A400M
A400M The Capability A400M is planned to provide tactical and strategic mobility to all three Services. The required capabilities include: operations from airfields and semi-prepared rough landing areas in extreme climates and all weather conditions by day and night; carrying a variety of equipment including vehicles and troops over extended ranges; air dropping paratroops and equipment; and being unloaded with the minimum of ground handling equipment. The 1998 Strategic Defence Review confirmed a requirement for an airlift capability to move large single items such as attack helicopters and some Royal Engineers' equipment and concluded that this would be met, in the latter part of the first decade of the 21st Century, by Future Transport Aircraft. The A400M was selected to meet this requirement. It will replace the remaining Hercules C-130K fleet. |
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Overview of Cost, Time and Performance | ||||||
| Approved | Forecast/Actual | Variation | IY Variation | ||
Cost of Assessment Phase | £2m | £1m | -£1m | - | ||
Cost of Demonstration & Manufacture Phase | £2,498m | £ 3 ,10 5m | +£607m | -£150m | ||
Duration of Assessment Phase |
| 34 months |
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In-Service Date | February 2009 | March 2015 | +73 months | 0 months | ||
In-year Cost and Time Variation Detail ******************* | ||||||
In October 2010, the Strategic Defence and Security Review confirmed A400M as one of the components of the future RAF air transport fleet. It also announced that the Hercules C-130J tactical air transport aircraft would be withdrawn from service in 2022 rather than at the previously declared Out of Service Date of 2030. In March 2010, agreement between A400M Partner Nations and Airbus Military on re-baselining the programme set the framework for negotiations to amend the development and production contract. The negotiations, led by officials from each Partner Nation, examined all aspects of the revised programme and continued until November 2010 when the A400M Programme Board (the senior multi-national governance body of the programme) indicated that they were content with the outcome of the negotiations and recommended that the tabled | contract amendment be ratified by Partner Nations. A period of national staffing and approvals then commenced, which ended with the signature of the amended Design and Production Phase contract on 7 April 2011. As reported in the Major Projects Report 2010, the contract amendment means that the UK will receive 22 A400M, rather than the 25 expected under the original contract. Positive achievements on the A400M development programme have included the addition of three more prototype aircraft to the flight trials fleet (making their maiden flights respectively on 8 April, 9 July and 20 December 2010). Together the trials fleet had amassed over 1404 flying hours by 27 March 2011. The A400M made its first visit to the UK, landing at its future Main Operating Base RAF Brize Norton on 16 July 2010. | |||||
Risk Assessment against Defence Lines of Development
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