It seals orders for 180 A400M military transport planes, seen as a crucial component of efforts by the European Union to strengthen its own military capability and coordination.

Germany has ordered 60 aircraft, followed by France with 50, Spain with 27, Britain with 25, Turkey with 10, Belgium with seven and Luxembourg with one.

They will replace ageing military transport planes across Europe, such as the US Hercules C-130 and the Franco-German Transall C-160.

The first planes, with four turbo-prop engines, are due to be delivered in

Tuesday's signing was made possible after a German parliamentary commission gave the final go-ahead last week for Berlin's order, which had been cut from 73 aircraft last year due to financial problems.

The European aerospace group EADS owns 80 percent of Airbus.

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