This is the cost of 20 billion program to

Dear A400M. The European military transport aircraft should cost about 40 more than planned initially, result at least - delay accumulated by this iconic program of the European defence by three years. Uploaded by Occar, the organisation which manages the contract on behalf of clients, to audit the Airbus estimates, the firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers has indeed its report. His conclusion: as it felt the aircraft manufacturer, will have to find more 5 billion to carry out the construction of 180 planned devices, learned from concordant sources. With these 5 billion added to the already past loads for a little more than EUR 2.4 billion a year by EADS. This is the cost of 20 billion program to... EUR 27.4 billion.

Contacted, EADS did not wish comment on these figures, referring to his last release on the A400M. Which reminded that, in the current state of negotiations with Occar, it was risky "to interpret figures out of context" and that everything was still open. In fact, these EUR 5 billion represent an assessment of the incremental cost of the program, required and expected by customers to be able to approach the final stage of discussions, the more difficult: one relating to the sharing of these additional costs. Because if he cannot avoid to recognize its responsibilities in the delays, the European aerospace group is, and cannot, obviously not endorse all the wrongs. "5 billion euros, it is a basis for negotiations," confirms internally.

The A400M contract signed in 2003 to EUR 20 billion, is one of the most important armaments in Europe. It must allow the client armies of overcoming the glaring lack of tactical transport aircraft, while the latter Transall in service address their end of life. But its development has accumulated the setbacks: the specification is probably too high technical complexity, which added a failing organization within EADS (settled since) and a division of labour constrained by the requirements of industrial return of client countries.

The memory of the Eurofighter

The main concern came from the engine, a very powerful turbofans to a consortium comprising Rolls-Royce, Snecma English English, PTU German and Spanish ITP. This point seems settled in a few days of the first flight of the aircraft. But the final configuration of the aircraft is still debate, certain functions requested by the armed forces of the air Frontlist very difficult - therefore very expensive - to develop. Return them later would air financially to EADS. A condition of course that customers accept to surrender some of their requirements.

The number of aircraft ordered is the second main variable for sweetener. The British have hinted that they would simply 19 devices against 25 ordered, to avoid paying more. Paris and Berlin camped on their requests, 50 and 60 copies respectively. For these two countries, should therefore agree to pay more, in one way or another, playing on the indexing of prices for example clause. "Even letting the possibility of reducing the number of aircraft ordered in ten years", believes a good connoisseur of weapons contracts. The counterexample of the Eurofighter, for which the United Kingdom, the Germany, the Italy and the Spain found themselves legally bound with EADS, fists and feet is no doubt in people's minds...