Ongoing efforts aimed at forging an independent European defense capability have gained momentum with a German government decision to participate in the multinational A400M airlifter and a Franco-German military reconnaissance satellite system. In a joint declaration on June 9 in Mainz, Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed to commit to the A400M aircraft to meet a requirement for 75 new airlifters, formally rejecting a proposal to participate in the Russian-Ukrainian Antonov An-7X project. And French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin reiterated his country's commitment to buy 50 A400Ms to meet its military transport needs.
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