If they can't get the A400 right starting with a clean sheet, what chance the FSTA?
Eh? One is not really comparable to the other.
The process of building a military transport aircraft from scratch is (at least in my humble opinion) surely a much more complex task than converting an existing type to carry out the AAR role, a conversion that has been done before on many aircraft types including the type being offered under the FSTA contract.
The issue with FSTA is not the technology, its the politics and the funding.
Of course don't yet that stop you banging that tied old Boeing drum (interestingly the one company who seem to be having a little trouble with their airliner to AAR aircraft conversions).