New EDA directors for capabilities, armaments appointed
Javier Solana, Head of the European Defence Agency, today announced the appointments of Jonathan Mullin as EDA Capabilities Director and Jukka Juusti as Armaments Director.
Mullin, currently Assistant Director, Force Protection, in the UK Ministry of Defence, and Juusti, Chief, Armaments Division J10, Defence Command, Finland, will take up their duties in January.
“I am delighted that the nominations have been approved by the EDA’s participating Member States,” Solana said. “Both men are admirably suited to these critical roles: capabilities development is at the heart of the Agency’s mission, while intensified cooperation on armaments projects will be a key theme of its work in 2008.”
Solana paid tribute to Pierre Hougardy, who returns to the Belgian Armed Forces after three years as the Agency’s first Capabilities Director.
“Pierre has made an enormous contribution to the Agency’s success. Thanks to him, we have a solid foundation on which to build a joint Capabilities Development Plan,” Solana said.
Juusti succeeds Carlo Magrassi, who will take up his new position as one of the EDA’s Deputy Chief Executives from 1 January.
“I am confident that Jonathan and Jukka will be very effective members of the Agency Management Board and I look forward to working with them,” said EDA Chief Executive Alexander Weis.
The European Defence Agency was established under a Joint Action of the Council of Ministers on 12 July, 2004, to support the Member States and the Council in their effort to improve European defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the European Security and Defence Policy as it stands now and develops in the future.