5 Nations Agree on Europe Jet Fighter

The defense ministers of five West European countries have reached a compromise on the specifications of a jet fighter to be produced jointly for the 1990s.

The $30-billion project is seen by the five--France, Britain, Italy, West Germany and Spain--as a potentially rich prize for their aircraft industries, which will lessen dependence on U.S. warplanes.

The Italian Defense Ministry said nine hours of talks had produced agreements on guidelines for aviation industries of the five countries to produce a joint study for the European Fighter Aircraft.

Senior officials will complete a feasibility study in time for the ministers’ next meeting in London on June 17-18, it said.

Officials involved in the talks said interim accords had been reached which laid down ranges on key questions of the plane’s weight and engine thrust. Final agreements have not yet been made and different views still prevail, they said.

British officials said the French had agreed to consider existing British and U.S. engines, in addition to a French one, for temporary use in prototypes until the fighter’s own engine is developed.