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por P44 » Qui Dez 10, 2009 12:39 pm
The First Test Flight of the A400M Expected Friday, December 11
(Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued Dec. 9, 2009)
(Issued in French only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)
The Airbus A400M should make its first flight on the morning of Friday, December 11 in Seville (Spain,)
This test flight should take place in the presence of senior civil and military authorities from the seven countries - mainly European – that launched this new military transport aircraft program: Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
The A400M program, officially launched in 2003, was transferred by the prospective purchasers to the Organization for Joint Cooperation in Armaments (OCCAr), which is the program’s executive agency. This organization at present comprises six member countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), with the shared objective of developing European cooperation in the management of weapons programs.
It is this organization that was given responsibility to lead the dialogue between partners on this project and to represent them in negotiations with industry, as well as monitoring the construction program aircraft.
To date, 180 aircraft have been ordered by the founding countries from Airbus Military, the military wing of Airbus, a subsidiary of European aerospace group EADS, which is in charge of developing the aircraft. Four additional aircraft were ordered by Malaysia in 2005.
These aircraft will replace military transport aircraft currently in service, including C-160 Transall and C-130 Hercules, which are nearing the end of their operational life.
They will, moreover, meet the need of European air forces for strategic airlift capabilities, and thus give a new impetus to European defense.
On November 10, 2008, the Defense Ministers of the European Union meeting in Deauville, France, decided to set up a European fleet of military transport aircraft. Thus project was entrusted to the European Defense Agency (EDA) to identify possible synergies among the countries which wish to get involved, through multinational units, or common structures, such as training centers.
Initially, the fleet will include 12 countries (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, to be joined by Finland, Hungary, Poland and Sweden). It will include a multinational unit operating the Airbus A 400M owned by Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg.
Furthermore, and beyond the A 400M, the foundation of a European command in air transport has been laid with the signing of the EATC (European Air Transport Command), concept agreement in May 2009 by Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsN ... 125?rpc=44
