European Cargo Plane Inches Forward.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Airbus Military Co. will build new military transport aircraft

Airbus-led program seeking U.S. industrial participation

Along-delayed European program to build a new military transport aircraft could begin moving forward as early as mid-2001. No contracts have been signed by any European governments yet, but the aircraft makers already are seeking U.S. participation in the project.

The Airbus Military Company, in Cedex, France, plans to build a strategic military cargo plane, which would be larger than a C-130 Hercules, but smaller than a C-17 Globemaster. So far, eight European nations have made informal commitments to buy 225 airplanes, called the A400M. Program officials, meanwhile, are working to secure U.S. participation in the A400M program, said Jose Morales, vice president of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS) Company's Military Transport Division, in Chantilly, Va. This division of the EADS industrial conglomerate formerly was the Spanish aerospace giant CASA. EADS would assemble the airplanes in Seville, Spain.

"We are talking to the U.S. Air Force about getting a U.S. partner for the A400M program," Morales told National Defense. The talks, he stressed, are "very preliminary. ... We are going to push for the U.S. Air Force to get onboard the program."

The company also is "open to partnerships" with U.S. industry, Morales said.

The conceptual aircraft known today as the A400M has been in the works for about 15 years. At various times, it was called "Future International Military Aircraft" or "Future Military Airlifter." Today, it is being touted as a "European solution to European needs." Essentially, goes the Airbus argument, the A400M would fulfill airlift demands by countries that currently fly the C-130 and want a slightly larger plane, but nothing as big as a C-17.

Airbus said the A400M will be capable of carrying payloads of up to 65,000 pounds. The C-130J, which is the newest version of the Hercules, has a payload capacity of 41,790 pounds. The C-17 carries 170,900 pounds.

The "rationale" for this aircraft, said Morales, is that "it offers twice the capacity of the C-130 [older models] and the price is not double. We see the A400 as a good complement to the C-17."

EADS hopes that the U.S. Air Force will become interested in the program. "We have been providing information to the Air Force," said Morales, "but have not received any response, thus far. We are working to establish a dialogue."

Even though the final assembly of the A400 will be performed at EADS' Seville facility, each European nation customer will manufacture subassemblies in their own countries, based on the share of their buy, he said.

Last July, the defense ministers of the eight "launch customers" of the A400M made a verbal commitment to the program. Belgium would buy seven aircraft, France, 50; Germany, 73; Italy, 16; Luxembourg, 1; Spain, 27; Turkey, 26 and the United Kingdom, 25.

"Currently, we are in contract negotiations with the eight partners, which should be completed during the first half of 2001," said Alisdar Reynolds, spokesman for the Airbus Military Company, in Toulouse, France.

Airbus estimated that there is a market for about 400 transport planes throughout Europe.

All eight buyer nations agreed on common specifications for the aircraft, Reynolds said in an interview. There are exceptions, however, for some "minimum amount of customer-furnished equipment," such as customized life rafts that certain nations want installed in the aircraft.

Current European transports mostly are older C-130s and C-160s, except for the United Kingdom, which purchased 25 C130Js and is leasing four C-17s. If the A400M program...