If the order is placed, it would provide the troubled European military programme, which has run into billions of euros of cost overruns and years of development delays, with a second export customer after Malaysia
As reported by Reuters the office of French President Francois Hollande said Jakarta has signed a letter of intent to buy the Airbus A400M military aircraft.
The number of aircraft involved was not given but Jane’s had reported in January that Indonesia wanted to buy five of those transports.
If the order is placed, it would provide the troubled European military programme, which has run into billions of euros of cost overruns and years of development delays, with a second export customer after Malaysia, that ordered four A400Ms to supplement its fleet of C-130 Hercules.
In Dec. 2004, South Africa announced it would purchase eight A400Ms at a cost of approximately €837 million, with the nation joining the Airbus Military team as an industrial partner. Deliveries were expected from 2010 to 2012. In 2009, South Africa cancelled all eight aircraft, citing increasing costs. On Nov. 29 2011 Airbus Military reached an agreement to refund pre-delivery payments worth €837 million to Armscor.
In Jul. 2005, the Chilean Air Force signed a Memorandum of understanding for three aircraft, but no order has been placed; instead Chile began talks on buying the Brazilian Embraer KC-390.
In Feb. 2017, the Czech and Swiss Ministries of Defence stated they were interested in a joint lease of 13 A400Ms from Germany, but given that, as we have recently reported, the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) has not been able to find a buyer yet, the service has given up on the initiative and take delivery of the aircraft.
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