Airbus Military has met its first contractual milestone by delivering the A400M Quality Plan to its customer, OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armament).
As the first of a number of such milestones highlighting significant stages of the programme up to and beyond aircraft delivery, the Quality Plan provides the yardstick by which the programme will be measured.
The Quality Plan is a primary requirement of the contract and covers all aspects of the programme from the control and monitoring of design standards to software conformity and sub-contractor management. Management of and adherence to the Plan is the key element that will keep the programme on track in terms of time and cost.
The A400M Quality Plan was delivered to OCCAR on August 29, 2003, three months after contract signature. The terms and conditions of the contract provide for a period of two months from the date of its delivery for the customer to examine and accept or reject the Plan. The high standard of the work presented for the A400M was such that OCCAR had no difficulty in accepting it within only six weeks.
“The confidence resulting from the frank and open relationship with the customer has enabled us to work faster than we had imagined,” stated Patrick Chanet, Airbus Military Head of Quality; “today there are no open items or unresolved issues for the development phase ahead of us and we are already at 2004 status.”
Such an achievement is a tribute to the exacting standards of quality inherent in the Airbus organisation and the result of close cooperation between Airbus Military and OCCAR, supported by the numerous working groups from the individual customer nations.
“Such exemplary results are a tribute to the hard work by all concerned that has gone into the formulation of the A400M Quality Plan”, said Wolfgang Bruehmann, Head of the OCCAR Programme Division in Toulouse, at a ceremony today marking the event. “I am convinced that this is an indication of the way in which this pioneering programme will continue.”
OCCAR, is the international body representing the customer nations and providing the contractual interface with Airbus Military.
The contract for 180 A400M airlifters was signed on May 27, this year between Airbus Military and OCCAR, representing Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Airbus Military is also in discussion with other major air forces that have expressed interest in the new-generation airlifter.
The first flight of the A400M will take place in early 2008.
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Airbus Military Meets First Contractual Milestone
