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Leonardo capable of supplying PH's multi-role fighters
Multinational aerospace and defense manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A. (Leonardo) is more than capable of supplying the Philippines' multi-role fighter (MRF) requirement should its twin-engine Eurofighter Typhoon be selected as the country's MRF.
Enrico Fossatti, head of Leonardo's Eurofighter Export Campaigns for marketing and sales, mentioned this in an e-mail reply to the Philippine News Agency when asked how fast the manufacturer can supply the airframe once the contract is issued by the Department of National Defense (DND).
"That decision ultimately rests with the Philippine government, and the precise timeline will depend on the final requirements and agreements reached between Manila and the Eurofighter partner nations. What we can say is that the Eurofighter is not a program starting from zero. It is backed by an established, multi-nation industrial base spanning Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with decades of continuous production and delivery experience to operators around the world," he said.
Fossatti said the company has four active aircraft assembly lines for the Eurofighter program in each participating European nation.
"Once a contract is signed, Leonardo and the consortium can act promptly to lock in a delivery schedule based on production capacity, fleet size, and configuration requirements at the time of award. Our approach with the Philippine Air Force (PAF), as it has been throughout our engagement with Philippine authorities over the past two years, is full transparency: clear, realistic timelines rather than unsubstantiated projections," he said.
"And our objective is to bring that same reliability to the DND and the PAF, with a delivery plan which will allow gradual entry into service of the weapon system and transition of PAF pilots and technicians to the new platform," Fosatti said.
Earlier, DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Philippines is looking for at least five possible suppliers for its MRF program as the defense department aims to beef up the defensive capabilities of the PAF.
Other MRFs being looked into are Sweden's SAAB JAS-39 "Gripen", South Korea's KF-21 "Boramae", US-based Lockheed's F-16V "Viper" MRF, the Rafale of France-based Dassault Aviation. The Eurofighter Typhoon, meanwhile, is manufactured by Leonardo along with Airbus and BAE Systems.
Teodoro said acquisition of the MRF is dependent on government funding.
Budget for the MRF acquisition project is placed at an initial PHP60 billion up to PHP150 billion and is under the Armed Forces of the Philippines Rehorizon Three. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1281675
#current_events #local
Multinational aerospace and defense manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A. (Leonardo) is more than capable of supplying the Philippines' multi-role fighter (MRF) requirement should its twin-engine Eurofighter Typhoon be selected as the country's MRF.
Enrico Fossatti, head of Leonardo's Eurofighter Export Campaigns for marketing and sales, mentioned this in an e-mail reply to the Philippine News Agency when asked how fast the manufacturer can supply the airframe once the contract is issued by the Department of National Defense (DND).
"That decision ultimately rests with the Philippine government, and the precise timeline will depend on the final requirements and agreements reached between Manila and the Eurofighter partner nations. What we can say is that the Eurofighter is not a program starting from zero. It is backed by an established, multi-nation industrial base spanning Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with decades of continuous production and delivery experience to operators around the world," he said.
Fossatti said the company has four active aircraft assembly lines for the Eurofighter program in each participating European nation.
"Once a contract is signed, Leonardo and the consortium can act promptly to lock in a delivery schedule based on production capacity, fleet size, and configuration requirements at the time of award. Our approach with the Philippine Air Force (PAF), as it has been throughout our engagement with Philippine authorities over the past two years, is full transparency: clear, realistic timelines rather than unsubstantiated projections," he said.
"And our objective is to bring that same reliability to the DND and the PAF, with a delivery plan which will allow gradual entry into service of the weapon system and transition of PAF pilots and technicians to the new platform," Fosatti said.
Earlier, DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Philippines is looking for at least five possible suppliers for its MRF program as the defense department aims to beef up the defensive capabilities of the PAF.
Other MRFs being looked into are Sweden's SAAB JAS-39 "Gripen", South Korea's KF-21 "Boramae", US-based Lockheed's F-16V "Viper" MRF, the Rafale of France-based Dassault Aviation. The Eurofighter Typhoon, meanwhile, is manufactured by Leonardo along with Airbus and BAE Systems.
Teodoro said acquisition of the MRF is dependent on government funding.
Budget for the MRF acquisition project is placed at an initial PHP60 billion up to PHP150 billion and is under the Armed Forces of the Philippines Rehorizon Three. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1281675
#current_events #local
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