Britain has laid down the gauntlet to its partners in the Eurofighter project, with Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine providing top-level backing at the Show for moves to put the controversial fighter into production.

He was speaking during the opening ceremony of Farnborough ‘96 just after UK Defence Secretary Michael Portillo had announced the British Government's decision in principle to proceed to the production investment phase of the four-nation 620-aircraft project.

Heseltine says the decision is an "important step forward", which gives him "enormous personal satisfaction".

The heavyweight comments are part of a concerted campaign to persuade Britain's partners to commit themselves fully to the next stage of the programme. "We want to get on with it," says BAe chief executive Sir Richard Evans.

"It give our friends in Italy, Germany and Spain an indication of the UK's earnest of proceeding with the programme," says Sir Richard. "Eurofighter has the support of the Cabinet and Exchequer. We want the intergovernmental MoU signed in the early part of next year."

 

Question marks

The troubled Eurofighter project is still dogged by question marks over future participation of Germany, which faces continuing defence budget cutbacks. Yesterday's announcements are seen as further moves by the UK to prod the German parliament toward signing off on full Eurofighter production early next year.

Spanish and Italian partners in Eurofighter say that they expect their governments to make positive decisions by the end of the year. Eurofighter chairman John Weston says there is still "... a little way to go to get other governments to sign off on production".

He says however that there is "no reason" the Germans would not reach the same decision as the British.

Portillo says that " ... the announcement is excellent news for the Royal Air Force. It represents a crucial step forward toward providing them with a multi-role aircraft with the operational flexibility to respond to the uncertain challenges of the next century."

Heseltine, asked if continued German inability to fund Eurofighter would be an insuperable problem, said: "I don't believe there's any point in getting involved in hypothetical questions that only fuel doubts."

 

 

 

 

Source: Flight Daily News