Printed headline: Herculean Labor
France and Germany are throwing up hurdles to a NATO plan to purchase C-17s to bolster the alliance's much-needed strategic airlift capability.
Their opposition is seen as stemming partly from a desire to protect their own industrial interests in the form of the Airbus Military A400M, even though that project continues to experience delays. The latest setback involves flight testing of the first TP400-D6 turbofan, which has slipped to the summer from the end of March, according to aircraft and engine-maker representatives [emphasis added].
French and German officials have been citing procedural issues, rather than the A400M, for their opposition to the NATO C-17 deal. In particular, they claim a plan to have the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (Namsa) buy the contract on behalf of the 15-state consortium can't be executed because the organization's charter doesn't support such a deal...
French government officials are keeping a close eye on the A400M. Francois Lureau, chief executive of the French armaments agency (DGA), suggests it's impossible to predict at this point whether the contractual commitment can be met by industry. Clearly, there's no margin left in the program, he notes. France should be the first A400M recipient, with deliveries slated to begin in October 2009.
The U.K. government publicly maintains it will have an operational capability in 2011; but within the military, there's little confidence that this date can be held.
In recent weeks, Airbus has revealed slight changes in the A400M plan, including a decision to potentially delay start of final assembly of the first flight aircraft by up to three months. The move is intended to reduce risk in final assembly by ensuring that all sections and suppliers are properly on hand when the process begins. The goal is to avoid A380-like assembly problems, where some work packages were late and assembly was pushed through regardless--only forcing the company to engage in time-consuming and complex rework.
Additionally, the start of flight trials of the TP400 on a C-130 is running behind schedule, confirms Marc Ventre, head of Safran's aerospace propulsion branch, which plays a key role on the powerplant. The delay is being attributed to both engine-related development issues and integration of the massive turboprop on the C-130...
In the meantime, military users are drafting fallback plans should the A400M arrive late. For example, German air force officials are looking for ways to stretch the service life of the C-160 Transalls, with potential restrictions imposed to increase longevity by minimizing wear and tear. Similarly, government representatives believe they may have to rely more on outside cargo-hauling arrangements, such as the NATO-run Salis program that leases up to six Antonov An-124s...
