January 27, 2013. David Pugliese - Defence Watch
The war in Mali has raised questions about air transport issues in France. Here is a brief passage from an Aviation Week article on the A400M and the subject in question, along with a link to the full article below:
France has ordered 50 A400Ms to be delivered starting this year and will be the first nation to receive the new strategic airlifter. Last year, Airbus Military was set to begin A400M deliveries to the French air force in November 2012, well ahead of the contractual deadline in March, but the program was massively restructured in 2009 due to major development delays.
In September, the first two A400M deliveries were shifted to the second quarter this year related to engine issues that have since been resolved. Function and reliability trials took place in December and the aircraft is due to fly again early this year. Airbus Military is now planning four A400M deliveries in 2013, three to France, one to Turkey.
In October, when Paris began hinting at a Malian intervention, lawmakers questioned the readiness of the air force’s strategic transport capability.
“Where is the A400M?” Philippe Folliot asked French armaments agency (DGA) Director Laurent Collet-Billon during testimony before the defense commission in October. “Can deliveries be accelerated, if only to avoid having extend the life of our old Transall?”
Collet-Billon said that by June the air force should begin crew training and planning for pre-operational capabilities.
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