All the European Maritime patrol aircraft are getting long in the teeth.
With the A330 Tanker fiasco with the Americans, I don't forsee a lot of enthusiasm to buy the Boeing P8?
Obviously the Europeans would want a european solution. Enter the dedicated maritime A400M. The freight door would be removed and the aircraft would contain all the weapons, sonor bhoys, electonics etc needed.
Most of the cost would be the electronics, so it is important to have a longish production run to bring the cost of the aircraft down. As in the Boeing P8.
Since the maritime version would be the same as the original version, apart from the freight door. There is a chance this could be achieved with the A400 Maritime.
The alternative is for the whole of Europe to buy American.
That is unacceptable.
Last edited by Stuffy; 15th Mar 2013 at 14:09.