FRANCE HAS PLUNGED the European Future Large Aircraft (FLA) project into chaos by deciding not to provide funds for the project in its national draft defence budget for 1996.
In a move which sources close to the FLA programme admit is "very dangerous", French defence minister Charles Millon reveals in an interview with French weekly Le Point that "...at the moment FLA is not part of France's defence budget".
France has been the central protagonist in the FLA programme, since its inception, but the project's survival now appears under threat - particularly as Lockheed Martin has been attempting to woo the FLA partners into dropping the design in favour of a joint transport to replace its C-141 Starlifter (Flight International, 14-20 February).
The FLA partners were in the final stages of establishing the Airbus Military Company to manage the FLA programme as part of Airbus Industrie.
Pre-development of the FLA programme, led by France, Germany, Spain and Italy, was due to begin this year and last until 1999, when a decision on production of some 300 aircraft for the nations involved was scheduled to be taken.
Other European nations, led by the UK, have observer status.
The UK was on the brink once again of becoming a full partner after a bitterly fought battle between the FLA partners and Lockheed, with its C-130J Hercules, was resolved by the Royal Air Force purchasing the Hercules and agreeing, subject to talks, eventually to buy FLAs.
Source: Flight International
