[File No. 13] The adventure of the A400M, the European military transport aircraft

4 December 2010 Nicolas Gros Verheyde

(B2) The A400M programme - the European military transport aircraft - is not short of twists and turns. But it is an essential point not only for European defence and cooperation between allies but also for European construction and the existence of an independent and strong Europe in the world.

• Download also the folder published for Europolitics 2009

A difficult decision

In the years 1980, each army is considering replacing these tactical aircraft, in particular to replace the C-160 Transat and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. France and the United Kingdom are leaning towards a European solution, but Germany is reluctant, opting for the Russian-Ukrainian Antonov 70 aircraft, for both budgetary and political reasons.

En December 1997, the final version of the Statement of Principles (SOP) is adopted. The purchase of 291 aircraft is then planned.

Le June 19, 2001, the defense ministers of the European states participating in the project (France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Portugal) signed a memorandum of understanding for the order of 196 aircraft at the Paris Air Show.

First orders, first abandonments (2002-2005)

En December 2002, German Defense Minister Peter Struck officially announces that Berlin will order only 60 aircraft.

En February 2003, the Portuguese Prime Minister renounces the order of A400M. In the midst of European dissension on Iraq, American pressure has played a role. When JM Barroso dropped the Airbus A400M, out of friendship...

En March 2005, South Africa signs contract for purchase of 8 aircraft.

En July 2005, Chile signs a declaration of intent but it remains a dead letter.

Le 8 December 2005, Malaysia signs contract to purchase more aircraft.

Doubts, abandonments, new contract (2009-2011)

March 24, 2009, Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS announces " a delay of at least three years for the first delivery ". Read : Louis Gallois (EADS) confirms a 3-5 year delay for the A400M. Yet the program continues to have benefits. Read: Airbus A400M program: deliberately yes. For 4 reasons (file)

En November 2009, it's a new one South Africa cancels A400M order in blow to Airbus

If a few weeks ago, the "sweet" words were flying high in the press. Today, it is rather silence and discretion that reign. And it is rather the calculators that are out...

Le 12 December 2009, the first flight took place successfully, in Seville, in front of an audience of personalities – King Juan Carlos, the Ministers of Defense (the Spanish Carme Chacon, the French Hervé Morin, etc.).

The military plane took off at exactly 10:16 with a European crew (British pilot, Edward "Ed" Strongman, Spanish co-pilot, and 4 French aeronautical engineers: Jean-Philippe Cottet, Eric Isorce, Gérard Leskerpit, Didier Ronceray). A flight of exactly 3 hours 47 minutes with... a successful landing. The most important thing!

Tuesday 26th January 2010, a new meeting is organized in Berlin. The question is simple: how to distribute the " painful » additional costs incurred by the anticipated delay. Read: A400M: the time of anathemas has given way to calculators

Le February 26st, 2010, the defence ministers of the seven Airbus A400M partner states, sign a declaration highlighting "the significant progress made during the negotiations with the industry", on the sidelines of the informal defense meeting in Mallorca (read: The A400M surprise guest of the informal defense in Palma). We are in " the final decision-making process » explains EADS. Read: The "final details" to be settled for the Airbus A400M (update) et Airbus A400M: the final touch to a… final agreement? (shift)

En March 2010, the Member States and EADS have reached, more or less, an agreement on the terms of what must be called a "new contract" for the A400M. The invoice and delivery schedule have been completely revised. Read: The A400M comes out of the tunnel: terms of the agreement and future "clouds"

Le 5th November 2010, the seven partners of the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft signed a new contract in Toulouse, which includes the terms of the agreement planned for March and regulates three main elements: the sharing of the price increase, a new schedule for customer payments and a mechanism allowing the delivery of different versions in successive phases. The export aid scheme remains to be negotiated, which " should be finalized by the end of the year " specifies the industry. Read: The end of the ordeal for the A400M. First delivery scheduled for 2013

En January 2011, the German Bundestad approves the A400M purchase project, but the green light is only given for 40 aircraft instead of the 53 initially planned. The cost is estimated at 8,3 billion euros, to which is added a repayable loan of 500 million euros (out of a total loan of 1,5 billion euros). The 13 aircraft will remain on order but will have to be resold by Airbus Military. The conditions of this resale remain unclear for the moment. Read: Germany approves A400M contract but resells some aircraft

Le 7 April 2011, Airbus Military and OCCAR (the European Organisation for the Management of Armament Programmes * which represents the interests of the nations participating in the project), sign, in Seville, an amendment to the initial contract. This signature marks the end of a saga that lasted more than two years, with various twists and turns and tensions between the manufacturer and its customers but also between partners (notably between the French and the Germans) on the sharing of the "pain" resulting from the delay of Airbus military in delivering the machine and the additional technical costs. Read: The final contract for the A400M signed in Seville on Thursday

•The Airbus A400M: the alternatives? Keine!

