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VIP-Interview
Aloysius Rauen
CEO of Eurofighter GmbH
On-schedule delivery, the contract for Tranche 3 and the continued export drive are the main topics discussed in this interview with FLUG REVUE.
FLUG REVUE: Deliveries of Tranche 1 aircraft are drawing to an end. When will Tranche 2 get under way and will these aircraft be delivered more punctually?
Aloysius Rauen: The delivery plan for Tranche 1 has stabilised over the last three years and all the programme milestones were met on schedule. Tranche 2 deliveries are set to commence in the first half of 2008. We are on track with the agreed schedule.
FR: Work is currently under way on the proposal for Tranche 3. What is Eurofighter doing to ensure that this time the negotiations do not drag on for years?
Rauen: I think both industry and the customer have learned their lesson and want to do things better this time. The consortium will submit its tender by mid-December, with the aim of concluding the negotiations next year, before the summer break. That should allow the nations sufficient time to complete their approval processes in time for contracts to be signed, as planned, at the end of 2008. We have also been asked to include with the proposal information about further increases in capability.
FR: Will all the countries stick by their previously stated requirements as regards Tranche 3 unit numbers? This time it is the UK and Italy which are wavering.
Rauen: The discussion on unit numbers is not new, as budgets are tight. It is true that those two countries have asked for additional information on different options. That is not unusual. But our offer still covers 236 aircraft, as was always planned, i.e. the full number Tranche 3 unit numbers. After all, we have a legally binding framework agreement for 620 aircraft.
FR: The British especially have been pressing for greater efficiency recently in the Eurofighter consortium. What progress has been made in this respect as a result of the management changes implemented in the spring?
Rauen: The work specified in the main development contract is drawing to an end, we are definitely in the delivery phase now, and we are especially active in the areas of maintenance and logistics support. It is only logical that some structural changes should be needed with the clear aim of enhancing efficiency. For example, we have reduced the number of members of the Management Board from nine to four. Almost 50% of positions at the next level down have gone, falling from about 40 to just over 20.
FR: The first export success in Austria turned out to be a nerve-wracking political drama with accusations of bribery and a committee of enquiry. Eventually, the number of aircraft was trimmed back to 15. Was the deal worthwhile?
Rauen: For us, the contract was an enormously important milestone as Austria is our first export customer. As far as we are concerned, what happened then with the committee of enquiry after the change of government was unnecessary and ultimately damaging to all those involved. Especially when one looks at the results of the enquiry.
FR: Despite that, the contract was changed…
Rauen: It was at the request of the customer. Right from the beginning we made it clear that if we were to renegotiate the deal, it must make sense for both sides. We now have an outcome that both sides are happy with, and Austria will soon find out that the Eurofighter is an enormously efficient aircraft in operation.
FR: Apart from Saudi Arabia, what are currently your best prospects as regards further export sales?
Rauen: Saudi Arabia is a major breakthrough which will benefit all the participating companies, including the approximately 400 suppliers and, not least, around 100,000 employees in the European aerospace industry. Apart from that, we are still talking to Greece, India is a good prospect, and we are also very active in Turkey. We are looking closely at Switzerland. In Norway and Denmark we will have to await further developments in the situation. We are also making good progress in Japan, Romania and Bulgaria.
FR: Does it actually makes sense bidding in a lot of countries which are clearly looking towards the USA and the JSF programme?
Rauen: The USA has strong representation in many countries and, along with this, great influence. But interest in genuine alternatives is growing. For example, this is definitely the case in Japan, especially since the F-22 has not yet been cleared for export. And even in the countries which are participating in the JSF development programme, scepticism about the so-called partnership is growing.
Given that the United Kingdom and Italy are also involved in the JSF and will have to make a decision on this next year, we believe we are well-placed to assess the situation.
Generally speaking, the F-35 is an aircraft for quite specific applications and is not really a competitor to the Eurofighter. We offer both air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities. And as far as stealth is concerned, the question arises as to for how long that will continue to be a big advantage.
FR: What systems are primarily in need of further development to keep the Eurofighter technologically up-to-date?
Rauen: To minimise the technical risk, capabilities are being introduced gradually on the Eurofighter programme, and we will determine what further capabilities are developed together with the partner nations. This applies also to the e-scan radar. A prototype radar recently flew on the Eurofighter in Germany and the results were very promising. On the other hand, radars incorporating this technology can only prove their full operational capability and efficiency in operation. We believe it will be some time before these e-scan radars reach that stage. Export customers in particular are always asking what is the situation with regard to Meteor. Here too there is still a lot of work to be done and some important decisions have yet to be made.
FR: What will Eurofighter GmbH do after Eurofighter?
Rauen: Production just for the partner nations will continue until around 2017. After that, combat performance enhancements and logistic support will continue until about 2050. So Eurofighter GmbH will have a lot of work for quite some time to come. Using the management platform for other programmes as well is an interesting thought which has already been discussed several times. There is a lot of experience that could be used to good effect. But that leap has not yet been made.
Karl Schwarz was conducting the interview.
From FLUG REVUE 11/2007
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