Typhoon provides air-to-air superiority which is unmatched by any other available aircraft, and has well-defined and combat-proven air-to-surface capabilities which will continue to evolve to meet the emerging threats of the future. With eight established customers, the aircraft will remain the backbone of Europe’s combat air capability for the foreseeable future. Belgium requires an advanced, multi-role combat aircraft and we believe Eurofighter Typhoon best meets that requirement.
Benefits for Belgium
In addition to the 100,000 highly skilled European-based jobs across 400 companies which the program has supported, technology and IPR has been shared across borders and freely accessed by all those involved in the program.
It is this proven approach to collaboration in research, design, development and manufacturing which exists within the Eurofighter Industrial Consortium and from which Belgian industry could benefit by becoming a fully-fledged partner. The backbone of the Consortium is the three Eurofighter Partner Companies – Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo-Finmeccanica – whose combined turnover exceeds €100bn. These companies underpin Eurofighter’s unparalleled combination of industrial capability, experience and credibility.
Another integral component is the supply chain partners – 100 Tier 1 equipment suppliers and 300 Tier 2 product suppliers – who provide an unequalled breadth and depth of technology capability.
The Eurofighter Industrial Consortium will draw upon its extensive capabilities to promote a range of activities from which Belgian industry and its institutions have the opportunity to leverage substantial long term economic returns. Members of the Eurofighter Industrial Consortium are currently actively engaged with over 100 different Belgian companies within the defence, aerospace and space sectors – a substantial established footprint on which to develop further beneficial economic return relationships.
One significant example is Airbus, which currently places annual contracts with Belgian companies to the value of €500m, a figure expected to rise to more than €600m by the end of 2020, providing a solid basis on which to leverage further economic return activity. Being a partner in the Eurofighter Typhoon program would allow the Belgian Government access to the four Nation NETMA partnership. Belgian industry would have a unique opportunity to fully engage in Typhoon’s future development and product enhancements.
As a truly European product, the involvement of Belgian industry in the Eurofighter Typhoon program would not only further strengthen Europe’s most successful defence program, but would reinforce the critical mass of technology capability and high quality sustainable employment associated with such a program.
Eurofighter Typhoon For Belgium (482 downloads)
