“These may include relocating final assembly of the last 48 of the 72 aircraft and the creation of a maintenance and upgrade facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said the company.
“In addition, the last 24 of the aircraft might be delivered with modifications to allow future incorporation of [the Typhoon] Tranche 3 capability.”
The deal for 72 Typhoons was finalized in September 2007 with the first 24 aircraft to be built at BAE Systems’ Warton site in England and the balance to undergo final assembly in the Kingdom. To do this, production in the UK would have been interrupted and delivery deadlines threatened.
The original plan was for first Saudi-assembled Typhoons to roll out in 2011.
Eighteen of the 24 Tranche 2 Typhoons that were originally to be built at Warton have already been delivered.
The online Defense News quoted a BAE spokesperson in London saying that the Saudis still had to sign off on proposals that could include assembly of the remaining jets in the current order at Warton.
Guy Griffiths, BAE’s group international managing director, said in August 2010 that the firm would establish a military aircraft final assembly plant in Saudi Arabia.
“We have started training Saudis on Typhoon aircraft assembling at our plant in Warton in order to establish an assembling plant in the Kingdom shortly,” he said.
The building of a long-term maintenance and upgrade facility in the Kingdom still seems that it will go ahead. Griffiths said that the move to create a scheduled maintenance and upgrade facility in the Kingdom would have greater long-term prospects for local jobs and the economy than assembly work.
Doug Barrie, the senior air analyst at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, said the moves outlined by BAE seem like a sensible outcome given the issues that needed resolving on this area of the program.
“It keeps the program on track while allowing the Saudis to grow their local industrial base through the maintenance route,” he said.
On Friday, the UK’s Daily Telegraph reported that “on Monday (Feb. 20) the body that examines and approves moves by former ministers or members of the civil service into the private sector will give the go-ahead for Sir Sherard to join BAE Systems.”
BAE Systems confirmed that Sir Sherard Cowper Coles, the UK ambassador to the Kingdom who stood down in 2007 before appointment to Afghanistan, will be a “business development director” in the firm’s international team.
A spokesman said he would travel extensively, particularly in the Middle East, and use his vast experience of the region.
The Telegraph said that the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments will say, “Given that it’s been four years since he had any involvement with BAE Systems as ambassador to Riyadh and that this appointment will be four months since his last day of service the committee has approved the appointment subject to the condition that for two years from his last day of service he should not become personally involved in lobbying UK ministers, public servants, including special advisers on behalf of his new employer.”
Michael Dugher, the shadow defense minister, said he would be seeking “urgent reassurances that the proper processes have been followed to ensure there is no perception of a conflict of interest.”
