JEDDAH, 15 August 2006 — Saudi Arabia will be among the first countries to use Typhoon military aircraft in the world, Prince Khaled ibn Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation for military affairs, announced yesterday.
Addressing top military commanders and officers at King Faisal Air Base in Tabuk, he emphasized the government’s plan to strengthen the armed forces by providing them with intensive training and acquiring modern weaponry.
Prince Khaled’s statement follows a report carried by The Times newspaper that the British government was set to sign a deal worth five billion pounds with BAE to build 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets which it has sold to Saudi Arabia.