•Still difficult discussions on the A400M, 7 workarounds

Berlin wonders about the future of the Airbus A400M. London too! (March 2009)

Airbus A400M: the first flight took place successfully. And now ? (Dec. 2009)

In Prague, Ministers agree to a 3-month moratorium for the Airbus A400M

On the period (2001-2011) and the causes of the delay, read

Preparations for arrivals (2012-2013)

On 23 March 2012, a compromise was reached to conclude an administrative arrangement and a secure information exchange agreement between the European Defence Agency and the Joint Armaments Cooperation Organisation.

Le 3 September 2012, the Belgian and French Ministers of Defence, Pieter de Crem and Jean-Yves Le Drian, welcome the project to create a A400M joint unit in Melsbroek

Lesson start date December 2012, the Airbus A400M is completing its final phase of flight tests. Everything is now in the hands of the competent civil authorities (in particular the European Aviation Safety Agency EASA) and military (the committee appointed by OCCAR) in order to examine the data of the "Operation and Reliability" program. Read: The A400M completes its tests. There remains the flight certificate… A whole program

En February 2013, the A400M is carrying out a final series of endurance tests. Chosen location: Iqaluit, one of the northernmost Canadian cities, on the edge of the Arctic Ocean and facing Greenland. Objective: to test the cargo boarding system and the engines. Successful test – according to the European industry – for the Grizzly 5 (Msn6) at -32°.

In the same week, OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement) – acting on behalf of the French Ministry of Defence – and Airbus Military signed a first initial assistance contract (In-Service Support) for the first 18 months of service.

Lesson start date March 2013, Belgian Defence Minister Pieter de Crem has thrown in the towel. There will be no No A400M unit at MelsbroekThe military airport, located near Brussels, will not host a multinational unit of Airbus A400M transport aircraft. France and Germany have not followed suit.

Le March 4, 2013, the British Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Airbus Military and Thales UK to prepare for the arrival of the A400M Atlas in the Royal Air Force. Signed for 18 years, the contract aims to provide training and education services for the A400M Atlas. The Atlas A400M enthuses the BBC. Contract for a training school in Brize Norton (UK)

Wednesday March 13, 2013, the A400M receives civil certification on behalf of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). A crucial step towards the delivery of the first aircraft to the French Air Force". Read : The certified A400M

Lesson start date July 2013, the six nations participating in the A400M Operational User Group (OUG) sign " Agreement on the A400M interoperability framework " for " as far as possible, develop, manage and operate (the device) on the basis of interoperability ". Read : Six nations commit to A400M interoperability *

First tests, first deliveries (2013-2014)

Le August 2, 2013, the first A400M of the French Air Force — which bears the serial number MSN7 — joins the Orléans-Bricy air base, its home port. The A400M in service

Le 13th November 2013, the second A400M of the French Air Force, codenamed MSN8, arrives in Orléans. Its first inaugural flight took place on June 7: The second “French” A400M takes off

In April 2014, Airbus delivered the first A400M to Turkey, after complicated negotiations due to the delay in delivery.

Lesson start date December 2014, the French MSN 08 thus takes off from the Orléans air base to bring equipment and men for the benefit of French operations. Barkhane (carried out in the Sahelo-Saharan strip) and Sangaris (Central African Republic) as well as the European operation in Bangui (EUFOR RCA). Read: The A400M taxi in the sky

Le August 13, 2014, the 4th French aircraft, which bears the serial number MSN11, has been received, announces the French Ministry of Defense (Notebook 14.08.2014/XNUMX/XNUMX *).

Le August 28, 2014, Airbus military announces the successful completion of in-flight refueling tests of an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet by the European transport aircraft (Notebook 28.08.2014/XNUMX/XNUMX *)

On December 18, 2014, Germany received its first A400M, and France the sixth.

Crash and technical complications (2015)

Friday March 6, 2015, in the evening, The Atlas A400M is back home after its round-the-world trip. A mission intended to test the device over the long term. But customers are getting impatient. DGA director Cohet-Billon is fuming.

