01. August 2013
A400M First Aircraft Delivery
On the 1st August 2013 OCCAR-EA completed the acceptance and delivery of the first production A400M aircraft on behalf of the lead Nation France. This was the culmination of a huge effort over previous months by the OCCAR A400M Programme Division located in Toulouse and Seville and OCCAR Central Office staff in Bonn, working with Nations to negotiate and agree a complex overall package. This included the technical and commercial conditions surrounding Type Acceptance of the aircraft at the Initial Operating Clearance (IOC) standard, together with a comprehensive suite of commitments to ensure effective support was in place for the aircraft from Day 1.
This is a historic moment for the programme, and a great achievement for all involved, and will pave the way for further deliveries to France, Turkey, UK, Germany, Spain and Belgium.
Signature of CA64 – Domingo Ureño-Raso, Chairman and CEO of Airbus Military, and Tim Rowntree, OCCAR-EA Director
Type Acceptance
Contract Amendment (CA) 64 for IOC Type Acceptance was signed by the OCCAR-EA Director and the Chairman and CEO of Airbus Military on Thursday the 1st of August 2013, following extensive discussions between the technical and commercial teams in all parties, including the six partner Nations. The agreement secured the technical and commercial conditions for the standard that underpins the first three aircraft to be delivered. The strategy and process developed with Nations will provide an important foundation upon which to base the acceptance of all future Aircraft Standards.
Signing of the Certificate of Acceptance of Individual Aircraft for MSN7
Individual Aircraft Acceptance
The OCCAR-EA A400M PD team located in the satellite office in Seville have been working closely with France to secure the terms for the individual acceptance of the first Aircraft, based upon the standard defined during Type Acceptance. This agreement was formalised with the signature of the Certificate of Acceptance of Individual Aircraft (CAIA), followed by the Transfer of Title which formally gave ownership of the Aircraft to France.
The delivered aircraft, also known as MSN007, is one of three due at the Initial Operating Clearance (IOC) standard. It was flown from the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Seville on Friday the 2nd August 2013 to its operational location in Orleans where it was received by the French Air Force.
The next aircraft for France, MSN008, has already flown and formal delivery activities will start soon. The first Turkish aircraft, MSN009, has been completed, taxi tests have started and its delivery activities will also commence in the next weeks.
Members of the OCCAR-EA team in Seville, together with Airbus Military and French Air Force staff prior to delivery of MSN7
Support Commitments
The ILS community in the OCCAR-EA PD has worked closely in parallel with France to secure a comprehensive suite of support arrangements, covering the provision of spares, in service support services, ground support systems and Aircraft Ground Equipment. These arrangements were finalised in parallel to the aircraft delivery negotiations, with all the key parameters falling into place to support the arrival of the aircraft in Orleans.
Reception by the French Air Force