Pic: Enrico Poliero, Chief Executive of AEREA
Italy:
AEREA: Enrico Poliero describes Eurofighter as “a perfect example of how fruitful and effective European cooperation at its best can be” – not just for the core nations but across the supply chain.
The chief executive of AEREA says: “The programme has been developing technical standards par excellence and high levels of co-operation over the years.
“This has enabled not only the core nations to share their know-how, but also their respective industries to expand their capabilities and expertise.”
Poliero says that knowledge-sharing and growth journey has been massively beneficial to SMEs like AEREA, helping drive its development and giving it a cutting edge commercially. Today the company, taken over by Eng. S. Mantovani in the 1970s, is an industry leader in the field of carriage and release systems.
It is, as Poliero says: “A global player capable of designing, developing, producing and delivering high performance systems for Eurofighter, while at the same time growing its capacity and expanding internationally.”
The company’s mantra of continuous investment in technology and engineering, coupled with the experience gathered on the programme, has allowed it to successfully develop leading edge technology projects such as pneumatic ejection. Already in use in defence programmes and available to upgrade Eurofighter’s ejection system, Poliero describes it as “a clear example” of AEREA’s contribution to the aircraft’s continuous improvement. AEREA can trace its history back to 1927. Since 2016 it has operated from a state-of-the art facility in Turate, north of Milan.
Poliero says: “Eurofighter remains a significant contract for us. In the early phase of the programme we were awarded an OEM role for specific key components of the aircraft’s armament system.
“As well as these main areas of responsibility we are also involved in work-sharing projects on a range of other equipment, including missile launchers and external fuel tanks. Our involvement in the programme also extends to providing support equipment, training customers’ ordnance personnel and Maintenance Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) work.”
Poliero says the Eurofighter came at a “perfect time” for the business. He adds: “Our participation has perfectly matched AEREA’s strategies and has significantly supported the company’s growth in terms of both turnover and expertise.
“In the last few years, we have started to see the retirement of colleagues who originally enrolled in support of the ramp-up of the programme. They are all proud of their role in a significant phase of the history of the European aerospace industry and their contribution in creating opportunities for the new generation of engineers coming onboard today, with future programmes in sight.”
He adds: “We strongly believe in the benchmark for collaborative programmes which was so effectively set by Eurofighter, and we support it. One of our main objectives is to secure new partnerships with a forward-looking strategy in order to pursue development prospects, especially in regard to the next generation European platforms and their bay launch and ejection requirements.”