The Riyadh-based Advanced Electronics Company (AEC) has become the first approved repair agent for Typhoon avionics, a highly agile aircraft, outside Europe and is now an approved supplier of two types of black boxes to British Aerospace Systems (BAe) on this type of aircraft at the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).

Ghassan Shibl, AEC chief executive, said, “This is a small step for AEC and we look forward to developing our Typhoon capability over the next few years. We are proud to be working so closely with BAe Systems and to be part of the Typhoon family.”

BAe Systems said that this is a major step forward for the defense industry in Saudi Arabia and it enables AEC and BAE systems to enhance their local support arrangements to the RSAF’s Typhoon aircraft.

As part of BAe Systems’ industrialization program, the company has been working closely with AEC and Rockwell Collins Deutschland, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), to establish indigenous repair capabilities in the Kingdom to provide sovereign support to the RSAF’s Typhoon fleet.

Over the next three years, BAe and AEC will transfer repair capability of black boxes, creating in excess of 120 highly skilled technical jobs for young Saudis.

Andy Carr, managing director and CEO of BAe Systems Saudi Arabia, said: “Industrialization is a cornerstone of the BAe systems strategy in Saudi Arabia; success in this area is very important to our customers, our partners, the Saudi community and the company. I congratulate AEC on their success in achieving this significant milestone.”

“AEC has shown over a long period of time that it is a very capable organization and takes a great deal of pride in what they do. It has previously worked on elements of the Tornado program, where it was the best performing supplier on the whole supply chain.”