BERLIN (Reuters) – Airbus (AIR.PA) said on Friday it was optimistic it could sign a first export contract for its troubled multi-nation A400M military transport plane this year, and expressed growing confidence about prospects for European defense cooperation.
Airbus Defence and Space Chief Executive Dirk Hoke said the company had been in negotiations with a potential buyer for the A400M airlifter, but did not name the country.
“The freefall that we had … until fairly recently has been stopped, thanks to Mr. Putin and also thanks a little bit to Mr. Trump,” he said, citing “significant” new projects both in the short and long-term.
Hoke also highlighted fresh momentum in efforts to bring together the highly fragmented European defense market, and credited French President Emmanuel Macron for helping push forward a European drone program and a Franco-German future fighter project.
Hoke said the fighter jet program would start with two lead nations, but other nations – including Spain and Britain – could be invited to join in later. The move reflected lessons learned on the A400M program, which experts say was burdened by over-ambitious wish lists from participating nations.
Europe needed to focus its efforts on one fighter project to remain competitive globally, Hoke said. “We cannot survive global competition if we fragment this market … further,” he said.
Airbus and its long-time rival, France’s Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA), signed an agreement to work together on the project in April, a deal that Hoke said many never expected to happen.
“It was a turning point. It showed that we can cooperate and make things happen,” he said.
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