The German defence ministry says it will continue to "examine every option" for the purchase of a future military transport aircraft, despite a report from DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) rejecting the Antonov An-70 as the basis for the project.
The ministry says industry replies to a request for proposals (RFP) for a new transport aircraft "-could, if they want, include the An-70, it is up to the Ukrainians". The German Government has been the chief supporter of using a derivative of the An-70 as the basis of long running European plans to develop and build the Future Large Aircraft (FLA).
The contents of the report have not been made public, but are understood to describe the propfan-powered An-70, only one example of which is flying, on trials for the Russian air force, as "technically feasible, but too risky economically". German financial participation in the FLA programme has been on hold pending the results of the study.
The German Ministry of Defence says "every option is open", adding this might include the solution chosen by the so-called "breakaway" group of Belgium, France, Spain and the UK, which have called for a separate RFP to include offers from Boeing and Lockheed Martin. This process is running alongside the original seven-nation RFP directed at FLA programme manager Airbus.
Source: Flight International
