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| Europe |
| Eurofighter Project May Wind Down, Imperiling Thousands of Jobs |
| 2004-07-18 |
| Via Bros. Judd: Eurofighter GmbH, the venture in charge of Europe's biggest defense project, may start to wind down production, threatening thousands of jobs, unless the U.K. and other countries buy a second group of 236 planes this month. ``A binding commitment for funding'' by the end of July is ``the minimum we need followed by an undertaking that contract signature will follow,'' said Eurofighter Chief Executive Officer Aloysius Rauen, 47, in an interview. ``The Eurofighter partner companies are preparing steps to run down the program.'' Eurofighter is at least six years behind schedule already and the cost has tripled to more than 83 billion euros ($103 billion). The program employs about 10,000 people working on the airframe and another 10,000 working on the engine and other equipment. It's all Britain's fault. |
| Posted by:Anonymous2U |
| #1 I think the initial orders have all been for interceptors, too(?) - basically useless for the sort of role likely to be required of such an aircraft type in this day and age. The fighter-bombers were to be rolled out later, and so now may not be at all... |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-07-19 3:24:32 AM |