AIRBUS A400 M

jullienaline a écrit:Bonjour à tous,

Un retrait britannique ne tuerait pas l'A400M, selon Enders

MADRID (Reuters) - Un retrait britannique du projet d'avion de transport militaire A400M pénaliserait le plus important projet de défense européen mais il ne signifierait pas son abandon, a déclaré le président d'Airbus, filiale de l'européen EADS, Thomas Enders.
"Si la Grande-Bretagne devait prendre cette décision, cela aurait un impact mais cela ne mettrait pas ce programme en danger", a estimé ainsi Enders dans une interview au quotidien espagnol El Economista.
"Nous avons besoin de l'expérience et des connaissances de l'industrie britannique et il semble peu probable qu'elle ne prenne pas part à un projet si ambitieux, à la fois pour elle et pour le reste de l'Europe", a-t-il ajouté.
Les ministres européens de la Défense devaient se réunir lundi à Séville, en Espagne, pour discuter de ce projet en difficulté, qui a subi près de quatre ans de retard.
La Grande-Bretagne, qui a commandé 25 des 180 appareils A400M commandés par des pays européens membres de l'Otan, a menacé de se retirer du projet, en raison de son retard, mais elle a signalé dans le même temps son engagement dans ce dossier.
Des sources ont cependant déclaré à Reuters que Londres avait posé, pour son maintien, des conditions que ses partenaires pourraient ne pas accepter.
La France et l'Allemagne ont réaffirmé ces dernières semaines leur soutien à l'A400M mais ils ont demandé un nouveau moratoire de six mois sur la décision d'une poursuite du projet, pour laisser du temps à la négociation. Le moratoire actuel expire fin juin.

"Il appartient maintenant aux gouvernements impliqués de trouver un accord. Nous pensons qu'il est improbable qu'il y ait une décision unanime pour bloquer ce contrat", a déclaré Enders.

France and Germany have failed in their attempt to broker a six-month extension to a moratorium period to resolve issues on Europe's delayed Airbus Military A400M transport programme, with a deadline of late July having been agreed on 22 June.

Defence ministers from the seven launch A400M nations - Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the UK - met in Seville, Spain to discuss programme issues with EADS-led Airbus Military.
The UK Ministry of Defence says that it "can confirm that agreement has been reached between the partner nations for a one-month extension to the previous three-month standstill period to resolve outstanding issues with this important programme".

The UK's Financial Times quotes minister for defence equipment and support Quentin Davies as saying that London remains committed to the project "if we can be" after negotiations conclude within the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, French defence minister Hervé Morin says these will focus on the at least €20 billion ($28 billion) programme's financial aspects.

EADS declines to comment on the meeting, but says it is continuing to work on the A400M in a bid to resolve development problems. The company revealed ahead of the Paris air show that it is spending around €100 million a month on the effort. The company has requested that its customers agree to negotiate a new contract to reflect the military nature of the project.

First flight of the A400M is notionally scheduled for late this year or during the first few weeks of 2010. Deliveries of the launch nations' 180 aircraft were contractually scheduled to begin this October, and the effort has been under the threat of possible cancellation since missing a planned flight test milestone in late April.

EADS salue l'accord de renégociation de l'A400M

LE CASTELLET (VAR), 24 juillet (Reuters) - Le président exécutif d'EADS Louis Gallois a salué la décision prise vendredi de renégocier le contrat concernant l'avion de transport militaire A400M après l'important retard pris par ce programme.

"C'est une bonne nouvelle. C'est très positif pour le programme et pour tous ceux qui veulent cet avion", a-t-il déclaré à Reuters lors d'un entretien par téléphone.

"Il y a maintenant un cadre pour les négociations et elles ne seront pas faciles. Mais, d'un autre côté, les choses sont maintenant claires et bien définies (...)", a-t-il déclaré.

EADS a provisionné 2,3 milliards d'euros compte tenu des pertes envisagées sur ce programme, en retard de quatre ans environ, et qui de ce fait a exposé EADS à des pénalités.

Pour l'instant, a indiqué Louis Gallois, EADS a converti moins de la moitié de ce montant en sortie en cash.

"Il y a des provisions pour pertes qui n'ont pas encore été réalisées. Nous avons consommé un milliard d'euros pour l'instant et 1,3 milliard d'euros restent comme provisions", a-t-il dit en soulignant que les provisions étaient à la hausse.

Il n'a pas voulu dire s'il y aurait des charges supplémentaires pour les résultats qui doivent être publiés la semaine prochaine.

