5 jasc 2 November 2008 « 21 Europe ‘has reached the limits of what consolidation can achieve’ [ER WAGSTAFE.SMIFH n'a pore ntoe ‘The Secretary General of the Speaking at a conference in Marseile on. 31 October cmttled "European Defence {Captives callenges and pros ‘ect, Franco Gayet sid that Since the ery 1980 Europea indy sare mn a oweerestuctre™ He eted BAP. Systems (UK). Thales (France), Suftan (France) and. MBDA {amropean among the major (rowpe tat were the pode of Facreching consliton. “Twenty years ae he (aero space] cempunice hase eae he Timi of what hey hope to do terms of Buropea nds con ‘ethion The uote dopends “onthe marke” he said He went sy ht Eon companion "welcome the develop ‘ent plan [European Cagailty Development Pin, submited 10 ‘he European Defence Agency in Taly 2008, which promotes Europe-wide co-operation and 20 ont programmes 9 mest EL shortfalls for eapcity in Buope tt tha here set need fr “te stare al he time, between {he EU goverment wich man tin place beter mechani of operation and incentives National fallback ‘Gaye also warmed of “national {ath oc indtial nd tonal ott "natural endenc. ‘harrier hat uence hon you vantomove fone that thre remain mood ulate etre fetwcon go Sroments and industrial. es S"vncoing” SMES [small and ‘mediums entrees 3 well ‘aborts ‘Gays ed that “ething secias ean be dane in Epes ‘re dot ave a dep option Teter the UK and France He suggested thatthe EU, smighe create a “Europe coun ‘ifr defence” or “e-apeation ‘fhe willing Tame werk for programmes “uallored towards European sccusty and defence ‘2a ling NATO athe Fo jean Space Apency a examples ‘ofotom Also in support of SMEs, ‘Constantine Kewtos, president and managing director of Greek hig ech cons ad corm ‘tons fim Mitech Hellas SA, Ihgilaied the med fo te rine Contractors to consider sll European me with poet supply chains rather than foking td the coin "For Groce and other small SMES the objective fr uss utidncta rps poe He argued that here “loss of employrentin ares ithe EU" tacts ical of ct, ‘uhich gosto Afra al Av He added km of hands of specialised technical poople sho hve hea forced wo Change th ines ‘amore. positive ote, he cited Europea companies re oper, Dassault and MBDA as od examples” of companies who share” cents wine th European SMEs that. he argued, a offer more lexi: can er orm jobs at ow ox “although ‘ye can ampete wih Astana panies” and “can per to European stants" ‘ira Lio Accade, bead of ‘he esearch andtcinoogy ston ste lnlan Minstry of Boece, ‘Stapested tha thre a oe for “recast inde rlshostion t. we need to work together, ester pooling RAD [research Jan development exces Soho appt ota ‘ton tetwoes companies avo Ineeasing competion ‘Transatlantic relations Acardo wart tht while Euo- peas and poiicins conser Dw to bs go Forward nares ing the challenge of strengthening sop defense capi nesta ae ma "ame nd most ot can opposition othe US" and he aed "We nec ‘more balanced trate rel ‘ons, especialy in [acing] the ‘cent global coro esi However Frans Desai retro pale afar EADS, France, stl har “ive Earpean countries did net purchase US. Sioraf thanks to arofigher fathough he warted that EvopS ida eas tho 2, incang a "iskreduetion ‘Germany and Spain” ‘Also addressing. delegates. MBDA President Antoine Bow ‘ers that theres" defence ‘Seategy without an indus Strategy attached” hot that he Tater has on hindered by st ‘fetes cling bode omar. 7 RUAG warns that simulation and training unit ‘can no longer operate profitably’ ‘wis company RUAG may cut Jobs as todas to changes in the ‘Srlation market, warned on 'SNovember. "The company said tha a the rir simulation market moves From rl imation ate sialon, Simltion& Trin {ng cement con no age peste ofa nits cute oon Tel hereto if he Foes ofthe asiness to Hive traning ‘move that will equiv stractera ‘hangs. About 90 cepoyecs wil beatecedasbusinese actives a ‘ove Than fom the faite ot UUntencen and Bere, RUAG sak th while would sive tales ‘many affected employees as os tie arntve postion: within the compar around 30 redundancies ult he ed ut nthe area of Simulation & Thining, the measures we have Implemented should serve to stengtben our itrmational ar ie posion aed align with the changed. mapket environment ling a 6 achieve slid ea ings again i the mdb.” sald Andreas P esta, cle executive officer of RUAG Elec The atest stp ROAG's wr ‘ep dec ca dy afer the soup revealed that it had folded the Saab Space interests that it arctased eater in 2008 ito RUAG Acrospace subsidiary part apushio "poston as ps Eropean supple space ‘ecinology segment “The move saw Sab’s former Ansan ubslary bacrme RUAG. ‘Aerospace Aus al Saab Space [Alot Sweden tecome RUAG Aer ‘osguce Sweden AB. inconsistent ‘wih RUAG's version ay From reliance om oth domes the andthe defo sector, “lane's repo on | September ‘hat Sab id compeed the sala Saal Spice to RUAG Holling ‘Gerrard Cowat Sones Inds Reporter London