Airbus sign new A400M Global Support contract

Airbus has signed the new A400M Global Support Step 2 contract with OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation).

OCCAR manages the multinational programme on behalf of the Launch Customer Nations Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg.

This is the first support contract for all A400M participating states and it replaces the Global Support agreement Step 1 signed in 2016, which provided support services for France, Spain and the UK.

The contract will bring a fully integrated suite of common services using shared resources and assets, say the firm, whatever that actually means.

“It provides a full range of tailored services to meet the needs of the A400M customers, from ground support to airworthiness and from maintenance to material support.

This performance-based contract creates a new partnership framework, based on pooling and sharing, where industry and operators have the opportunity to explore new areas of collaboration, concepts and services. The modular structure of the services allows for the tailoring of solutions as per specific operational requirements.”

This new phase of the A400M Global Support contract provides a support services package to a wider number of nations operating the A400M until the end of 2023.

After France, UK and Spain, which were part of the first phase, now Turkey, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg have joined as well.

Alberto Gutiérrez, Head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space, said in a release:

“With this services contract, we are working together with our customers on innovative solutions never performed before on a military programme. After the agreement with the launch customer nations on the programme’s contract amendment this is another clear signal that through mutual collaboration we are strengthening the future of the A400M.”

Gary Palmer, OCCAR A400M Programme Manager, said:

“The A400M Global Support contract covers more than 40 individual services working together, a complete pool of services from ground support to airworthiness, through to maintenance or material services. Under this collaborative model, the more nations that join the pool, the more efficient the services become from which customers can benefit.”