Airbus Claims Technical Progress with A400M
By: Chris Pocock

September 15, 2009
Defense

Anxious to demonstrate progress toward a first flight, Airbus Military will hold another technical press briefing on the troubled A400M airlifter in Spain next week. Ahead of the meeting, the company told AIN that Europrop had delivered Fadec software for the TP400 engines, so that system integration tests could proceed on the so-called “iron bird” test rig in Toulouse, France.

AIN has also learned that only two more flights of the C-130 engine testbed are required at Marshalls’ airfield in Cambridge, UK. A further edition of the Fadec software should then follow to Toulouse and Seville, France, where Airbus now says that the A400M should get airborne “at the turn of the year.

In its half-year results statement, EADS warned that it could not quantify the additional amount that it will have to write off on the A400M, pending the outcome of negotiations with the seven European partner nations. They have agreed to allow Airbus a further six months to demonstrate progress and renegotiate the contract, ending in December.

Meanwhile, Thales wrote off €102 million ($149.2 million) for its part of the A400M, including the problematic flight management system. Thales said it would seek compensation from Airbus

Airbus Military to receive delayed A400M FADEC software 'this week'
By Andrew Doyle

Airbus Military expects to accept flightworthy engine control software for its delayed A400M
transport this week, putting it on track to achieve first flight by the end of the year.
"We are accepting the final software release for flight this week," says Rafael Tentor, Airbus
Military senior vice president and head of A400M
programme, speaking to journalists at the company's Getafe headquarters
near Madrid. "We are on track for static engine ground runs [on the
A400M] by mid-November."
The Lockheed Martin C-130 which serves as the Europrop International TP400's flying
testbed is due to make two more flights "next week", after which it will "definitely be grounded", says Tentor.
Regarding the full-authority digital engine control (FADEC)
software, the development of which has directly contributed to
extensive delays to the A400M's first flight, he says: "We have just a
handful of issues needing correction before first flight."
Aside from the FADEC software, all systems have been tested and are
ready for flight, says Tentor. "We are now increasingly confident that
we will perform the first flight by the end of the year," he says.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/09/22/332584/airbus-military-to-receive-delayed-a400m-fadec-software-this-week.html

A400M Deal Near, Airbus Says

Sep 25, 2009



By Michael A. Taverna


MADRID, Spain — Airbus says it has come to an agreement in principle with A400M launch customers to restructure the contract for the airlifter, and is keeping to its objective of performing a first flight this year.

“We have agreed to a new program baseline, and have an agreement in principle on a revised technical schedule,” Rafael Tentor, the A400M program head at Airbus Military, said here at briefings Sept. 22. “We are now working on the details,” he said, with the aim of signing an addendum to the existing contract by the end of the year.

At the end of July, the seven customer nations — Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the U.K. — agreed to give Airbus until mid-October to come up with an acceptable plan for renegotiating the terms of the 20 billion euro ($29 billion) contract, which the company says it cannot complete under the initial conditions.

Tentor declined to discuss specifics, including whether there will be a stretchout or cutback in deliveries, a revision in the delivery timetable and pricing or a relaxation of technical specifications and reduced penalties for delays, citing a nondisclosure agreement. But the modified contract will include “firm commitments” from Airbus, including with respect to initial operating capability, he said, and the revised schedule will be in line with a modified timetable presented earlier by the company ensuring initial deliveries three years after first flight.

Suggestions that the contract be broken down into separate development and production awards, or to spin off the TP400 turboprop powerplant into a separate contract, have been discarded, Tentor indicated.

The program leader insisted engineers are “on track” to resolve outstanding technical issues, particularly with respect to the TP400 and full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) software, that have been holding up the first flight. The TP400 has been cleared for flight on the A400M prototype, MSN 1, and Version 3 of the FADEC flight software started testing this week. This version will be audited in October by the European Aviation Safety Agency and integrated into a static engine ground run on MSN 1 in mid-November.

The engines and propellers are currently being installed and all aircraft systems except the FADEC software are now ready for flight.

Airbus exec reportedly calls A400M an "absolute disaster"
Airbus' A400M airlifter program has been an "absolute disaster," Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier said Friday, according to a Dow Jones report.

According to the story, Bregier also said:


He hoped Airbus wouldn't lose more than the 2.3 billion euros already allocated to cover late delivery payments and other cost overruns;
Airbus won't break even on the program for 30 years;
There's a potential export market, possibly including the United States, for at least 200 planes beyond the 180 European governments have ordered;
There's "more and more hope" that the troubled plane might fly by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Aviation Week reported that Airbus said it has come to an agreement in principle with A400M launch customers to restructure the contract to reflect a new schedule.

