BAE Systems To Receive More Gulf Orders For Typhoons: Reports

BAE system is expecting more Eurofighter Typhoon sales in near future to Saudi Arabia, following the release of their first half 2013 quarterly reports.

The Saudi King is hoping for the future orders to happen, with the negotiations over the pricing of the first batch of aircraft being delivered is expected be completed first, according to Defense News.

Till date, Saudi Arabia has received 28 Typhoons out of 72 from a 2007 order, with the delivery of about 34 aircraft expected by the end of this year.

The new order could be about 48 to 72 aircraft, with no specific time frames decided yet.

Further, Saudi King is expecting the first batch pricing negotiations to happen by this year as BAE systems is in talks to escalate the prices.

BAE’s chief executive said that the company is poised to submit a bid to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for 60 aircraft.

Together with a second Saudi order, a deal with UAE would push the production date of Typhoon from 2018 to 2022, if the annual assembly rate remains 30 aircraft.

Oman signed a 2.5 billion pound (US $3.8 billion) deal for Typhoon and Hawk jet trainers last year and Qatar, Malaysia, Kuwait and South Korea are other potential export candidates for the Typhoon.

At the first half of 2013, the Saudi Arabia was at the centre of a 4.8 billion pound intake for BAE outside its US and UK.

The 4.8 billion pounds’ worth of orders contracted for in the first six months of the year were a “continued sign of the momentum in international activity” outside of the US and UK, King said.

During the same period, BAE signed a 1.8 billion pound Typhoon support program with the Saudis, along with a 600 million pound weapons contract to equip Tornado strike aircraft in the kingdom’s inventory.