(Luft) Airbus A400 M

[Joey T]

Last call for new A400M industrial participants
Airbus Military is offering national aerospace industries outside the seven original sponsoring countries for the A400M airlifter a chance to participate in the program if their defense ministries commit themselves to joining the effort. David Jennings, Airbus Military's head of marketing, says that the company is "actively talking" to Sweden and Norway, which have a requirement for about six aircraft each, but that this window of opportunity will "close fairly rapidly after the end of 2004". All work packages have already been allocated to the existing participants, but portions could be subcontracted to other companies when they offer benefits in areas such as novel production techniques and lower costs.
(Jane's International Defense Review- 11 March 2004)