Airbus seeks to rebuild trust as A400M systems fall short

Airbus Group has told buyer nations of the A400M transporter aircraft that it cannot deliver all of its high-tech defenses according to plan, casting a shadow over some of its military uses as Europe battles growing instability on its borders.

The troop and cargo lifter was developed at a cost of 20 billion euros ($22 billion) for seven European NATO nations and is already in service with French forces in Mali. Other core buyers include Belgium, Britain, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey. Malaysia is so far the only export customer.

Some of the state-of-the-art systems designed to warn of threats such as missiles or hostile radar are more difficult than expected to develop, handing buyers a choice between taking planes or waiting for upgrades, European defense sources said.

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