Probably the only encouraging aspect of the A400M program is that every other military airlifter since the C-141 turned out to be more difficult than expected. The C-5 needed a new wing. The AMST was trashcanned because nobody had realized that slow, straight-wing jets were horribly inefficient in the cruise. The C-17 was late and over-cost and was an inch from cancellation before McD got its act together and leaned out the production line.
My guess is that the A400M will turn out like the C-17 - all right, eventually.