The interferometric mode of the European Very Large Telescope

The European Very Large Telescope program has been approved in 1987. It aims to consists of an array of four 8 m telescopes, plus two additional 2 m class auxiliary telescopes, the latter being fully dedicated to optical (infrared and visible) interferometry, with possible combination of some and, in the long term, all large telescopes. We discuss the implementation of this program in the next ten years.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.