Airbus targets A400M export customers by end of year

Gareth Jennings, Seville - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
08 June 2014



Airbus Defence and Space (DS) expects to sign up its second export customer for the A400M transport aircraft before the end of the year, with slots in the production line set to become available from 2017, company officials said on 9 June.

Speaking at the annual Trade Media Briefing in Seville, Spain, Antonio Rodriguez Barberan, head of commercial, military aircraft for Airbus DS, said that with aircraft demonstrations ongoing throughout the world, Airbus DS is targeting the end of 2014 as the deadline for signing up its first export customer since Malaysia joined the programme in 2005. He added that there will be spare capacity on the Seville final assembly line from early 2017 to accommodate any such export orders.

"Promises are now turning into reality, with MSN007 [France], MSN008 [France], and MSN009 [Turkey] now in service. With 90% of the flight testing now complete, we are maintaining our target for the end of the year for the [newest] export customer," he said.

Already in 2014 aircraft demonstrations have been flown in Mexico, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, company and French Air Force aircraft flew at the ILA Berlin Airshow in May.

With Airbus DS looking to capture an ambitious 400 aircraft order book for the A400M over the next 30 years (more than half the accessible market share), Barberan noted how the aircraft is tapping into a changing paradigm among potential operator nations. "Countries increasingly want to play regional roles, and that means an aircraft that can carry equipment such as helicopters that is needed for humanitarian work, etc. We think that the A400M will become the world standard [for heavy-lift transport aircraft] soon," he said.

While Barberan declined to be drawn on specific customer opportunities beyond those listed as having requested demonstrations, he did say that Airbus DS had received "eight or nine" requests for information and requests for proposals for the aircraft. Company officials added that an International Traffic in Arms RegulationsS E N S O Rpliant version of the A400M had been developed for export, which does not feature encrypted communications or the sensitive GPS navigation equipment on the standard aircraft.

With deliveries of the 174-aircraft order book now under way, Airbus DS currently has aircraft MSN010 to MSN053 in varying stages of production; with long-lead items on order for MSN053 down to MSN045, component manufacturing and assembly for MSN044 down to MSN025; and final assembly for MSN024 to MSN011 (MSN010 is now in the final delivery centre, ahead of its handover to France).

While the deliveries so far to France and Turkey have seen both nations receive initial operating capability-standard aircraft (basic logistics), MSN010 through to MSN014 will see the A400M equipped for full logistic capabilities. In September MSN015, the first aircraft for the UK, will see the roll-out of initial tactical capabilities (paratrooper operations from ramp and side doors, and some aerial delivery methods). From 2015, Airbus DS expects to begin rolling out additional tactical capabilities (featuring full airdrop, self-defence, and a tanker role), leading through to the release of the Full Common Standard Aircraft in 2018. Airbus DS will then set about retrofitting all earlier aircraft already delivered to this final standard.

Janes IHS