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Stalled Combat Jet Talks

Germany Urges Partners to Break Eurofighter Deadlock

Germany has called on its partners in the Eurofighter project, Britain, Spain and Italy, to resume stalled talks and divide up the delivery of the last tranche of fighter jets, DER SPIEGEL has learned. Failure to break the deadlock could put the project in a "critical situation," a German official warned.

Rüdiger Wolf, state secretary in the German defense ministry, believes the Eurofighter project risks getting into a "critical situation" unless Germany's partners in the venture -- Britain, Spain and Italy -- resume stalled talks on the delivery of the last batch of the fighter jet.

According to DER SPIEGEL, Wolf sent a letter to his colleagues in the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain last week warning them that they must resolve the dispute over the delivery of the last 236 of the total 620 planned jets.

The delivery process has been halted by a number of disputes. According to the defense ministry, the manufacturing consortium is demanding excessive prices for the last batch of fighters. Germany alone is having to spend around €1.6 billion more than planned so far for its 68 fighter jets.

London meanwhile wants to buy fewer Eurofighters than originally planned because of budget cuts, but it isn't prepared to cover the additional costs its partners could face as a result.

Italy too is short of cash. In order to purchase at least some new fighters, Rome wants to sell second-hand fighters to Romania.

Wolf wrote in the letter that he was "deeply concerned" and urged the countries to divide up the remainder of the order "to avoid an expensive production gap." He said the four countries should place firm orders for around half the 236 jets and give "options" for the remainder which would only be decided on in 2012.

Wolf's plan would also suit Germany's Social Democrat party which wants the German air force to do without 30 of its planned 180 Eurofighters and thereby save at least part of the estimated total cost of €25 billion.

cro/SPIEGEL staff