A400M Aero Propulsion Alliance established

Six European aero engine companies will produce the TP400 turboprop chosen to power the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft. They signed an agreement to establish the Aero Propulsion Alliance (APA) joint venture to develop, manufacture and support the engine.

The companies making up the new company are FiatAvio (Italy); ITP (Spain); MTU Aero Engines (Germany); Rolls-Royce (UK and Germany); Snecma Moteurs (France) and Techspace Aero (Belgium).

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, APA will manage the TP400 programme and act as a single point of contact for customers, the European nations through OCCAR, the procurement agency set up to manage pan-European weapons contracts, and Airbus Military Company (AMC).

The participating companies will staff the management company in accordance with their percentage participation in the programme. The shareholding in the company is equal to the workshare percentages in the TP400 programme: MTU, Rolls-Royce and Snecma Moteurs will each hold 24. 8 per cent; ITP 13. 6 per cent, FiatAvio 8 per cent and Techspace Aero will hold 4 per cent. Dependent upon discussions with potential new customers and participating companies, like the Turkish Aircraft Industries, further partners could join APA in the future.

Rolls-Royce - represented by Rolls-Royce Deutschland, Germany's only full-system aero engine manufacturer, is applying its wide experience in the commercial and military three-shaft technology. Snecma Moteurs is contributing with its proven M88 core technology to the programme. MTU Aero Engines makes available its world-renowned turbine capabilities for the low and intermediate pressure systems. ITP with its intemational reputation will be responsible for casings and externals. As the world's leading aero engine gearbox and power transmission manufacturer, FiatAvio is responsible for the power gearbox. Techspace Aero, world leader in lubrication equipment, will be responsible for the oil system and will also support the programme with its experience in turbine technology.

Rolls-Royce Deutschland will be responsible for programme management and system integration of the engines at its Brandenburg plant at Dahlewitz, near Berlin.

APA, which has a main operating office in Paris and a liaison office in Toulouse, will be led by a management team made up of Pierre Drevet as Managing director, Keith Fullagar as Technical director, Josef Aichinger as Commercial director, Miguel Bariego as ILS-director and Salvatore Manzi as Quality director

REF XQQEE XQQAR