Times:
Britain's fighter jet fleet of Eurofighter/Typhoons cut by a third
The RAF is losing more than 70 of its planned fleet of Eurofighter/Typhoon fighter .
Today in Munich it has been announced that the RAF will buy a total of 160 instead of 232. At the contract ceremony involving the four nations of the Nato Eurofighter Tornado Management Agency, Britain signed up for the third and final tranche of Typhoons, agreeing to buy 40 more, instead of the planned 88. But 24 of these will be sold to the Saudi Arabians, leaving just 16 for the RAF.
Britain ordered 55 in the first tranche and 89 in the second. However, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy who retires today as the Chief of the Air Staff, has made it clear that he expects the RAF to operate on the basis of a Typhoon fleet of only 120 aircraft. RAF sources explained that by the time the last of the tranche-three aircraft were coming into service between 2015 and 2020, the first batch of Typhoons - in service today - would be coming to the end of their life.Today’s announcement, however, does not safeguard the RAF from further cuts in fast jets
Next year’s strategic defence review which will go ahead whoever wins the general election, will look at Typhoon numbers as well as all other Armed Forces equipment. It is possible that there will have to be further cuts in Typhoon numbers, although any cancellation of orders would bring financial penalties and cause job losses in British industry. The Munich contract signing for tranche three of Typhoon will help to safeguard about 15,000 jobs at BAE Systems, the principal British manufacturer of the multi-role aircraft. Its main factory is at Warton in Lancashire.
If a decision is made after next year’s defence review to keep all 160 planned Typhoons, this is likely to put pressure on the other major aircraft programme - the development of the Joint Strike Fighter which is to replace Harriers and is to be bought for the two proposed 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers, the first of which is already under construction. The original plan was to buy 150 Joint Strike Fighters, but ministers and service chiefs have already indicated that the review next year will be looking closely at numbers of individual platforms and weapons, not eliminating capabilities altogether.
The numbers game will affect all three Armed Forces. There is already a suggestion that the Army might lose up to two-thirds of its fleet of 300 main battle tanks.
There could also be cuts in nuclear-powered submarines, and even the carrier programme might be affected. In an interview this week for The Times, General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman, who has just retired as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, said that if it was possible to have only one carrier it should be considered as an option.