Aircraft
A400M Airlifter Spreads Its Wings
It’s all smiles and thumbs up in Malaysia, as Airbus Military chief test pilot Ed Strongman (left) and senior vice president Ignacio Alonso (right) greet the country’s air force commander, Gen. Rodzali Daud.
It’s all smiles and thumbs up in Malaysia, as Airbus Military chief test pilot Ed Strongman (left) and senior vice president Ignacio Alonso (right) greet the country’s air force commander, Gen. Rodzali Daud.

The Airbus Military A400M is spreading its wings, as the once-troubled program makes progress toward first delivery early next year. The airlifter went to South America last month and Southeast Asia this week, for viewing by potential customers. The company said last November that it hopes to sell about 300 A400Ms over the next 20 years, and that the first production slots for new customers are available in 2016-17. The seven European partner nations that launched the development program will receive some return on all export sales, as partial payback for agreeing to a higher price for their aircraft in 2010.