FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) – Britain and Europe should work together on a future combat air system, or risk further fragmenting the European defence market, Airbus (AIR.PA) defence chief Dirk Hoke said on Monday, after Britain pushed forward with its own new fighter jet programme.
Airbus and Frances Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA) have partnered to work on a separate Franco-German future fighter programme first launched by those two countries in 2017.
Hoke, chief executive of Airbus Defence and Space, told Reuters that European industry executives backed joining forces to proceed with a combined fighter programme, once the details of Britains exit from the European Union had been worked out.
“If the politicians decide differently, well have to adapt, but in my opinion that would be bad for Europe,” he said.
Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Victoria Bryan
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