Alenia Aerospazio and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) have separately formed strategic alliances with Hellenic Aerospace Industries (HAI), covering a range of civil and military programmes.
HAI already supplies Airbus parts to the German company. The relationship will be expanded to cover participation in Dasa's ongoing upgrade of Greek McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms.
HAI will also manufacture external fuel tanks for the Eurofighter and satellite components for Dasa's space division. In addition, the Greek business will produce aeroengine parts for Dasa subsidiary MTU.
The deal is not directly linked to Greek plans to purchase 60-80 Eurofighters, says Dasa (the Eurofighter partner with responsibility for export sales to Greece). It admits, however, that the deal presented "a good moment" to be "offering the Greeks the opportunity to become a member of the Eurofighter consortium". Dasa says it has "no concrete plans at the moment" to take an equity stake in HAI.
Dasa's Italian Eurofighter partner Alenia has also signed an alliance with the Greek company which is expected to lead to involvement in the Alenia/ Lockheed Martin C-27J light transport and Eurofighter programmes.
Greece is looking to purchase up to 18 transporters in the C-27J class and the Alenia tie-up is expected to see Hellenic produce structures such as wing flaps and doors for the aircraft.
Source: Flight International
