France warns EADS not to expect more aid on A400M

[February 22, 2010]  PARIS (AP) -- France's defense minister says EADS should not expect more money from customer governments of the troubled A400M military transport plane.

EADS and the seven nations that ordered the Airbus plane have been haggling over who will pay for euro5.2 billion ($7 billion) in cost overruns and technical problems.

Herve Morin told a news conference Monday that a counterproposal had been made to EADS' offer to resolve the funding issue but that EADS "can't count on an extra effort on behalf of the partner states of this program."

Morin says the governments have gone as far as they are going to go.

They agreed to put up euro2 billion, plus another euro1.5 billion in loan guarantees, the French defense ministry said last week.

[Associated Press]

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