In July, the seven customer nations agreed to give Airbus until mid-October to come up with an acceptable plan for renegotiating the contract, which the company says it cannot complete as now written, Aviation Week said.

A400M program head Rafael Tentor said in the story that officials hoped to sign a contract addendum by the end of the year, but did not disclose specifics about the changes.

A400M Fadec Software Trial Set For November

Sep 28, 2009



Michael A. Taverna/Madrid



Launch customers appear to be ready to restructure the contract for the Airbus A400M military transport, which would finally put the troubled program on a firm footing.

"We have agreed to a new program baseline and have an agreement in principle on a revised technical schedule," Rafael Tentor, the A400M program head at Airbus Military, said here last week. "We are now working on the details," he added, with the aim of signing an addendum to the existing contract by year-end. Work is well along on the second and third A400Ms. MSN 2 is expected to make its initial flight in the first quarter of 2010.

In July, the seven nations that launched the A400M--Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the U.K.--agreed to give Airbus until mid-October to devise a plan for renegotiating the terms of the ¬20-billion ($29-billion) contract, which the company says it cannot complete under initial conditions (AW&ST Aug. 3, p. 32). A permanent customer team has been working at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse to hammer out a deal.

Citing a nondisclosure agreement, Tentor declined to discuss specifics, such as whether there will be a stretch­out or cutback in deliveries, a revision in the delivery timetable and pricing, or a relaxation of technical specifications and penalties for delays. But the modified contract will include "firm commitments" from Airbus, including the initial operating capability, he says, and the revised schedule will be in line with a modified timetable presented earlier by the company, ensuring initial deliveries three years after the first flight.

Suggestions that the contract be broken down into separate development and production awards, or that the TP400 turboprop powerplant be spun off into a separate contract, have been discarded, Tentor says.

The program leader insists that engineers are "on track" to resolve outstanding technical issues, particularly with the TP400 and full-authority digital engine control (Fadec) software. These problems have held up the first flight.

"We are increasingly confident we will meet the end-of-year flight deadline," he says. Indeed, industry sources suggest the aircraft could fly as early as the first week of December. But this assumes a number of other tasks can be done on time. These involve completing electromagnetic interference checks on the complete aircraft system, low- and high-speed taxi tests, and receipt of necessary powerplant and airframe flight permits from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The TP400 has been cleared for flight on the A400M prototype (MSN 1) after logging 3,150 hr. on the bench and 46 hr. in the air during 16 flights on the C-130 flying testbed. The two final C-130 test flights are to be run this week.

Tests enabled the full flight envelope to be opened without restriction, and maximum power at takeoff and in flight to be achieved with no critical issues identified, says Tentor. Inflight and on-ground prop-vibration stress surveys also were completed without incident, and engine type certification is anticipated early next year.

Version 1 of the Fadec flight software was delivered in June, and tests on an iron-bird rig showed "good results," says Tentor. (It was successfully audited by EASA on July 31.) Version 2, correcting most outstanding issues, was received on Aug. 25 and the final configuration (Version 3) started testing last week. This version will be audited in October and integrated into a static engine ground run on MSN 1 in mid-November.

Engines and propellers are now being installed, and all aircraft systems except the Fadec software are ready to fly.

Lessons learned from flight and ground testing required some modifications to the aircraft design, including local reinforcement, but no major structural problems were detected, says Tentor. Static testing needed for the first flight is complete. Limit-load tests on the wing and fuselage, though not required at this stage, were finished in June. Wing-up bending showed no issues at 1.15 times normal limit load.

Aircraft weight, which had been an issue, is "under control," says Tentor, and will meet the 37-metric-ton requirement, including 5 tons for configuration items. Engineers also have agreed on a plan with Thales to meet requirements for the flight management system, using an incremental approach.

With flight preparations for the first prototype now well along, Tentor says, attention is shifting to the two follow-on prototypes. MSN 2, which will be dedicated to engine testing, has completed its system ground trials and development improvements should be incorporated this week. First flight is expected in the first quarter of next year. MSN 3, earmarked for systems testing, will finish indoor ground trials by year-end and fly before the summer of 2010.

L'Espagne "très optimiste" pour le programme A400M

GOETEBORG (Suède) (Reuters) - L'Espagne a très bon espoir de voir un accord conclu pour assurer la continuité du programme d'avion de transport militaire A400, a déclaré la ministre de la Défense espagnole Carme Chacon.

Sept pays européens de l'Otan ont convenu en juillet de renégocier ce contrat avec EADS, la maison-mère d'Airbus, et d'aboutir d'ici la fin de l'année pour faire en sorte que les retards de production et les dépassements de budget ne remettent pas en cause ce programme de 20 milliards d'euros.

