BAe to Upgrade Saudi GR1s
 

LONDON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - BAE Systems has won a new contract worth 2.5 billion pounds ($4.7 billion) to upgrade Saudi Arabia's ageing fleet of Tornado fighter planes, the Business reported in its online edition on Sunday.

The contract to upgrade the 80-strong fleet of Royal Saudi Air Force Tornados involves all attack versions of the Tornados in the force which the Saudi government wants to keep on until 2020, the British newspaper said on its Web site.

"It will mostly be done in the UK and then all the know-how will be passed on to the Saudis," the paper quoted an unnamed Saudi source as saying. The deal was signed between the two governments last week, it quoted another source as saying.............

't Bungling Baron's 'know-how'?

Know how to deliver late and over budget, presumably!

So long as the spec isn't changed part way through the programme and there's no expertise provided by the DPA, it could work quite well.

Ah yes FSP!

At last the F3 finally has a full AMRAAM capability.

With three years left before OSD.

And after BAE had just three bites at the cherry.

CSP. AOP. FSP.

Presumably that's why we're now finally seeing QRA F3s with AMRAAM instead of SkyFlash.

Does this mean that they can now retire SkyFlash and save the support costs, or does it still offer capabilities that AMRAAM doesn't?

And why can't we hear applause?

Probably because the MOD didn't ask for the full hit back at CSP. BAE always offer 3 options dependent on cost. Guess which one the MOD invariably choose? As ex-RAF i've seen both sides of the fence that the MOD conveniently perch themselves on!

Bit of thread creep here, Jacko. What does the F3 weapons fit have to do with a Saudi GR1 update?

Jacko/soddim,
Sorry guys, my fault. I posted at work at lunchtime but the link wouldn't work so I deleted the post and then the box crashed.
Obviously the link did work and Jacko responded.

As I recall it went something like this:

I bet the RAF aren't complaining about this ( in relation to late delivery and over budget)

< www.baesystems.com/fias2006/news/news202.htm >

Beags

We haven't had a "bungling baron" story in a while that I've seen - can't your fertile imagination come up with something Arabian?

Thankyou, Echo 5 for that info. Explains the thread creep. The F3 current capability and the effectiveness of the upgrades to the GR fleet testifies to the ability to get it right eventually.

Four Saudi GR1's or IDS have been at Warton now for over a year, they've had some sort of modification/upgrade already and one or two are now out test flying.

They've all had the Saudi flag painted over and replaced with the letters T.S.P (Totnado Sustainment Programme). All have British reg's and RAF roundels applied.

Link to pic:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...ext_id=1032808