Paris, 20/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - A memorandum of understanding on the development and acquisition of 196 A400 M transport aircraft (M for Military), the future European transport plane (ATF, or Future Large Aircraft/FLA), which should equip the airforces of nine European countries, was signed on 19 June, at the 44th aeronautics show in Bourget, by Defence Ministers from several European countries - Germany on condition of the approval by the Bundestag, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Luxembourg together, Spain and also Turkey. Portugal said it was unable to sign in the immediate, but undertook to do so in as of September, while Italy, which has been participating in the programme from the beginning, has not signed following the change in government.
The French Defence Minister, Alain Richard welcomed this breakthrough which, he said, is fully in-line with the dynamic of the building of a European defence identity, in accordance with the Atlantic alliance. The programmes which unit us today will enhance the European capabilities, as we agreed in Brussels in November, asserted Mr Richard. (For further information, see our Atlantic News publication).