ALL FOUR PARTNER nations in the Eurofighter 2000 collaborative combat-aircraft project were expected to have signed a critical memorandum of understanding (MoU) by 7 July.
Italy signed MoU 4, covering the implications and cost of "reorienting" and delaying the EF2000 programme by two years, on 6 July. Germany and the UK have already signed, with a Spanish signature imminent as Flight International went to press.
The next, even more critical, MoU to be signed is MoU 5, covering the industrialisation phase of the programme. This MoU will also cover production work-share on the programme, which remains a contentious issue, particularly between the UK and Germany.
Source: Flight International