[size=1.063em]A briefing on the Eurofighter Typhoon organized by BAE Systems at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford last week provided a further indication that some key upgrades to the combat jet are being funded by Saudi Arabia and possibly Oman.
A multination consortium in Europe has invited Korea to join its high-end jet production project in an apparent attempt to win what would be Korea’s biggest arms-procurement deal.
The move came following Seoul’s announcement that it would purchase 60 advanced fighter aircraft in line with its push to shift the country’s military posture from passive defense to proactive deterrence with a projected budget of up to 10 trillion won ($8.96 billion).
“We welcome the Korean industry to participate as EADS’s full member,” Erwin Obermeier, a senior advisor of export projects at EADS, said at the International Conference for Air and Space Power held downtown Seoul last week.
“It’ll share all the benefits, knowledge and technologies of Eurofighters.”
Rafale export orders are crucial for giants Dassault, Thales and Snecma and for 500 smaller sub-contractors. The Rafale generates 7,000 French jobs, directly or indirectly. Besides 126 fighters to India, Dassault hopes to sell Brazil 36 Rafales, Kuwait 28, Qatar 24-36, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 60 fighters. The company has lost procurement contests in Algeria, Greece, Morocco, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the UAE (where it could still win a subsequent order).
RAF Officials Happy With Typhoon Performance
By Anthony Osborne
July 29, 2013
Credit: Crown Copyright
LONDON — Senior U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) officials say that the Eurofighter Typhoon is “overdelivering” in terms of developing new capabilities for the air arm.
Speaking on the eve of the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on July 19, Air Vice Marshal Edward Stringer, Assistant chief of the air staff, said that the “narrative” around Typhoon was changing.
He pointed to how the aircraft had been used in the skies over Libya in both the air-to-ground and air-to-air missions using its swing-role capabilities, and more recently how the aircraft had been put to the test during a major Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev., earlier in the year. At Nellis, the Typhoon squadron deployed and worked closely with a squadron of F-22 Raptors, an experience which is now influencing how the RAF thinks about the introduction of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
“Back in the 1990s, everybody thought we were going to be flying fifth-generation aircraft now,” Stringer said. “We are now working fourth- and fifth-generation integration, to put them together, and we are unique in the world to do that.
“The U.S. Air Force now sees that the Typhoon is overdelivering, and sets interesting challenges in training exercises. Multi-role [capability] is now being taken very seriously by other air forces and governments around the world,” he added.
Wing Command Rich Wells, commanding officer of 11 Sqn., which took Typhoons to Red Flag, said the aircraft had been tested throughout the exercises. “We thought week one was bad, but week three was as bad as you could imagine in terms of threats. Typhoon shouldn’t be pigeonholed. During Red Flag, we really started to take the handcuffs off.”
Wells said the Typhoon was quickly given the nickname “Slayer” by U.S. Air Force crews because of the tally of air-to-air kills it built up during the exercise.
Stringer pointed to the United Arab Emirates, a key target nation for the Eurofighter consortium that is hoping to sell 60 Typhoons to the Gulf state to replace its fleet of Mirage 2000s. The RAF has had Typhoons on regular deployment to airbases in the region for several years, taking part in exercises such as the Advanced Tactical Leadership Course at Al Dhafra airbase. Stringer said the deployments were strengthening partnerships and relations between the air arms and governments, and also would help industry in the long run. “That feeds back into growth and prosperity,” Stringer added.
Bahrain in talks over possible Eurofighter deal: BAE
By Rhys Jones
LONDON | Wed Aug 7, 2013 9:05am EDT
(Reuters) - British defense firm BAE Systems (BAES.L) said the Gulf state of Bahrain was in talks about the possibility of buying an unspecified number of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
The Eurofighter combat jet is made by BAE Systems and Italian weapons maker Finmeccanica (SIFI.MI), and EADS (EAD.PA), representative ofGermany and Spain, with each taking responsibility for particular campaigns.
"Bahrain has expressed an interest in Typhoon and the British government are leading very early discussions; BAE Systems is supporting the government in these discussions," a BAE Systems spokeswoman said.
The Eurofighter consortium is targeting exports as European governments slash defense budgets and has so far sold jets to Austria, Saudi Arabiaand Oman outside the core four countries.
It is also vying for orders in South Korea, Kuwait, Qatar, Bulgaria and Denmark. The Eurofighter's main competitors include Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N) F-35 jet, Dassualt Aviation's (AVMD.PA) Rafale fighter and the Gripen by Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST).
Earlier on Wednesday Bahrain's national news agency reported that Bahrain's King Hamad al-Khalifa, who is currently in the UK, had told British Prime Minister David Cameron that the Gulf state was interested in buying Eurofighter jets to "create a cohesive defense system between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)" nations.
The GCC is made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
This could be good news for the Eurofighter consortium's attempts to secure a deal for the jet with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was expected to finalize a $10 billion agreement for France's Dassault Rafale fighter last year before talks faltered, giving the group hope of stealing the deal.
Britain will hope its historic ties with Gulf Arab states, many of them former British protectorates and regional allies, will help it secure a deal with Bahrain, securing jobs BAE's Typhoon production line - at Warton in northwest England.
(Reporting by Rhys Jones; editing by Kate Holton and Louise Heavens)
WHY~G 发表于 1-8-2013 11:57 AM
这时非常具有震撼力的消息，
正在寻求下一代战机的国家必定会Follow up的。
不过话说回来，Eurofighter ...
原来巴林只是要买12架。
目前沙特72架，阿曼12架，巴林独家谈着12架，阿联酋锁定谈着60架，卡塔尔和科威特也在谈着数目不详的架数。
由于他们6国共同的最大危胁是伊朗，gulf cohesive defense system 为了统一空中指挥，再加上沙特愿意出钱升级，台风已经是首选。
Britain to sell Typhoon jets to Bahrain, despite human rights record Britain is in talks to sell 12 Typhoon fighter jets to Bahrain, despite the Gulf state’s controversial human rights record.
