The Sunday Times 10th July (behind firewall):
David Cameron is set to hand multibillion-pound deals to build maritime patrol aircraft and overhaul Apache attack helicopters to the American aerospace giant Boeing. The prime minister is expected to sign the contracts at the Farnborough International Airshow tomorrow. The US goliath will supply nine P-8 aircraft, which detect submarines, and overhaul 50 Apaches on its production line in Arizona.
The decision to hand the Apache deal to America will fuel concerns about the future of Britain’s only helicopter manufacturer, in Yeovil, Somerset. Cameron will try to ease those fears by handing the former Westlands plant, now owned by Italy’s Leonardo, a contract worth a few million pounds to begin developing a drone helicopter for the armed forces. It could be extended into a far more lucrative deal to design and build the drones.
The government will also indicate that Westlands could play a role in maintaining Britain’s upgraded Apaches.........