The Independent:
French poised to steal £10bn Saudi contract from BAE
Fears are mounting that Saudi Arabia is about to cancel a £10bn deal to buy British-built Eurofighter Typhoon jets and purchase a rival French aircraft instead because of a long-running fraud inquiry into its relationship with BAE Systems. Sources close to the negotiations say that the Saudis could decide to order between 24 and 36 Rafale fighters from Dassault, of France, in the next few days.....
"This isn't sabre-rattling any longer. The sabre is out of its scabbard and is being brandished over our heads," one UK defence source said. "The Saudis are serious about switching to the French and it could happen in the next 24 to 48 hours.".......
The British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sherrard Cowper-Coles, is understood to have been working frantically to save the deal. He met the Saudi defence minister, Crown Prince Sultan, over the weekend.......