The Shareholders of the Eurofighter consortium have appointed Herman Claesen as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH as of 1 January 2019.
Herman Claesen joins Eurofighter from BAE Systems in the UK, where he currently holds the post of Group Project Management, Engineering and Support Director, supporting the Group’s Executive Committee as the Project Management and Engineering authority. He previously held senior leadership positions with BAE Systems in the Middle East and the UK, delivering large complex programmes as well as shaping the future through strategic programmes.
He replaces Volker Paltzo who has been the Eurofighter CEO since January 2016, and who will be returning to Airbus Defence & Space in Germany to take up a new senior leadership role.
Commenting on his new appointment as Eurofighter CEO, Herman Claesen said:
Eurofighter is the largest and most successful European defence collaboration, serving nine nations around the world. The company’s continued focus on platform development, such as the recent integration of Meteor, has ensured Typhoon customers can continue to rely on it being at the heart of their Air Forces ready to take on any mission.
I am looking forward to playing my role in keeping our current and future customers at the forefront of military developments, giving them access to leading air power capability and providing them with the technology and support needed to respond to emerging threats today and in the future.
Paltzo also reflected on the achievements of the last three years during his time as CEO of Eurofighter GmbH. He said:
This is an exciting time for the Eurofighter programme, and we have seen quite some progress over the last three years, with further significant capabilities introduced to the fleet and contracts signed for 28 new aircraft with the State of Kuwait, 24 new aircraft with the State of Qatar, and I am convinced we will see more aircraft sales – at home and abroad.
The Eurofighter fleet recently celebrated passing the 500,000 flying hours mark, cementing its place at the heart of European air defence.
Eurofighter Typhoon has rapidly accumulated hours across the fleet, particularly in recent years, following an increase in the tempo of air policing and combat operations. There is now a fleet of almost 500 aircraft protecting Europe’s borders, with the potential for this number to grow substantially in the coming decades.