UK Sells 72 Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - UK Sells 72 Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia

Posted: 1/3/2006 1:29:57 AM EDT

Eurofighter sold to Saudi Arabia

The Eurofighter has taken more than 20 years to design and build
Shares in BAE Systems have risen over 6% in value after the UK government agreed to supply Saudi Arabia with the new Eurofighter.
This is the first contract for the jet outside Europe and will safeguard thousands of UK jobs.

The Eurofighter has been developed by a consortium of firms in the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy.

It is competing for market share against two rival jets, the US Joint Strike Fighter and the French Rafale.

The Royal Saudi Armed Forces are on a mission to modernise, which will see the Eurofighter Typhoon replace the Tornado in the Royal Saudi Air Force.

BAE has provided Tornado planes to Saudi Arabia since 1985.

Confidential deal

Both BAE and the Ministry of Defence were keeping mum about the precise number of Eurofighters that would be sold to Saudi Arabia but the deal is rumoured to be worth more than £6bn ($10.6bn). (72 is the number being quoted by industry sources).

"The specific details of these arrangements are governed by the existing confidentiality agreement," the British embassy in Riyadh said.

Notably, the Saudi agreement is only the second export deal for Eurofighter - Austria previously bought 18 of the aircraft.

The countries behind the Eurofighter have ordered 620 of them.

The Eurofighter has its UK base at Warton, Lancashire, where BAE Systems employs 9,000 people in its aircraft division. These jobs will be safeguarded by the deal over the next 10 years, said UK defence secretary John Reid.

Shares in BAE Systems hit a three-year high on Wednesday, up 22.25 pence to 370p.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4550670.stm

Posted: 1/3/2006 1:35:39 AM EDT

[#1]

Has anyone besides the French bought any Rafale's?

Posted: 1/3/2006 1:39:51 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Has anyone besides the French bought any Rafale's?

Even the Phrench haven't bought many Rafales!

ANdy

Posted: 1/3/2006 1:58:54 AM EDT

[#3]

Eurofighter sold to Saudi Arabia

When will we learn

Taffy

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:01:32 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Has anyone besides the French bought any Rafale's?

Even the Phrench haven't bought many Rafales!

ANdy

From what I've been able to find on-line, the Phrench have only ordered 120.

On second thought I better not laugh, we haven't ordered that many -22s.

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:03:46 AM EDT

[#5]

Are the Saudi Typhoons going to be full up versions, or will they be downgraded some?

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:11:11 AM EDT

[#6]

Do the Brits still fly F3s?

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:22:02 AM EDT

[#7]

Thread's worthless without pictures............

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:46:03 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Are the Saudi Typhoons going to be full up versions, or will they be downgraded some?

Standard production version apparently and a technology transfer deal. I would expect the Saudi version do be downgraded though. Probably see them the 'Euro' version.

ANdy

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:47:09 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Do the Brits still fly F3s?

Unfortunately yes.... the worst 'fighter' of all time.

ANdy

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:59:15 AM EDT

[#10]

Dead sexy.
However, I feel that any combat aircraft sold to a Middle Eastern nation (except Israel) should be required to fly the "Q" designation that denotes it as a target drone.

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:25:19 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Eurofighter sold to Saudi Arabia

When will we learn

Taffy

Nothing to worry about Taffster,

We are getting the Level 1 F-35's, mucho baddass, mucho!

ANdy

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:26:35 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Thread's worthless without pictures............

img384.imageshack.us/img384/930/20040902eurofighter3uy.jpg
img384.imageshack.us/img384/5694/20040907eurofighter5tn.jpg
img384.imageshack.us/img384/2862/20040908eurofighter4yr.jpg
img384.imageshack.us/img384/9707/20040904eurofighter9ld.jpg

Check Vito's avatar.

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:27:59 AM EDT

[#13]

The E-Fighter doesn't look very stealthy....

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:32:03 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
The E-Fighter doesn't look very stealthy....

It's not, it's about the same as an F/A-18E. The UK ones are a bit better as we fit them with RAM on the hotspots, the Euro's don't get that stuff to play with.

ANdy

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:36:41 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Dead sexy.
However, I feel that any combat aircraft sold to a Middle Eastern nation (except Israel) should be required to fly the "Q" designation that denotes it as a target drone.

Very funny! and likely true.

The Euro fighter does not look very stealthy, does it? I don't know what it relies on for an advantage

Speed?
Maneuverability/agility?
shear numbers of them?

It reminds my of a delta winged, cunard-ed, F-16

Also, probably pisses the US off a bit, as it represents a "lost sale" to us.

