Defense News:
Germany May Pare A400M Acquisition - Defense News
BONN - The German government has agreed to stay with the troubled A400M airlifter program, but its Air Force might end up with 20 planes fewer than planned.
In November, the German purchase was reduced from 60 to 53 planes because of program cost increases. Now, say officials with the coalition government, Germany will try to sell 13 of the aircraft to foreign customers. That would leave just 40 for the Air Force.
"This will not only lead to a relief of the defense budget over the long run, but it is also an adaption to the realistic necessity for the Bundeswehr," FDP member Jürgen Koppelin said in a Jan. 25 press statement. FDP is the coalition's main reporting member in the budget committee for the Defense Department's budget.
Alexander Bonde, spokesman on budgetary policy for the opposition Green Party, criticized the plan as a gift to EADS that could cost the state between 2 billion and 2.5 billion euros ($3.4 billion) and shift risk to taxpayers.
A Defense Department spokesman declined to comment until the parliament made a decision. Its budget committee will decide Jan. 26 whether to continue the A400M program and change the contract.