The proposed deal with the Gulf monarchy rocked by protests in 2011 is thought to be worth more than ￡1 billion and is part of a concerted effort by Gulf countries to strengthen military ties with Britain.
The highly political deal was one of the main agenda items in a Downing Street meeting between David Cameron and King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, earlier this week.
Bahrain’s government faced condemnation and accusations of brutality for its repression of protests led by the island’s Shia majority in early 2011, but still considers Britain one of its closest international allies.
Amnesty International claimed the arms negotiations showed human rights worries were once again playing second fiddle to British business deals.
Bahraini sources said negotiations centred on a plan to buy a squadron of 12 of the fighter jets which are also used by the RAF.
The United Arab Emirates are interested in Russian anti-ship and anti-radar missiles like the X-31, according to Jane's referring to the annual report of the Corporation "Tactical Missiles" (Tactical Missiles Corporation). According to the report, the UAE can sign a contract with the Tactical Missiles Corporation to provide information about the Kh-31A and Kh-31P, including cost and technical data.
According to the agency, the cost of a possible contract is valued at 14 million dollars, and the timing of its execution are called the 2014-2015 year. Other details of a potential agreement is not specified. The text of the annual report KTRV information about the deal with the UAE are not available. In the explanation to the report of the corporation said that "in the original version of" document was published July 1, 2013, and its edited and corrected version released on August 16.
Meanwhile, says Jane's , in the Tactical Missiles Corporation announced that the missiles of the X-31 can be used on non-Russian combat aircraft. In particular, the Corporation has prepared for the "Rosoboronexport" documents regarding the possible integration of the X-31 weapons system in the French fighter Rafale, which intends to acquire India and participating in the tender for the supply of the UAE military aircraft.
Earlier, the French military newsletter TTU reported that the French company Dassault began negotiations with the Tactical Missiles Corporation to integrate missiles X-31, and R-73 and RVV-AE class "air-to-air" in the arms of fighter Rafale. Similar works, allegedly planned to make in the interests of the Indian Air Force, who believe the original French missile package offered with the Rafale, too expensive.
Middle East Eurofighter Orders Lure U.K. Military
By Tony Osborne
Source: Aviation Week & Space Technology
August 26, 2013
A medley of defense procurements by Persian Gulf states, including purchases of the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, could prompt a U.K. government decision to base British forces in the Middle East.
With sales of the fighter jet secured in Saudi Arabia and Oman and campaigns underway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and, more recently, Bahrain for up to 12 aircraft, Persian Gulf leaders are said to be keen for a greater and more permanent British presence in the region as the U.K. prepares to draw down combat operations in Afghanistan. Such a move would be a dramatic reversal of the U.K.'s policy that ended the permanent basing of British forces east of the Suez Canal.
LONDON // An official bid will soon be submitted to the UAE Air Force by the Eurofighter European consortium.
The UAE has been in talks with a number of nations for advanced multi-role aircraft, including the French maker Dassault for its Rafale fighter.
The UK defence company BAE Systems said it has been in discussions with the UAE, and if it won the bid it would provide the Air Force with the squadron of Eurofighter Typhoons in a deal that would include a unique "level of involvement".
"We are getting close with formalising our bids for a significant number of Typhoons," Alan Garwood, group business development director at BAE, said at the Defence and Security Exhibition International in London.
"We have been working with the UAE Air Force, [its commander] Maj Gen Mohammed Al Qamzi and his team, in refining the specifications so should they choose to buy they would get exactly the aircraft that they want," Mr Garwood said.
The Eurofighter consortium met UAE Air Force officials in Abu Dhabi in July this year.
"What is being discussed is the most advanced Typhoon when compared to the existing fleet or any orders that have been made," said Tony Gilchrist, BAE's vice president of air programmes, after those talks.
Mr Garwood said talks on partnerships were continuing with local companies Tawazun and Mubadala.
"We are working with our partners Eads and Rolls-Royce, primarily on offering technologies that are not available in the UAE and a level of involvement on the Typhoon that has not been offered to anyone else, ever," he said.
Eads is the European defence and civilian aircraft group that includes the makers of Airbus passenger planes.
Eurofighter in lead to sell 28 planes to Kuwait
(AFP) – Jan 16, 2014
Paris — The European Eurofighter consortium has signed a draft agreement to sell 28 of its fighter planes to Kuwait, online French newspaper La Tribune reported on Thursday.
Of the 28 outline sales, which are not yet binding, four are covered by options to purchase, the report said.
The report, citing various sources, said that Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italian group Finmeccanica which is a member of the consortium, had obtained Kuwait's signature on the agreement a few days before Brazil announced that it had chosen to buy Gripen fighter planes made by Swedish company Saab.
Brazil chose the Gripen in preference to the Rafale made by French group Dassault Aviation and the F/A-18 Super Hornet plane made by US group Boeing.
Alenia Aermacchi is responsible alongside British aerospace and defence equipment group BAE Systems for promoting the Eurofighter Typhoon which is in competition for the Kuwait contract with the Rafale 3 and the Super Hornet.
The report said that if Kuwait did choose to buy the Eurofighter Typhoon, the decision would be a surprise given "the extent to which Kuwait is under American influence since the first Gulf war" in 1990-1991 to counter the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.
Kuwait, which is already equipped with US-built F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter planes, wants to develop its fleet of fighters, the report said.
The Eurofighter consortium groups BAE Systems, Finmeccanica, and the European aerospace giant Airbus Group, which changed its name on January 1 from EADS.
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