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Transatlantic Cooperation Still Needing Work
Much more needs to be done before true transatlantic cooperation becomes a reality, according to former NATO secretary general Lord George Robertson, this year's winner of Aviation Week & Space Technology's John Curtis Sword.
Speaking at the award ceremony at the SBAC dinner Tuesday evening, he contrasted the attitudes on both sides of the Atlantic: a European reluctance to spend to meet the worldwide threat, and U.S. protectionism that is thwarting cooperation on joint programs.
"The U.S. lobby constantly uses the bully pulpit to preach burden sharing, common alert levels, and the merits of tooling up for the future. The same lot then erect solid barriers to common military projects, maintain pork-barrel restrictions to technology export and tie the whole project in so much red tape it could circle the world.
On this side of the Atlantic ambitions grow with every summit, but the ability to fulfill it stays scandalously low," he said.
Lord Robertson, presently deputy chairman of Cable and Wireless, was NATO secretary general from 1999-2003 after serving as secretary of state for Defense. He was a Member of Parliament from 1978-99 before being appointed to the House of Lords.
The sword is awarded biennially to an individual deemed to have made a significant contribution to Anglo-American aerospace cooperation. The sword honors John Curtis, the magazine's marketing director in the U.K. until his death in 1978. Curtis was a strong advocate of forging closer ties between the two countries' aerospace industries.
"At a time of escalating rhetoric, our goal with this award is to recognize the leaders whose actions have made significant contributions toward Anglo-American cooperation and are genuinely moving the process forward," said Kenneth E. Gazzola, executive vp and publisher of Aviation Week. "Lord Robertson truly exemplifies the spirit of this award."
Previous recipients include John Hamre, Sir Richard Evans and Sir Ralph Robins.
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