Les pays en question projettent une réunion en Allemagne à la mi-octobre pour faire le point de la question.

Priée de dire dans quelle mesure elle était optimiste, quant à l'issue de cette réunion d'octobre, Carme Chacon a répondu: "Très. L'Espagne est très optimiste quant à notre capacité à nous entendre et à coopérer pour atteindre notre but, qui est une politique forte pour l'industrie de la défense européenne".

"En fin d'année, nous pourrons attester du premier vol et donc nous sommes vraiment optimistes", a-t-elle ajouté, s'adressant à la presse dans le cadre d'une réunion des ministres de la Défense de l'Union européenne.

Si le programme est effectivement lancé, cet avion turbopropulsé sera assemblé à Séville.

L'action EADS a terminé en hausse de 2,71% à 15,14 euros.

Le développement de l'A400M a pris du retard essentiellement dans la conception de logiciels pour les moteurs, obligeant EADS a passer 2,4 milliards d'euros de provisions.

EADS a précisé que si le programme était mis en oeuvre il serait exposé à de nouvelles et importantes charges pour purger les pertes restantes.

Les discussions de renégociation du contrat A400M passent pour avoir traîné en longueur jusqu'aux résultats des législatives allemandes de dimanche, qui assurent un nouveau mandat à la chancelière Angela Merkel.

L'Allemagne est le plus gros acheteur de l'A400M, avec 60 appareils sur les 180 commandés à l'origine par les sept pays de l'Otan.

Londres ne menace plus de se retirer du projet mais la Grande-Bretagne pourrait réduire sa commande, actuellement de 25 appareils, ou étaler le marché dans le temps, selon des analystes.

Douze A400M doivent par ailleurs être exportés en Malaisie et en Afrique du Sud.

David Brunnstrom et Tim Hepher, version française Wilfrid Exbrayat

A400M - Les discussions se déroulent comme prévu/Belgique

GOETEBORG, Suède, 29 septembre (Reuters) - Le ministre belge de la Défense a déclaré mardi que tout allait dans le sens de la conclusion d'un accord sur l'avion de transport militaire A400M d'ici la fin de l'année comme prévu.
Sept pays européens de l'Otan ont convenu en juillet de renégocier ce contrat avec EADS, la maison-mère d'Airbus, et d'aboutir d'ici la fin de l'année pour faire en sorte que les retards de production et les dépassements de budget ne remettent pas en cause ce programme de 20 milliards d'euros.
"Je suis optimiste. Pour l'instant (...), toutes les indications me donnent à penser que nous serons à même de poursuivre", a déclaré Pieter De Crem à Reuters en marge d'une réunion des ministres de la Défense européens en Suède.
La Belgique a commandé sept A400M, ainsi qu'un huitième avion en coopération avec le Luxembourg. L'Allemagne est le plus gros acheteur de l'A400M, avec 60 appareils sur les 180 commandés à l'origine par les sept pays de l'Otan.
Les ministres européens doivent se rencontrer en octobre pour évoquer l'évolution du dossier.
Le développement de l'A400M a pris du retard essentiellement dans la conception de logiciels pour les moteurs, obligeant EADS a passer 2,4 milliards d'euros de provisions.
EADS a précisé que si le programme était mis en oeuvre il serait exposé à de nouvelles et importantes charges pour purger les pertes restantes.
Le ministre belge de la Défense a précisé qu'il n'était pas question d'accorder de nouveaux fonds au programme, qualifiant cette idée "d'illusion" alors que les budgets consacrés à l'effort militaire étaient diminués pour faire face à la crise économique.
"Tout au moins en Belgique, c'est inconcevable."

(Niklas Pollard, version française Danielle Rouquié et Nicolas Delame)

Le FDP voudrait économiser sur les commandes de l'A400M

BERLIN (Reuters) - Les libéraux du FDP allemand veulent économiser de l'argent en réduisant la commande d'A400M, déclare un expert du parti FDP.
Jürgen Koppelin, qui est également responsable des questions de défense, a dit au Rheinische Post que la commande devrait être abordée la semaine prochaine à l'occasion des négociations en vue de former une nouvelle coalition gouvernementale après les élections législatives de dimanche dernier.
"Il faut examiner cette commande de 60 appareils de type A400M... c'est une occasion de premier plan de faire des économies", a-t-il dans un entretien à paraître samedi.
Des négociations qui s'annoncent difficiles entre le parti libéral démocrate FDP, l'Union chrétienne démocrate (CDU) d'Angela Merkel et l'Union chrétienne sociale (CSU) bavaroise, en vue de former une coalition de centre-droit, démarreront lundi.
Le FDP pense que ramener la commande de 60 à 49 A400M, avion de transport militaire conçu pour sept pays de l'Otan par Airbus Military, filiale du groupe de défense européen EADS, permettrait d'économiser 1,3 milliard d'euros, poursuit le journal.
Brian Rohan, version française Wilfrid Exbrayat

