Bluezoo
09-20-2005, 10:15 AM
Industry Steps In To Avert NATO, EU Capability Overlaps
By TOM KINGTON, ROME
Two defense industry associations — one cooperating with NATO and the other with the European Union — are to set up a working group to help prevent the organizations from doubling up on capabilities, officials said Sept. 19.
Raffaele Esposito, vice chairman of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG), said his group was establishing an “observatory” to act as a liaison with the Aerospace and Defense Industries Association of Europe (ASD).
NIAG acts as a bridge between industry and NATO, while the ASD is working with the European Union’s recently formed European Defense Agency.
“Industry can be a channel of communication between NATO and the EU, suggesting common solutions through the ASD and NIAG,” said Peter Collins, who will head the initiative. Collins, a U.K.-based Finmeccanica manager, is chairman of the ASD’s technical committee and a member of NIAG.
“The aim will be to exchange information to avoid problems over commonality,” said Esposito.
Both the European Union and NATO are pushing for their member states to help augment their capabilities.
Esposito and Collins were speaking here at the second annual Industry Day held by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) command, which aims to closely work with industry to source transformation products.
At the conference, both NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo and Gen. Raymond Henault, chairman of the alliance’s military committee, ruled out the possibility of NATO and the European Union competing to obtain funding from member states.
For the full text, go to:
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=1112392&C=europe
By TOM KINGTON, ROME
Two defense industry associations — one cooperating with NATO and the other with the European Union — are to set up a working group to help prevent the organizations from doubling up on capabilities, officials said Sept. 19.
Raffaele Esposito, vice chairman of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG), said his group was establishing an “observatory” to act as a liaison with the Aerospace and Defense Industries Association of Europe (ASD).
NIAG acts as a bridge between industry and NATO, while the ASD is working with the European Union’s recently formed European Defense Agency.
“Industry can be a channel of communication between NATO and the EU, suggesting common solutions through the ASD and NIAG,” said Peter Collins, who will head the initiative. Collins, a U.K.-based Finmeccanica manager, is chairman of the ASD’s technical committee and a member of NIAG.
“The aim will be to exchange information to avoid problems over commonality,” said Esposito.
Both the European Union and NATO are pushing for their member states to help augment their capabilities.
Esposito and Collins were speaking here at the second annual Industry Day held by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) command, which aims to closely work with industry to source transformation products.
At the conference, both NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo and Gen. Raymond Henault, chairman of the alliance’s military committee, ruled out the possibility of NATO and the European Union competing to obtain funding from member states.
For the full text, go to:
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=1112392&C=europe