Barry - what Oz said.
FA18 - the lift study was not directly linked to the White Paper (and I'm talking the 2000 WP here), but started sometime after - around early to Mid 2002 from memory.
I'm pleased in a way that AFHQ is looking closely at the A400M. More importantly - is DGAD and his staff?
Opinion back then (early 2000's) was that we would go either A400M or C17. There were a couple of pushes by the A400M team. I'd left IA by the time the C17 buy came around, and while I can't put my hand on my heart and say the C17 buy actually killed any A400M interest (in Capability Development rather than AFHQ) I'm sure it would have certainly cooled it off.........
Certainly I could see where the aircraft might be used as a C130J replacement, but I'd be concerned that the 400 is possibly a bit big (noting Army's requirement to always add weight) and by then there may be a more suitable C130J replacement.
I can't see us ever having C17/A400M/C130J all at the same time but. Would you agree with that?