, ITP).
Airbus Group also largely his responsibility: the liking of the Airbus restructuring Group, the A400M was also wandered from division to division. Subsidiary of EADS, he was then attached to the commercial division of Airbus and exfiltration to the new Airbus Defence and Space Division. Not really suitable for such a complex program.
Fatal Accident?
L A400M will return there this accident? If the existence of the device, already delivered 12 copies (of 174 ordered) is not questioned, Airbus in support of the Spanish authorities in charge of the investigation, will have to establish as quickly as possible the causes of crash to reassure customers and prospects: “If the investigation concludes that a technical defect of the unit, the chances of signing export contracts in the next two years will be small ” , says Christophe Ménard, Analyst Kepler Cheuvreux.
In the longer term, the life expectancy of a military program of this type (at least 40 years) leaves hope for a more serene after career : A400M has the advantage of being the only recent transport aircraft of this size, face a C-17 end of life and aging C-130
<. strong> Vincent lamigeon for ChallengeSoir
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