The European Future Large Aircraft (FLA) project could be caught in the turmoil of a UK general election, and possibly a defence review, unless the FLA Policy Group meeting on 11 March agreed a way forward on the struggling programme.
The meeting follows a tri-lateral National Armament Directors conference between France, Germany and the UK. Although the FLA was not on the agenda, political sources say that it was discussed "in the margins".
Issues, say industry sources, included the Royal Air Force's interest in acquiring only 25, rather than 44 FLAs, and the UK's likely intent to hold a competition for its second tranche of Lockheed Martin C-130Js rather than commit to the FLA at this stage as the successor to its C-130Ks.
In addition, France and Germany have yet to resolve outstanding funding issues.
Sources close to the programme say: "France and Germany appear willing to issue the FLA request for proposals in spite of the outstanding financial questions." The UK is also considering whether some elements of the FLA acquisition could be covered by private finance.
The aircraft chosen in preference to the FLA to meet the RAF's Hercules first-tranche replacement, the Lockheed Martin C-130J, has, however, met delivery-schedule problems.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) says that it is in negotiation with Lockheed Martin over issues relating to a 12-month delay. The first aircraft will not now be delivered until November 1997. Software-integration problems have been the primary cause of the delay.
The RAF, say Whitehall sources, may be faced with a bill for having to carry out maintenance work on C-130Ks originally ear-marked to be replaced by C-130Js. They suggest that these costs may be passed on to Lockheed Martin because of penalty clauses within the contract covering the acquisition of the aircraft. It is believed the RAF could "-effectively receive a couple of the aircraft for free," as a result of any compensation.
Source: Flight International
