Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines. Tony has covered avionics, unmanned vehicles, the supply chain and cyberwarfare.
With the delivery by Leonardo of the 500th Eurofighter to the Italian air force, production of the multinational combat aircraft is entering its twilight years. Work is now underway to further slow production rates in a bid to be ready for potential future customers.
The European Commission (EC) has given the green light to the German and French governments to provide Airbus with loans worth €377 million ($420 million) to develop the X6 helicopter.