ANKARA, Feb 20 (A.A) - Germany will have the highest work share with 37.24 percent in the 196 Airbus Military Cargo Planes which will be produced under the Future Large Cargo Aircraft (A400M) Project for which the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) participates in feasibility and design works.
Releasing a statement, TAI said on Wednesday that eight European countries (Turkey, Germany, France, Spain, Britain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Portugal) had committed themselves to start purchasing and production of 196 Airbus military cargo planes (A400M).
The project which costs 18 billion euro and was signed between Airbus Military SAS and Organisme Conjointe de Cooparation en Mattiere d'armament (OCCAR) on behalf of client countries, is at the same time the most comprehensive contract that has ever been taken up in regard to number of participating countries.
The supply contract which covers 196 cargo planes was signed by Airbus Military Board Chairman Alberto Fernandez and OCCAR President Klaus Von Sperber on behalf of founding client countries Turkey, Germany, Belgium, France, Britain, Spain, Luxembourg and Portugal.
In accordance with the contract which will enter into effect following official announcement by OCCAR, Germany will be delivered 73 planes, Belgium 7, France 50, Britain 25, Spain 27, Luxembourg 1, Portugal 3 and the Turkish Air Forces will be delivered 10 planes.
The first delivery is planned to be made in 2008 while the A400M Cargo Planes will replace C-130 Hercules and C-160 Transall planes.
Meanwhile, work sharing of countries according to ''number of planes they will get'' became clear.
Germany will have a 37.24 percent share, France will have a 25.51 percent share, Spain will have a 13.78 percent share and Britain will have a 12.76 percent share while they are followed by Turkey with 5.10 percent, by Belgium with 4.08 percent and by Luxembourg with 1.53 percent.
Under the same project, the ''work sharing of participating countries' industries'' are as follows:
Germany 37.06 percent
France 24.74 percent
Spain 12.49 percent
Britain 11.84 percent
Turkey 6.70 percent
Belgium 5.19 percent
Luxembourg 5.19 percent
Portugal 1.99 percent.