Next Eurofighter Boss to Target Global Partnerships

Alberto Jose Gutierrez Moreno has been named as the new chief executive of the Eurofighter consortium, with the current Airbus Military executive to succeed Enzo Casolini in the post as of 1 June 2013.

"My key priorities will focus on competitiveness, campaigns and capabilities in order to make Eurofighter Typhoon even more successful in the world market," Gutierrez says. "Starting from a European partnership, we need to move forward into a more global partnership and invite new customer nations to join this leading edge programme."

Gutierrez has been Airbus Military's head of operations since July 2007, with responsibilities for programmes including the A400M tactical transport, A330 multirole tanker transport, CN235 and C295 medium transports and Lockheed P-3 upgrades. His previous appointments have included being Eurofighter production director in Spain between 2000 and 2004.

Casolini took the helm at Eurofighter in May 2009, and has steered the consortium through one of its toughest periods, as defence budgets in partner nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK have contracted, threatening to cap production short of a contractually agreed combined 620 aircraft. Highlights of his tenure have included signing for the Tranche 3A production of 112 Eurofighters, advancing the development of an active electronically scanned array radar for the type, and also closing a deal to sell 12 Typhoons to Oman, with the latter completed via the UK.

Austria and Saudi Arabia have also previously signed deals for a combined 87 Eurofighters, 39 of which have been delivered so far. "I am confident that we will win more customers in the next few years," Gutierrez says. Current sales targets include Malaysia's 18-aircraft multirole combat aircraft requirement.

The Eurofighter partners also have appointed Alenia Aermacchi's senior vice-president of military aircraft, Maurizio De Mitri, as the new chairman of its supervisory board, also with effect from 1 June. De Mitri will succeed Cassidian's Berndt Wünsche in holding the position.

[via]