Negotiations advance on Typhoon Production in Saudi Arabia

[SaudiArabian]

Negotiations advance on Typhoon production in Saudi Arabia
By Gareth Jennings
05 March 2008

The Saudi Arabian Alsalam Aircraft Company, a joint venture between Boeing, Saudi Arabian Airways and Saudi Advanced Industries Company, has revealed that it is currently involved in high-level discussions relating to Typhoon and Tornado combat aircraft and Apache attack helicopter programmes in the country.

Speaking at the company's Riyadh facility, Alsalam's president and chief executive officer, Mohammed Fallatah, said that no firm contract had yet been signed regarding in-country Eurofighter Typhoon assembly. However, he confirmed that talks with BAE Systems were proceeding well and that he expected a firm agreement "in the next month or two".

On 17 September 2007 the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) announced its intention to purchase 72 Typhoon aircraft as part of a deal worth GBP4.43 billion (USD8.9 billion).

Under the agreement, Alsalam will be contracted by BAE Systems to assemble 48 aircraft at a yet to be built facility in Taif in southwest Saudi Arabia. These aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2011 and it is this timetable that makes the signing of a firm assembly contract a matter of urgency.

Fallatah said that, as it takes two years to get all the systems for such a programme in place, "time is running out to reach an agreement". He added that all parties are aware of the situation and are working closely to resolve it.

Image: Alsalam recently started work on Tornado Sustainment Programme 2 for the RSAF's fleet of 84 strike aircraft

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© 2008 Jane's Information Group
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[eaf-f16]

Thought I'd add this too.


RSAF Typhoon pilots to train in the UK

Saudi Arabia is to train its first 22 pilots and initial engineers for the Eurofighter Typhoon alongside their Royal Air Force counterparts, following Riyadh's delayed signature of a 72-aircraft deal worth £4.4 billion ($8.8 billion).

In a clear sign of the strengthening relationship between the Saudi and UK governments and their respective armed forces, the formal launch of "Project Salam" followed almost 21 months of detailed negotiations, and an abandoned investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office into earlier arms sales between the countries.

Announced via the official Saudi Press Agency on 17 September, six days after its signature, the new government-to-government deal covers the procurement of aircraft for "a similar price" to those Typhoons being produced for the RAF, according to the Saudi defence ministry. However, further armaments and support contracts are expected to boost the deal's value substantially over the aircraft's service life.

Riyadh's first 24 Typhoons will be drawn from the UK's deferred delivery of early Tranche 2 examples from BAE Systems' Warton assembly line in Lancashire, with the remainder to be completed at a new facility in Saudi Arabia. Initial training will take place with the RAF's 29 Sqn Operational Conversion Unit at Coningsby in Lincolnshire, with the Royal Saudi Air Force eventually expected to receive six two-seat aircraft from the UK line from an eventual total of 18 trainers.

The UK Ministry of Defence says the sale "will support thousands of jobs in the UK and Saudi Arabia", while BAE - which has yet to receive its production contract from the UK government - adds that the deal also underlines its strategy "to continue to develop Saudi Arabia as a key home market".

BAE has supplied equipment including Hawk trainers and Panavia Tornado fighters to Saudi Arabia since the mid-1980s, with chief executive Mike Turner having previously valued this Al Yamamah business at more than £40 billion. The new sale also boosts export sales of the Eurofighter to 87, with Austria scheduled to receive its last of 15 interceptors by mid-2009.

Other recent signs of co-operation between the RAF and RSAF have included two bilateral exercises involving their Tornado forces since February 2006, while the UK service also recently sent a senior officer to Riyadh for the first time to serve as a liaison between the nations' air force chiefs.

I can't wait to see how the Saudi Typhoons are going to look like.