Airbus and OCCAR sign A400M contractual framework update
Airbus has signed two strategic contracts with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), an international organisation based in Bonn, Germany, which manages the A400M programme on behalf of the Launch Customer Nations Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg. These new contracts are the so-called A400M Global Support Services (GSS3) and Block Upgrade 0 to enhance the aircraft’s scope of capabilities.
Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Airpower at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “The A400M is a clear enabler of the sovereignty of our nations and the strategic autonomy of Europe. Global deployments like the Kabul airlift mission or the more recent Pacific Skies exercise highlight the need for interoperability and commonality among our customer nations. This new framework agreement is the answer to that increasing requirement. With 130 A400M in operation and more than 200,000 flight hours achieved by the fleet, the new agreement allows our customers to benefit from significant savings while keeping the same highest standard of services and performance.”
Joachim Sucker, OCCAR-EA Director, added: “To enable sustained operation of a high-end military system like the A400M, a robust support environment is paramount. The GSS3 contract signed by OCCAR with Airbus illustrates A400M user nations’ ambition to sustainably operate the A400M in the most demanding environments, benefiting from the range, the payload and the versatility of the A400M to fulfil an incredibly large scope of missions.”
The Global Support Services contract, which covers all A400M-user nations, replaces the previous agreement signed in 2019. The new contract provides a full range of tailored services by Airbus to meet the needs of its customers. These services range from ground tools, spares delivery and technical support, giving flexibility to industry and operators to explore new areas of collaboration, concepts and services.
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