The Secretary of State for Defense Meets with His Counterparts on the 'A400M' Program
As a result of the meeting, the following joint declaration has been agreed:
"Secretaries of State have held a useful and constructive dialogue with Airbus representatives on the most relevant issues of the Program. All of them have expressed their complete confidence with the A400M airplane, noting that it contributes a unique capacity worldwide.
“A common line of action has been agreed which reflects the interests of the Program, the Armed Forces and the taxpayers. The next meetings will continue along this line. "
The secretaries of state for defense of the member countries of the program - Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Turkey - attended this meeting, which is part of the periodic reviews of the program, together with representatives of Airbus Defence & Space (ADS) and the engine builder consortium, Europrop International (EPI).
The previous meeting was held last July on the occasion of the international airshow at Farnborough (UK). The next meeting is scheduled to take place next July at the British Air Base at Brize Norton.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Despite the “complete confidence” expressed in the above statement, the A400M customer nations told Airbus they would maintain penalties over delivery delays after a meeting in Madrid, AFP reported from Madrid quoting a source at the talks.
Airbus was represented by Dirk Hoke, the head of its defence and space division, and not by Tom Enders, the group CEO, who in February had surprised ministers with a public call for nations to refrain from imposing financial penalties on the company.
"The clients were firm towards Airbus," a meeting source who refused to be named told AFP. "They maintained the penalties... and asked that Airbus honour its commitments."
-ends-
from Defense Aerospace - Press releases http://ift.tt/2nqFdWW
via Defense
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