Andrjez Jeziorski/MUNICH
Germany has pushed back its entry into the joint Helios II/Horus reconnaissance-satellite programme with France by at least a year, but has committed to production of the Eurocopter Tiger and NH Industries NH90 military helicopters.
The decisions were announced at the meeting of the Franco-German defence and security council in Nuremberg on 9 December, chaired by German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and French President Jacques Chirac.
The summit, however, failed to tackle the outstanding question of the prospects for the European Future Large Aircraft, which are looking increasingly questionable. It has also provided no further clues as to where Germany will obtain the necessary funding to proceed with production investment for the critical Eurofighter 2000 programme before the latest deadline in March 1997.
Kohl has still not committed himself to a specific date of entry into the DM7 billion ($4.6 billion) satellite programme, which has become unpopular with the defence ministry as it struggles with repeated cuts in defence budgets. Nevertheless, both heads of state underlined their belief that the project is essential to European defence co-operation.
Despite Germany's decision to hold back, France is to proceed with the preparatory phase of the HeliosII infra-red spy satellite on its own, with a promise that Germany will join in as soon as budgets allow. In return, Germany is believed to be willing to increase its backing for the later Horus radar satellite.
Both countries still hope to be able to bring the satellites into service as scheduled, with the Helios II to be ready in 2002, and the Horus following in 2005.
The decision leaves open the possibility of the planned satellite joint venture between Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) and Aerospatiale, to which France has agreed on the condition of German participation in the programme.
The council confirms that the Tiger and NH90 programmes will go ahead, with each country to buy an initial batch of 80 Tigers.
According to Eurocopter, follow-on orders will bring the total number of Tigers to 215 in France and 212 in Germany. Eurocopter is now counting on a production- investment go-ahead for the Tiger in mid-1998, a year later than scheduled. In-service dates remain unchanged, however, with Germany scheduled to introduce the type in 2001, and France following two years later.
The council also confirms that the number of NH90s to be bought now stands at 160 for France, and 243 for Germany. Germany is to introduce the type into service from 2003, with France set to follow in 2010.
Discussions on where final assembly of the helicopters will take place are continuing, with Germany pushing to have assembly lines for both types at Eurocopter Deutschland's Donauworth site. France still hopes to keep an NH90 assembly line at Eurocopter France's site in Marignane.
Source: Flight International
