Jig-Peter,
I applaud your continued enthusiasm for all things A400M, but I question your objectivity. Enders and Gallois are businessmen playing hardball, and in a BBC clip (
BBC News - Airbus statement overshadowed by A400M) Enders (?) defends the (apparently) 30+% price rise as still good value.
Whether this is true or not, I'm still firmly in the "bollocks" camp when it comes to the "we've got you over a barrel, where's your chequebook" tactics that Airbus is playing here. Perhaps the journos or the lawyers on here can tell us which law the contract is written under - because if it's English law, then the customer can ask the Court to order "specific performance" - in other words, fulfil the bl**dy contract and if you're going to lose your shirts, well, too bad.
Airbus / EADS is a large, profitable multinational company that is wholly able to bear the losses that their incompetence - in engineering, project management and contract negotiation - have put them in. Let them deal with it and may this be a salutary lesson to industry.
I understand that it's the Germans who are hanging toughest on this - well done! Long past time for UK MoD and DE&S to get some spine with industry and now would be the perfect opportunity. 25 A400Ms for the money we've contracted for and damages because of your delays.
Crack on, Airbus....
S41