Berlin 15-01-2010
Partner governments in the Airbus A400M military plane have agreed to find an acceptable solution that hangs over the future of Europe’s largest military project to date.
Germany will become by far the single largest A400M customer taking 60 out of the total 180 planes orders thus far.
EADS/Airbus efforts to impose a strict end-January deadline had irritated political Berlin which in-turn stated it would not be black-mailed.
Something similar occurred last year when a deadlock over the the next phase of the Typhoon Euro-fighter was after direct intervention by both the German and UK governments.
The other countries buying the plane are Britain, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Turkey.
The A400M 4 engine military transport is a replacement for the over 60 year old American C-130 Hercules design.
It is Europe’s own answer to a glaring replacement need for a global work-horse – a troop and heavy equipment transporter for international military and humanitarian missions.
The present proposal being discussed -wisely -would not involve any new taxpayer money in the immediate future. In these difficult economic times government ‘cost cutting’ and fiscal responsibility are the flavour of the month.
In an amended proposal – in which EU accountant-bureaucrats excel – the increases would be ‘evened-out’ over time.
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