Up To 20 Planes To Be Delivered Annually Over Seven Years

Britain's Royal Air Force has taken delivery of the first of 91 new Typhoon combat aircraft, ordered four years ago and delivered on time. New Defence Equipment and Support Minister Quentin Davies was at RAF Coningsby to witness the arrival of the second generation Typhoons.

The two aircraft flew in from BAE Systems' Warton factory in Lancashire to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, where they will shortly be released for flight trials, and are expected to join front line UK-based air defence squadrons in January 2009.

"Typhoon is delivering a world-class capability to the RAF and is the cornerstone of the UK's air defence capabilities," said Davies. Today's arrival of the second Tranche is an important milestone delivering to the RAF an aircraft with more powerful computer systems and the ability to carry heavier weapons -the next generation of Typhoon.

"Typhoon directly employs some 16,000 aerospace and engineering staff in some of the UK's leading companies. Militarily and industrially this program is successfully delivering the capabilities the country needs."

The production of Typhoon Tranche 2 will maintain 16,000 direct jobs within UK's defence industry, through its principal contractors BAE Systems on its sites in Warton and Samlesbury in Lancashire and Rolls Royce in Bristol. Other key suppliers include Selex Galileo in Edinburgh.

"Maintaining the flow of these advanced aircraft to front line RAF squadrons is very important," said Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torp. "Typhoon has now been operational in the air defence role for over a year and recently achieved its multi-role capability. I am confident that forthcoming exercises and deployments will provide further demonstration of its qualities."

The RAF expects to take delivery of between 6-20 Typhoon aircraft annually for the next seven years under the Typhoon Tranche 2 contract.

FMI: www.raf.mod.uk/, www.eurofighter.com/