Airbus se dit confiant de voir l'A400M voler d'ici fin 2009

PARIS/FRANCFORT, 11 octobre (Reuters) - Airbus se dit confiant de voir son avion de transport militaire A400M, un programme qui souffre déjà d'un retard de quatre ans, voler d'ici fin de l'année, tout jugeant "fantaisiste" la date du 30 novembre évoquée par la presse allemande pour le premier vol.

Aucune date n'a été encore été fixée pour ce vol inaugural, a déclaré samedi une porte-parole d'Airbus Military.

Citant des sources proches des fournisseurs, le magazine Focus a rapporté que l'A400M, le plus important projet militaire européen à ce jour, pouvait prendre les airs dès le 30 novembre.

"Nous sommes très confiants de pouvoir faire voler l'avion avant la fin de l'année, voire avant, mais nous ne pouvons confirmer de date", a déclaré la porte-parole. (James Regan à Paris et Edward Taylor à Francfort, version française Benoit Van Overstraeten)

Pas de coupes pour l'A400M et l'Eurofighter

BERLIN, 15 octobre (Reuters) - La future coalition gouvernementale allemande n'a pas l'intention de réduire ses commandes d'A400M, ont déclaré jeudi des sources au sein des deux partis impliqués dans les négociations sur la formation de cette alliance de centre-droit.

Un membre du groupe de travail sur la politique de défense a dit qu'il n'y avait aucun projet de réduction des commandes tout en précisant que cette option n'était pas exclue en cas de nouveaux délais dans les livraisons de l'avion de transport militaire d'Airbus, filiale d'EADS.
...

Some clarity arrived over the weekend when Independent Group newspapers quoted Armscor's general manager of acquisitions Sipho Mkwanazi as saying the R47 billion included estimates for the full maintenance and life-cycle cost of the eight aircraft (over at least 30 years), "spare parts, retention of skills and the SA National Defence Force having to pay for private freight charters for six years (to 2016) while it waits for delivery."

What will the A400M replace?

But what is the A400M to replace? Much is being made of the aircraft replacing the C130, seven of which have served the SAAF since 1963. They are indeed old, but can soldier on a few more years yet. If the A400M was to replace the C130 on a one-for-one basis, what about Mkwanazi 's comment on charter flights?

Indeed, what to make of the comment made by a senior air force officer at last week's defenceWeb maritime conference that the 13 new Maritime Patrol/Security Aircraft to be acquired shortly under Project Saucepan for delivery around 2016 - funds permitting - will actually replace the C130 as well as the older Douglas C47TP Dakota and the Casa C212 Aviocar and C235 aircraft currently in service with the SAAF's transport squadrons. This was not the first time I had heard this from senior SAAF personalities.

So, spin aside, the A400M will not replace the C130. It will actually replace expensive Ilyushin Il-76 "Candid" charter flights as well as the Boeing 707 airborne refuellers/electronic warfare aircraft, the last of which retired in July 2007.

Currently 192 A400Ms are on order for nine air forces. SA is a risk-sharing partner in the programme, meaning local companies Aerosud and Denel Saab Aerostructures (DSA) stand to profit - or otherwise - from the programme. (DSA posted a loss of R452.6 million for the year to March, largely because of delays in the A400M programme. Risk-sharing indeed!)

Should we walk away, those two companies, which have heavily invested in the project - at face value stand to lose out (though it may be worth checking the fine print.)

Based on the 2005 price, the A400M would have cost the taxpayer just under R1 billion each. C17s are available at about R1.5 billion each - but without the risk-sharing. Should SA buy C17s, Boeing, for which Aerosud and DSA are already doing work, would certainly transfer technology and skills, offsetting at least some of the opportunity lost with the A400M.

The question now is what is it worth to the taxpayer to support DSA, Aerosud, Omnipless and Saab South Africa as well as the Mbeki-administration's dream of building a globally competitive, knowledge-intensive aerospace industry.

It is not clear what SA - or more particularly these companies - stand to make out of the programme. It was reported circa 2005 that if SA exercised its option for all 14 aircraft - eight ordered and an option for six more - it would have had the right to supply 7.2% of the value of the 20 billion euro programme - or 1.44 billion euro (R15.3 billion at the current exchange rate). By taking just eight, that right will be diluted by about half.