I wonder if the problem for the A400M is not the same as that for the C-17 - a reluctance on the part of the command to commit a $250 million (or Euro) asset to short/rough field operations in the middle of nowhere.
Hmmm. Maybe. But then again, the C-130 crew is bigger than the C-17 crew. Are C-130 crew more expendable than C-17 crew?