Aircraft

EADS Military Air Systems is to centralise its activities at Manching in Bavaria within the next three years in a bid to win new business, including a substantial share of maintenance work to support Europe’s future fleets of Airbus Military A400M transports.

EADS Defence & Security Systems division chief executive Stefan Zoller says the move to strengthen the Military Air Systems centre at Manching will see 2,500 employees based at Ottobrunn near Munich relocate to offices and laboratories at the site by late 2008. “The concentration of expertise on one site would be a prime prerequisite for future business and the acquisition of new projects,” he says. “The chance to position Manching as a centre for the maintenance of the A400M will be significantly increased.”

The A400M programme covers an initial 180 aircraft to be delivered to seven European NATO members. Germany will receive the largest number, at 60 aircraft, followed by France (50), Spain (27) and the UK (25). The aircraft is scheduled to make its first flight in 2008, with deliveries to follow from late 2009. South Africa and Malaysia also last year signed deals to acquire between eight and 14 and four of the transports respectively, while Chile is in talks for an expected three-aircraft acquisition.

“We are realistically targeting the German A400M fleet, which represents the greatest offtake so far, but it would be a nicer target to achieve more A400M business,” says an EADS source. “However, we know it could be a little bit tricky for other countries to allow their aircraft be maintained abroad.”

Regarding likely competitors in a future contest to secure A400M support business, the company says: “MRO competition inside and outside Europe is stiff. And, when you think of the A400M as an Airbus-driven project, even an airliner MRO business might be willing to compete.”

EADS says the move to centralise its German Military Air Systems activities at Manching will help it improve its competitiveness internationally and further intensify the close co-operation with its prime customer, the German defence ministry. EADS already provides joint in-service support for the German air force’s Eurofighter Typhoons.

“Both sides are absolutely determined to also extend this extremely encouraging type of co-operation in the very near future to further joint ventures such as the [Panavia] Tornado programme, the Transall military transport aircraft and its successor the A400M,” says EADS Military Air Systems chief executive Johann Heitzmann.

AIMEE TURNER / LONDON