Eurofighter faces pivotal year for Typhoon programme, says chief executive

This year will be pivotal for the Eurofighter programme if production lines are not to stop in 2015.

The four-nation project has to secure orders for either Tranche 3B aircraft - now under review by Italy and the UK - or export sales in 2011 or face making mass lay-offs in four years' time.

That is the stark message from Eurofighter chief executive Enzo Casolini, who describes this as a "year of transition" for the company. He adds: "At the moment the situation looks a little bit dark. If you judge from 25 January what will happen at the end of 2015 I have to tell you that we will close production lines. But we are making a lot of effort in several directions."

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