Berlin - Germany's Defence Ministry affirmed Monday its requirement for a new turbo-prop Airbus military transport, the A400M, after a news report had suggested the contract might be cancelled.

The prototype A400M has never left the ground and the project is years behind schedule. Germany, France and 10 other nations have ordered the new plane, which resembles the US Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, from the European maker, EADS.

In Berlin, Defence Ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe said Germany needed the plane and was expecting a "major delay." He said the ultimate delivery date was more important than the test-flight date.

A European defence-purchasing agency, Occar, is overseeing the contract. The German news magazine Der Spiegel said Monday it had circularized the buyer nations telling them they had an opportunity up to March 31 to cancel the contract and demand their money back.

However Raabe gave no indication Monday that a cancellation was likely. However he added that the Defence Ministry would also not give up its contractual rights. Germany has ordered 60 of the planes.

In all, 192 A400M planes worth 20 billion euros (25 billion dollars) have been ordered from EADS. (dpa)