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MILITARY TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT FIGHT FOR EUROPEAN ORDERS

After years of indecision and constant deferring of the problem, the search for a new freight transport aircraft for Europe's air forces has taken a step forward. Companies, who expressed an interest in contracts worth billions, put in their offers by 29 January, the final date. Not all of the seven countries, which were involved, were interested in each offer. This shows how hard it is to agree on a joint acquisition. The following options are now being checked:

Airbus A400M: offers for this aircraft known as FLA, Future Large Aircraft, went to seven countries, (Belgium, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Turkey). These offers are based on the Request for Proposal, which was completed in September 1997 and the European Staff requirement, which is supposed to be fulfilled completely.

Airbus Military Company, which was formally founded as Societé par Actions Simplifieé on 25 January, is responsible for the A400M. Airbus holds half of the shares and the rest are distributed according to the foreseen national purchases to Aerospatiale, British Aerospace, CASA, Dasa, Finmeccania, FLABEL, (Belgium) and TUSAS Aerospace, (Turkey). Work will be allocated accordingly. It is planned to retain responsibilities as is usual with civilian Airbus aircraft. This means that the wings for example will be manufactured by BAe, and the fuselage by Dasa. Final assembly might take place in Spain.

From a technical point of view the design of the A400M was improved over the last few months. In doing this engineers had to cope with an increase in weight. The current "Configuration 86" has a wing that has been enlarged to 220 m2 as well as a mass of 90 tons instead of 84 tons not including fuel.

The engines have not been chosen yet. The ones on offer like the BMW Rolls-Royce (BR700TP), Sneema/MTU/Fiat Avio/ITP (M138) and Pratt & Whitney Canada (PW150) were slightly disappointing with regard to mass and fuel consumption. The decision will possibly be made in March.

The maiden flight of the A400M will now only be scheduled for 2004. She will start service "less than two years from then". This does not leave much time for special wishes placed by the RAF's and Armeé de l'Air's.

The price for 288 aircraft, which will have been developed and built according to "commercial procedures", is currently estimated at 150 billion Francs. An A400M will therefore cost DM 155 million, which is 25 per cent more than Eurofighter.

Antonov An-7X: The Russian-Ukrainian Transport Plane Consortium has come in on the tender with the An-7X. However, the offer was only made to Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The An-7X is a version of the An-70, which has been in the proving stage since 1994 and fulfils NATO specifications. Changes have mainly been made to the avionics to make a two-man cockpit possible. Western experts have given the aircraft favourable reports.

However, there are still problems with regard to the industry. After big western companies like Dasa have stubbornly refused to co-operate with Antonow, talks were held in Kiev in mid January with potential suppliers like VDO, ESG or BMW Rolls-Royce and also Fairchild Dornier. One has not come to a definite agreement. At the moment details are being investigated like interfaces with new appliances.

Boeing C-17: The bigger and extremely expensive Globemaster III is seen as a possible alternative by Belgium, France, Spain and Great Britain. She would be used as a strategic transport component in conjunction with a smaller aircraft like the C-130J. According to Boeing there is a need for 39 C-17J aircraft, which would be supplied from 2004. The cost is estimated at $7 bln, if one takes the amount of money the USAF paid for one aircraft, (i.e.$175 mio).

The C-17J has also been entered separately into the competition by the Royal Air Force. For the so-called Short Term Strategic Airlift the British require four aircraft. From 2001 these planes would be leased for seven years. Airbus' Beluga and the Antonow An-124 are pitted against the C-17. The Antonow is on offer in conjunction with Air Foyle. She has been modernised and fitted with Honeywell-Avionics and Rolls-Royce RB211-524HT engines.

Lockheed Martin C-130J-30: The new Hercules version is also being considered by Belgium, France, Great Britain and Spain. At a cost of $50-55 million she is certainly cheaper than other alternatives, but her performance is poorer and the cargo space smaller. According to Lockheed Martine the Hercules can fulfil "95 per cent of what is demanded". There is definitely a market for her in Great Britain, where currently a first tranche of 25 C-130J is being introduced.

Now that all the offers have been submitted, experts in the respective defence ministries will have to plough through extensive documents. Airbus alone handed in 23 files. No one dares to predict when and how the results will be brought into harmony with the seven nations.

France is pushing for a decision by mid June in time for the Parisian Air Show. However, it is realistically expected that political discussions will drag on until the end of this year. If there is a consensus by the beginning of the year 2000, contracts with industry will probably be signed by the middle of next year.

From page 56 of FLUG REVUE 4/99