The delivery marks the culmination of a 10-year effort by Airbus Military to develop a European airlifter.
They must be joking! I remember British Aerospace (as it then was) trying to push this in its various guises as Future Large Aircraft and A400(M) down our throats in DOR(Air) in the mid 80s. In comparison Nimrod MRA4 was a much quicker programme! That's not saying much I know!