Impending go-aheads for several large weapon system contracts, led by the NH-90 frigate/transport helicopter, promise to fuel new growth in the European aerospace and defense industry, and to mute U.S. criticism over Europe's failure to modernize its armed forces. Last week, the defense ministers of four NH-90 partner nations—France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands—confirmed here that they would sign a contract in June at the Berlin air show for tooling and an initial production batch of 244 aircraft. It would be the fourth major European weapon system to go into full-scale production in the last two years, after the Tiger attack helicopter and the Eurofighter and Rafale.
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