Europe unveils giant military transport jet

Europe yesterday unveiled the A400M military aircraft, giving the public a first glimpse of a powerful turboprop plane built to supply seven NATO countries with urgently needed strategic airlift capacity.

The plane was developed by a unit of EADS at a cost of $31 billion, making it Europe's biggest military cooperation project, but has been dogged by problems in producing the West's most powerful turboprop engines.

The first plane assembled was rolled out of a purpose-built hangar in southern Spain into blinding sunlight at a lavish ceremony attended by King Juan Carlos.