Third tranche of Eurofighter to be split
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The final order of Eurofighter Typhoons is almost certain to be halved.
Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain have been in discussions for several weeks to reduce the order due to the tightening of government finances and different spending priorities for the defence ministries.
While all 236 planes will be ordered, the third tranche is expected to be cut into two orders 3A and 3B with a final decision on the latter delayed for several years.
The sale of 72 Typhoons to Saudi Arabia will also be included as part of Britain's order of 88 planes. Other partners are expected to follow Britain's lead and sell some of their planes to interested countries, with Japan, Romania and Oman being the most obvious buyers.
A final agreement is expected by the end of the month. If there is no agreement there could be delays between Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 production which would add to the final bill.
Britain's final total in the RAF fleet will be drastically reduced. Not only are they planning to include some if not all of the orders from Saudi Arabia, but they are also negotiating the inclusion of some of the 24 remaining planes on order from Tranche 2. Britain could be left with as little as 136 Typhoons when all negotiations are completed.
Discussions are also underway to reduce life-cycle costs. Eurojet has been asked to consider engine modifications to reduce the through life costs of engine upkeep and maintenance. The consortium wants to cut through life costs by as much as 30 per cent.
http://www.defencemanagem...m/news_story.asp?id=8995