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:45:20 AM EDT

[#16]

As I recall, the Eurofighter has short legs, no stealth, and is optimised for dogfighting? On top of which, it is the biggest camel (horse designed by a committee) since the Airbus A-400M (Euro airlifter that started life as a jet, wound up as a prop, and hasn't got past the mock up stage. Incidently, the mock up is so heavy that, if it had real engines, couldn't fly if it tried!)

Have I got that right Andy? If you're saying that the F-35 is a better fighter, then the EF must really be a piece of crap!

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:56:26 AM EDT

[#17]

I hope each plane is fitted with radio controled ejection seat or a 1lb C4 charge that operates from a button in London.
.

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:56:50 AM EDT

[#18]

Just one more reason we need to buy more F-22As and accelerate X-45c development! The soon to be YFA-45 is going to be a huge force mulitplier!

Posted: 1/3/2006 4:14:57 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Eurofighter sold to Saudi Arabia

When will we learn

Taffy

Nothing to worry about Taffster,

We are getting the Level 1 F-35's, mucho baddass, mucho!

ANdy

Let's just say I've has expierence of the Sauidis with the MRCA ...
Wierd....just plain wierd what goes on to keep them happy.

Taffy

Posted: 1/3/2006 4:28:19 AM EDT

[#20]

Is there a flare dispenser installed in the forward end of the elevon actuator fairing?

I like the submerged missile wells.

I have to say that expecting any benefit from RAM on that bird is pretty much like putting lipstick on a pig - it ain't going to help in any meaningful way.

I just noticed the articulating leading edges on the inlets; simple enough if they improve the flow to the diffuser. The contrast in aerodynamic cleanliness between the upper and lower surfaces of the airplane is remarkable.

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:21:59 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Eurofighter sold to Saudi Arabia

When will we learn

Taffy

Don't worry, they'll have to hire Eastern Europeans to maintain them.

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:27:56 PM EDT

[#22]

"Notably, the Saudi agreement is only the second export deal for Eurofighter - Austria previously bought 18 of the aircraft."

Austria must not have a big air force

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:29:08 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Has anyone besides the French bought any Rafale's?

Even the Phrench haven't bought many Rafales!

ANdy

From what I've been able to find on-line, the Phrench have only ordered 120.

On second thought I better not laugh, we haven't ordered that many -22s.

Yeah, we've only ordered 180+.

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:36:00 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Eurofighter sold to Saudi Arabia

When will we learn

Taffy

Nothing to worry about Taffster,

We are getting the Level 1 F-35's, mucho baddass, mucho!

ANdy

Let's just say I've has expierence of the Sauidis with the MRCA ...
Wierd....just plain wierd what goes on to keep them happy.

Taffy

Still an Arab in the cockpit though.

As the old Chuck Yeager flight sim used to say "It's the man not the machine".

Posted: 1/3/2006 2:45:56 PM EDT

[#25]

The people who actually fly are the princes and those with connections. Ones that probably wouldn't want to put themselves in actual danger.

Ya'll do know that we are selling them Strykers, and training their military, air, land, and IIRC naval forces right? Been doing it for a few decades. And they still suck.

Posted: 1/3/2006 3:37:56 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
The people who actually fly are the princes and those with connections. Ones that probably wouldn't want to put themselves in actual danger.

Ya'll do know that we are selling them Strykers, and training their military, air, land, and IIRC naval forces right? Been doing it for a few decades. And they still suck.

Ditto... If Allah doesn't will it then they won't try that hard to make it happen... Heck, the US sold the Iranians F-14s when they were the newest things on the market! We even let them pick between the F-15 and F-14...

Spooky

Posted: 1/4/2006 11:11:19 AM EDT

[#27]

$147 million a copy?

ETA: aNdy, how many is the UK getting?

Posted: 1/4/2006 11:18:35 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
$147 million a copy?

ETA: aNdy, how many is the UK getting?

Just the one in the pictures.

Posted: 1/4/2006 11:21:34 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
$147 million a copy?

ETA: aNdy, how many is the UK getting?

232

ANdy

Posted: 1/4/2006 2:17:19 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Eurofighter sold to Saudi Arabia

When will we learn

Taffy

Nothing to worry about Taffster,

We are getting the Level 1 F-35's, mucho baddass, mucho!

ANdy

Let's just say I've has expierence of the Sauidis with the MRCA ...
Wierd....just plain wierd what goes on to keep them happy.

Taffy

Could you elaborate?

I recall a fairly in depth article posted here about the Arab mindset and culture, and why it's not conducive to success on the battlefield against a Western enemy.

-K