EADS: USAF can buy 118 A400Ms with savings from C-130, C-5 retirements

Flightglobal ^ | 02/19/2010 | Stephen Trimble

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

EADS North America has offered a plan for the US Air Force to purchase 118 Airbus A400Ms using savings from retiring most Lockheed Martin C-130Hs and all C-5As.

The EADS proposal was submitted last year to the Air Mobility Command (AMC) upon their request, says Neil F. Smith, director of A400M programme for EADS NA.

The concept proposes to stand-up about eight squadrons of A400Ms within the US mobility force structure, Smith says. "We get a very good reception" at AMC, Smith says.

EADS has been seeking to introduce the A400M in the US market for several years, arguing that the increasing size of ground vehicles has out-grown the box size of Lockheed's C-130. The A400M features a 3.96m (13ft) cabin diameter, versus the C-130 family's 2.74m-wide cargo bay.

The size difference would allow the army to load an armoured Stryker vehicle on the A400M, Smith says.

In response, a Lockheed executive challenged EADS' assumptions about the cost of the A400M, especially with the programme currently in negotiations with European governments over a reportedly $7 billion cost overrun.

"I think that's the ultimate in fuzzy math," says Jim Grant, Lockheed vice president of business development for air mobility and special operations programmes.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty about the programme's financing, EADS plans to continue making a big push in the US market. One of the programme's test aircraft could even travel to the US in early 2011 for a marketing tour, the company says.

[ICE-FLYER]

Keep Dreaming Airbus and EADS

[neodad]

In this economy why would the DOD purchase any major systems from EADS?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

There is a possibility that Gates will make a purchase from EADS. I would make it from Boeing

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree

[Cheerio]

Oh yea, that will go over like a lead balloon for the “Buy America” crowd. Couldn’t even agree to a US Manufactured boom and electronics on a Airbus “green” tanker

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I prefer Boeing.

[rbosque]

Don’t the Airbus tails have a tendency to break off during stressful turns?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I have heard that.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

What a load of crap.You will never get the service life out of that plastic crap as you have and will with metal aircraft.Manmade global warming of the aviation industry.

[TheBattman]

I would make it from Boeing

That's all well and good -but does Boeing actually manufacture an aircraft in that class? A heavy-hauler turbo-prop with similar specs?

And no - I am not an EADS fan by any stretch.

[lewislynn]

All idiotic euoropean economic thinking aside, why would we want to retire C130’s and C5’s ?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I do not know why? Those planes are in good working condition.

[SeeSharp]

Retire the Herkybird? Aren’t we still buying those?

[NonValueAdded]

All idiotic euoropean economic thinking aside, why would we want to retire C130’s and C5’s ?

If the size comparison data is accurate and the C-130 can't carry strykers, OK they have a point. But C-5s? The behemoth of the sky? dunno.

[prophetic]

so in the middle of a recession and with all the crap from the ONE about creating & saving jobs, this idiot of a Defense Sec wants to outsource the Air Force requisition purchasing equipment to Europe??

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

C-130J Super Hercules is the latest model but has not gone into production

[Solitar]

We need a hundred more C-17s, not a hundred A400Ms or C-130 size cargo aircraft.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Gates has thrown roadblock after roadblock in front of Boeing.

[Sequoyah101]

We can’t even build our own dam airplanes?

NO.