Airbus has stabilised its A400M production plan until late this decade, as the company pursues further capability enhancements and fresh export opportunities.
Signed at the Paris air show on 16 June, an agreement between the airframer and its partner-nation customers – reached via Europe’s OCCAR defence procurement body – sets output at eight of the airlifters annually until early 2029.
Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power at Airbus Defence & Space, describes the measure as a “framework agreement that enables us to sustain production”, while demonstrating “the commitment of the nations and Airbus together on the A400M programme”.
“It has given visibility and sustainability to our production system,” he adds.
Prior to the agreement’s signature, the phasing of orders among nations “was leading us to a lower rate than what we believe has to be the production rate to keep it sustainable”, Dumont says.
“What we have agreed is a mechanism that enables us to fill these eight production slots with either OCCAR or export aircraft, with a swap mechanism when an export comes.”
France and Spain have pledged to take four and three aircraft respectively for the first year of the implementation, with future shipments to be agreed on an annual basis.
Among international prospects for the Atlas, the United Arab Emirates’ need for a new transport fleet is the subject of a major campaign.
“There are quite intense discussions in the UAE with the air force and entities of the government,” Dumont says, while describing these as “very constructive”.
“Now it’s a competition,” he says. “We believe we have the right solution: having an aircraft that is strategic and tactical all at once. Often that raises the question ‘Are you the [Boeing] C-17 or the [Lockheed Martin] C-130?’ We are both.”
While he notes that “We have been looking more at the floor than the ceiling” during the recent process with the programme’s European partners, he adds: “Rate 8 doesn’t mean that we can’t increase”.
Other actions stemming from the new agreement include approval to increase the transport’s maximum cargo capacity from 37t to 40t. And Airbus will continue work to explore developments which could lead to the transport being used to deploy remote carriers and unmanned air vehicles from its rear cargo ramp, and potentially to act as a stand-off jammer platform.
“This aircraft is capable of a lot – and will be capable of a lot more,” Dumont notes.
OCCAR says the new measures also include activities aimed at “improving the A400M cost of operations”.
“Some 12 years after entry into service, the experience gathered while operating more than 130 aircraft around the world will enable Airbus to alleviate the scheduled maintenance effort, and improve aircraft maintenance efficiency,” it adds.
