Saudi Arabia - Eurofighter Typhoon
On 21 December 2005 the Governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland signed an Understanding Document, which was intended to establish a greater partnership in modernising the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and developing close service-to-service contacts especially through joint training and exercises. In addition, the United Kingdom Government recognises the need to support the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its efforts to further develop a regional defence industrial centre of excellence. In this regard, BAE SYSTEMS will invest in local Saudi companies, develop an industrial technology transfer plan, and provide suitable training for thousands of Saudi nationals providing through life support for key in service equipments.
The two Governments recognised the requirement to provide enhanced capabilities to existing military assets and ensure that they can be supported by local Saudi industry. Under the terms of the signed document Typhoon aircraft will replace Tornado Air Defence Variant aircraft and others currently in service with the RSAF. The details of these arrangements are confidential between the two Governments.
The agreement was reported to be for 48 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, with an option for a further 24, for a total of 72. The deal, the third phase of the Al-Yamamah oil-for-planes arrangement, was rumored to be worth more than $10.6 billion). The final terms were agreed by 2012 and based on economic conditions. In the event, negotiations on the so-called Salam contract dragged on until early 2014.
A new government-to-government agreement, known as the Saudi British Defence Co-operation Programme, was inaugurated at the start of 2007. This took over the bulk of the former undertakings as well as providing the platform for a new era of partnership between the two governments in modernising the armed forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Salam Project, which provides for the acquisition of 72 Typhoon aircraft in a programme aimed at the modernisation of the Saudi Armed Forces, was launched in September 2007. This carries substantial packages of work and expertise transfers, aimed at developing the Saudi industrial defence sector.
Of the 72 Typhoon aircraft contracted under the Salam program, the first squadron of 24 aircraft had been delivered to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) by late 2011, including six twin-seat aircraft to allow the RSAF to conduct their own training missions. The three-year Typhoon support contract provided increased levels of capability to the RSAF. BAE Systems had been in discussions with its customer regarding changes to the Salam program. The proposed changes related to final assembly of the last 48 of the 72 Typhoon aircraft, the creation of a maintenance and upgrade facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, initial provisioning for subsequent insertion of Tranche 3 capability in respect of the last 24 aircraft of this order and formalisation of price escalation. Good progress on these discussions had been made in 2011 with budgets approved in the Kingdom in December on all items other than the price escalation where negotiations continued into 2012.
By 2015 Saudi budget cuts in response to lowered oil receipts could make it tougher for Eurofighter GmbH to secure an order from the kingdom for a new batch of its $100 million Typhoon warplanes. A new Eurofighter order from Saudi Arabia would follow the purchase in 2007 of 72 Typhoons valued at 4.4 billion pounds ($6.9 billion). By 2015 BAE Systems hoped to clinch a deal with the UAE for its Eurofighter Typhoon, allowing it to beat French rival Dassault Aviation in a closely contested race. Dassault's Rafale jets and the BAE Systems-backed Eurofighter had been locked in competition for the deal to replace at least 60 of the UAE's Mirage fleet.
On 10 March 2018 Britain signed a multi-billion-pound preliminary order for Saudi Arabia to purchase 48 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, despite its criticism of the kingdom's war in Yemen. The "memorandum of intent" to buy the jets came on the last day of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's three-day visit to the UK. "The Crown Prince's visit has opened a new chapter in our two countries' historic relationship," British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said. "We have taken a vital step towards finalizing another order for Typhoon jets that will increase security in the Middle East and boost British industry and jobs in our unrivalled aerospace sector," he said.
"If agreed, this shameful deal will be celebrated in the palaces of Riyadh and by the arms companies who will profit from it, but it will mean even greater destruction for the people of Yemen," said Andrew Smith of the Campaign Against Arms Trade. Human Rights Watch, which has documented multiple instances of Saudi warplanes bombing civilian targets and infrastructure in Yemen, slammed the jet sale. "UK shamelessly selling Saudi 48 Typhoon jets, while Saudi air force continues to rain death and misery on Yemen," tweeted Philippe Bolopion, the deputy director for global advocacy at Human Rights Watch.
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