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Airbus and OCCAR have reached an agreement with the A400M launch nations to secure production for the programme for the foreseeable future, improve the cost of operations, and jointly develop new capabilities. Through the agreement, France and Spain stated their intention to advance four and three A400M aircraft respectively in their delivery schedule.
As key enablers, Airbus has committed to work on operational cost improvements through maintenance optimisation and efficiency measures, and make A400M future developments faster and more cost-effective, enhancing Europe’s defence capabilities and ensuring its strategic autonomy in air transport and mobility.
Through the agreement, both Airbus and OCCAR will review the industrial status of the programme on a yearly basis, giving the A400M production set-up stability to pursue the evolution of the platform and open export opportunities.
Among these new capabilities, Airbus is already looking into developments like standoff jamming, payload increase to 40 tonnes, mothership for remote carriers and firefighting - developments that will further widen the A400M applications and are key to the present and future global requirements for both current and future operators.
