The Financial Times Deutschland reported on Wednesday that EADS is set to offer to waive any rights to damages from cuts to Eurofighter jet orders if some countries buy Talarion UAS and sign maintenance deals.
The newspaper cited two people familiar with the matter as saying that Stefan Zoller, head of EADS’ defence and security unit Cassidian, will propose such a deal to German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere.
Deep cuts in defence spending in Germany include a reduction in Eurofighter orders.The plans include cutting by 37 to 140 the order for Eurofigher aircraft, to reduce an order for Puma tanks to 350 from 410 and to slash an order for Tiger combat helicopters to 40 from 80. De Maiziere also wants to reduce the number of NH-90 helicopters to 80 from 120.
EADS has spent years developing the Talarion unmanned aerial vehicle at its own expense in the hope of winning an order from the project’s instigators France, Germany and Spain.
However, France’s Dassault Aviation and Britain’s BAE Systems have stepped up plans for their own unmanned aircraft under a Franco-British defence pact signed last year, provoking anger and frustration from EADS.
Source: Reuters