From Defense News on 4th September;
On Europe's stalled A400M airlifter program, [Air Marshal Sir Barry Thornton, the Ministry of Defence's Chief of Material (Air)] said the British were looking at ways to plug the capability gap if the aircraft was delayed beyond its current delivery date of 2011.
Extending the life of its C-130K fleet, leasing aircraft or chartering capacity were three possible options, he said.
The Airbus airlifter development program has been dogged by problems with the Europrop International-developed TP400-D6 turboprop. An engine fitted to a C-130 test-bed aircraft modified by Marshall Aerospace in the U.K. has yet to fly even though the A400M itself has been rolled out.
Thornton said the C-130 was expected to fly in October. One industry executive said he thought that was optimistic.
Full article here;
RAF Details Purchase Plans - Defense News