En March 2015, a first export device is delivered to Malaysia.

Open on Saturday 9 May 2015, it's a disaster. An A400M crashes in Seville (Spain) during a test flight. It is the model "MSN23", " a device intended for the Turkish authorities ". Four people were killed instantly and two others were seriously injured. This is the first accident for the European transport plane. Read: A400M crash in Seville

Tuesday 12 May 2015, the tests resume with a flight between Toulouse and Seville. The European industry intends to show that The line continues! First flight test of an A400M since the crash

Le 19 may 2015, Airbus Defence and Space has issued a warning, following the crash of the A400M in Seville, to all A400M operators about possible failures of electronic components of the European military transport aircraft. Specific checks must be carried out on the Electronic Control Units (ECU) of each of the aircraft's engines before the next flight and additional detailed checks must be carried out in the case of replacement of the ECU or the engine concerned". This warning is the " result of Airbus' internal analysis, as part of continuing airworthiness activities, and is independent of the ongoing official investigation " specifies the aircraft manufacturer.

Le June 12, 2015, a new "test" flight of an A400M takes place between Toulouse and Seville, with on board the director of Airbus Defense & Security, Fernando Alonso, who insisted on being present on board to testify to the relevance of the aeronautical program. This flight was a " long-planned flight", the company specifies. But, " as a precautionary measure and pending the investigation into the accident", the Spanish military authorities informed Airbus on May 12 of the temporary suspension of the flight permit for production aircraft in preparation for delivery. A400M assembly for customers continues as planned at Seville final assembly line "just like in other factories" in Filton (United Kingdom) for the wings, and in Bremen (Germany) for the fuselage ».

Second phase of deliveries (2015)

Le June 18, 2015, the Spanish aviation regulator (DGAM) had lifted " all remaining flight restrictions on new production aircraft ».

Le June 19, 2015, A400M delivery resumes. A 7th aircraft delivered to FranceThis is the thirteenth production aircraft delivered out of the 174 ordered.

Le July 6, 2015, in the night, ZM403, the third British A400M arrives "home", Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire.

Lesson 11 and December 22, 2015, Airbus delivers one after the other Eighth A400M for France, a third for GermanyThe French aircraft bears the serial number MSN31. A second German aircraft had been delivered a few days earlier, on December 10, and joined the 62nd Air Transport Squadron (62e LTG – Lufttransportgeschwaders).

At the end of 2015, there were now 18 aircraft delivered and operational: 8 in France, 3 in Germany and 4 in the United Kingdom, 2 in Turkey, 1 in Malaysia.

Thursday 28 April 2016, Airbus boss Tom Enders acknowledges facing " a serious challenge in the production and delivery of the A400M ", during the presentation of the group's results in Amsterdam. After the control software of the device, it is now the gearbox which poses a problem. If the delay has not been quantified, Tom Enders speaks of consequences " significant "In Spain, the first of the 27 aircraft ordered should be delivered" after summer ", six months later than expected. Customers could claim new compensation from the industry.

Lesson finish date May 2016, in an interview with the German daily newspaper "Bild", the president of Airbus Group, Tom Enders, acknowledges that " huge mistakes " were committed in the development of the A400M military transport aircraft. " We underestimated the engine problems and this original sin caught up with us. When the program started, we were persuaded by renowned European government leaders to entrust the engines to an inexperienced consortium while taking on responsibility for this new type of turboprop ourselves. »

Thursday June 2, 2016, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen took advantage of the Berlin Air Show to reiterate her dissatisfaction with the delays in the delivery of A400M military aircraft and stated that she " will claim all compensation provided for each day of delay "Germany ordered 53 A400Ms from Airbus but only three were delivered due to delays caused in particular by problems with the turbine gearboxes.

Wednesday June 8, 2016, the DGA receives the ninth A400M but the first must return to the garage, to be equipped with tactical capabilities, such as airdropping, self-protection, the ability to use rough terrain to land and to refuel fighter and transport aircraft in flight. Two other aircraft of this type should be delivered to France by the end of the year and three others will be modified to allow the same use.

