Excerpts from report by the German news agency ddpADN

Bonn: Defence Minister Volker Ruehe (Christian Democratic Union) and his counterparts from Great Britain, Italy and Spain signed the government agreements on the production and the acquisition of a total of 620 of the new combat aircraft Eurofighter in Bonn today...

On the occasion of the signing of the agreements, Ruehe spoke of an "important day for Europe and the North Atlantic alliance".

The Eurofighter meets the military requirements and possesses the required production maturity. Apart from the military requirements, the project is of the utmost economic, industrial and European significance. It guarantees the preservation of the required technological skills in European modern aircraft production.

British Defence Secretary George Robertson stressed that the four countries had decided in favour of the best aircraft at the best price that was currently available. Spain's Defence Minister Eduardo Serra stressed that the Eurofighter was proof of Europe's efficiency in an important area.

Ruehe's Italian counterpart pointed out that, following the Tornado, the Eurofighter was the second most common European combat aircraft. The future must show whether the Eurofighter syndicate will be transformed into a joint stock corporation.

Source: ddpADN news agency, Berlin in German 1156 gmt 22 Dec 97

German opposition rejects Eurofighter deal

Text of report by the German news agency ddpADN

Baden-Baden: SPD [Social Democratic Party] military expert Walter Kolbow has confirmed the rejection of the new Eurofighter combat aircraft by his party. Kolbow told Suedwestfunk radio today that the project is not necessary for security reasons and much too expensive.

In addition, it would undermine all European efforts to procure inexpensive equipment for the common foreign, security, and defence policy.

The air force is to receive a total of 180 units of the aircraft built jointly by four nations at a price of 23 billion German marks. They are to replace mainly the old F4 Phantom and MiG-19 fighter aircraft as of the year 2002.

Forty Eurofighters are designed as multipurpose fighter jets. They are to replace an equal number of Tornado combat aircraft as of the year 2012. The government agreements on the construction of the aircraft are to be signed in Bonn today.

Source: ddpADN news agency, Berlin in German 0941 gmt 22 Dec 97

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