From Manchester to Ankara and from Hamburg to Seville, companies across Europe are ramping up for the development and production of Airbus Military's A400M airlifter. The €20 billion effort represents an extraordinary union of nations and industries and of military services and civil aviation authorities.
Not only is the A400M the largest multinational procurement of a common aircraft, and the biggest military deal to be administered under a single contract, it is also the first programme of its type to be drawn up on a fully commercial basis.
The A400M is also a study in survival. Few could imagine that an aircraft to first fly in 2008 could trace its roots to 1982. Putting it in perspective, 1982 saw the Falklands war, Italy's soccer World Cup victory, and Chariots of Fire win the Oscar for best picture. That year also saw the death of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, and the continuing efforts of the USA under president Ronald Reagan to end the cold war with insurmountable technology.
Today's world is therefore far different from that first envisaged for what was to become the A400M. But the passage of time, so often a dark cloud over any aircraft development programme, has been a lining of silver for the European airlifter. Officially launched only in May 2003, the A400M benefits not only from the availability of new technology, but stands to fulfil a growing military need for tactical and strategic transport. It is also thriving under the broad wing of a highly successful Airbus organisation that should guarantee the A400M a future as the pre-eminent airlifter in its class for the 21st century
Source: Flight International