Thursday 1st December 2016, Airbus delivers its first A400M to the Spanish Air Force. Spain becomes the sixth nation to put the new European transport aircraft into service. This is the first delivery, out of 28 ordered. Spain is expected to receive 14 aircraft by 2022, with the last 13 to be delivered from 2025. Read : First A400M delivered to Spain

Le 5th January 2017, the UK Ministry of Defence has announced the award of a £410 million contract to Airbus Defence and Space to provide maintenance, upgrades and repairs to the new A400M/Atlas fleet until 2026. This contract complements the two-year, £63 million Comprehensive Support Contract, jointly negotiated with France, joined by Spain, which aims to provide joint support and spares services (the first stage of a more comprehensive contract negotiated within the six customer nations; Belgium, Germany and Turkey could join this contract).

Tuesday February 7st, 2017, the A400M military transport plane used by the German Minister of Defense broke down on Tuesday during a trip to Lithuania, a new incident for the Airbus jumbo jet which has accumulated disappointments

At the beginning of 2017, an initial certification for the parachuting of 30 soldiers through a side door was obtained, with the aim of eventually reaching the figure of 116 parachutists able to jump through two doors.

February 22, 2017, Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus, presents the results of the European aerospace industry, during a conference held online from the headquarters in Amsterdam. He made no secret of the concern that the A400M, the new military transport aircraft, represents on the results. It hasn't been an easy year ". Read : The A400M weighs down Airbus. The engines involved says Enders. New negotiations to come (V2)

Le February 22st, 2017, the German government on Wednesday demanded that Airbus resolve the problems of the A400M military aircraft and respect its contractual commitments, while the aeronautics group expects support from its customers, including Germany. "It is now important that the manufacturer resolves its problem" with the A400M, declared a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense, Boris Nannt, "this is absolutely decisive because we need the aircraft, to which we are contractually entitled, and which must meet the requirements

Thursday March 2, 2017, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian received six A400M transport aircraft with capabilities that meet the needs of the armed forces, saying he was "satisfied" to see that their manufacturer Airbus had kept its commitments, but "demanding" for the future. "I am satisfied and demanding," the minister said. Observing that Airbus "has delivered," he considered that this "shows that we can deliver for the future."

Wednesday March 29, 2017, Indonesia signs letter of intent to purchase Airbus A400M military aircraft during French President Francois Hollande's state visit.

Thursday March 30, 2017, invited by Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Turkey and Luxembourg, are sending emissaries to look into the problems of the military program. Read: States maintain penalties for the A400M but announce possible flexibility

Tuesday 28th November 2017, Air Force Inspector Karl Muellner confirms that the fourteen German A400Ms are not usable. The device is becoming more and more stable " he said according to the DPA agency. But " There are still deep problems ».

Friday 1st December 2017, France receives its twelfth A400M. Read: The 12th French A400M arrived

At the end of 2017, the A400M is becoming increasingly popular, both in terms of transport and diplomacy, particularly in Türkiye. Read: The A400M, the tool of Turkish “all-round” diplomacy

Le February 5st, 2018, a declaration of intent is signed with OCCAr, providing for " a general overhaul of the contract, a new delivery schedule, an updated roadmap of technical capabilities and a revised schedule of update operations (retrofit) " said Tom Enders. The number of aircraft coming off the production line in 2018 will be reduced from 19 in 2017 to 8, in order to resolve all technical problems. (press release FR / ENG)

Thursday February 15st, 2018, Tom Enders presents his financial results and announces that Airbus has set aside a provision for losses of 2018 billion euros for 1,3 to cover delays.

Tuesday March 20, 2018, the fourteenth A400M Atlas military transport aircraft intended for the Air Force has arrived at the Orléans-Bricy air base. This delivery took place several months ahead of schedule, thanks to significant improvements in the quality of the aircraft delivered. " rejoiced in a press release French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly.

The questions asked

March 2018, the latest report from the German Ministry of Defense reports several unresolved problems on the European A400M transport aircraft. Read: The A400M burdened with operational and financial mortgages. Berlin worried. Airbus responds

Implementing interoperability

• German and French mechanics under the same A400M. Possible !

• A400M servicing. British and French sign on one side, Germany on the other

A400M close to military certification

At the beginning of March 2018, the commanders of the two units that receive A400Ms, the British Tim Jones and the German Ludger Bette, signed an agreement to strengthen the ties between the Air Transport Squadron (LTG) 62 in Wunstorf and the Brize Norton airbase in Great Britain. The aim is to work even more closely in the future on the A400M, to increase the exchange of officers and to have synergy effects. LTG 62 could thus benefit from the operational experience of the Royal Air Force in air transport. The British hope to benefit in particular from the technical experience of LTG 62. (press release)

This case is closed.