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SINGAPORE—Airbus is still hunting for deals to bolster the dwindling A400M military transport’s backlog, but program boss Gerd Weber said he is more relaxed about winning the needed contracts than even a year ago, given demand signals.
To keep production stable at the minimum sustainment rate of eight aircraft annually over the coming years, Airbus last year worked with Spain and France to pull forward some of their delivery positions to fill production gaps. A similar arrangement will likely not be needed again this year.
Several of the core European countries that launched the program have been reviewing their fleet requirements and are concluding they need more aircraft given the tense geopolitical situation, Weber said in an interview at the Singapore Airshow.
“I’m quite optimistic,” he said.
New opportunities also are emerging in Europe, he indicated, potentially in Greece and Italy.
Denmark, a Lockheed Martin C-130J operator today, also is starting to show interest, he said, given concerns about operating to Greenland and back while carrying a large payload. France in January dispatched troops on an A400M to Greenland during the Arctic Endurance exercise that unfolded as U.S. President Donald Trump was pushing for a takeover of the territory.
Airbus has other sales efforts underway, including awaiting decisions on some long-running campaigns, such as in the United Arab Emirates and Poland.
The aircraft-maker is also looking at the next steps in evolving the military transport. A request for proposals is now in house for what Airbus has called the next capability enhancement package, which would emerge around 2029. It could feature enhanced communications and potential use of the A400M as a drone-deployment mothership.
Weber said Airbus now has a country willing to act as the development sponsor and a ground-based demonstrator for the deployment mechanism.
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