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GREECE POSTPONES EUROFIGHTER ORDER

The contract for the purchase of 60 Typhoons (plus a further 30 options) was virtually signed, sealed and delivered, having survived some extremely difficult negotiations. But instead of now going ahead and completiting the final formalities, as Eurofighter was expecting, Greek prime minister Costas Simitis's cabinet has changed its mind at the last minute. Following a meeting on 29 March, Simitis declared, "We have decided to postpone some of the arms programme, such as a fourth-generation fighter, until after 2004."

The rationale given by the government is that priority must be given initially to funding social programmes (education and health) and the Olympic Games in Athens. The Eurofighter procurement would have consumed some EUR 4.8 billion ($4.2 billion), with initial payments due this year despite favourable terms. Finance Minister Papantoniou, fearing the effects this would have on the budget deficit, seems to have been particularly opposed to proceeding with the deal.

Following in the steps of Turkey, gripped by a currency and financial crisis, Greece too has now confessed that its ambitious arms programme is currently not affordable. What the position will be like in a few years remains to be seen. Rainer Hertrich, joint CEO of Eurofighter's biggest shareholder, EADS, at any rate is "confident that Greece will stand by its decision to purchase the Typhoon for the Hellenic Air Force".

A Eurofighter spokesman said that the partners would continue to work with the government in Athens towards the goal of "turning this important contract into reality". Greece had been offered "a unique opportunity to participate in Europe's most important military programme", including a "very attractive offer for the involvement of Greek industry".

Even if they are putting on a brave face in Munich, there must now be serious concerns as to whether the Greek order will really come off. The signals coming from Athens are ambivalent. As mentioned above, Simitis spoke only of "a fourth-generation fighter" and not explicitly of the Eurofighter. There is plenty of competition around. Dassault has been trying persistently over the last few months to have its Rafale reinstated as a contender. But above all it is the Americans who will benefit from a delay, as that will increase the prospects for the Joint Strike Fighter.

On a more cheerful note, there has been some gratifying news for the Eurofighter programme in recent weeks. Between 15 and 29 March the German prototype DA5 completed a highly successful (according to the company) series of trials at Laage air base with the Captor radar (ECR90). Seven flights were completed, with Fighter Wing 73 "Steinhoff" providing MiG-29's and F-4F Phantoms to act as targets.

After five preliminary missions in each case against four "hostile" aircraft, a more complex scenario was then enacted, in which the Eurofighter had to track ten targets simultaneously. The high point and conclusion of the trials was a mission in which no fewer than twenty MiGs and Phantoms were involved. During the exercises the Captor radar was tried in a number of air-to-air operating modes such as search and track-while-scan (target tracking while simultaneously searching for other aircraft). Initial assessment of the data in Manching suggests, according to EADS, that the radar either meets or exceeds specification.

From page 69 of FLUG REVUE 6/2001