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Back in 2005, DID reported that talks were underway for a Saudi purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from Britain's BAE Systems - with an important (albeit denied) set of conditions on the Saudi side. The Eurofighter Typhoon is an advanced 4+ generation fighter built to excel at air-air combat; subsequent versions that have just come into service are beginning to get some precision strike capability as well. Its excellent integration of controls and software lets pilots focus on flying the situation, rather than flying the plane, and it is superior to all existing and planned US aircraft except the F-22A Raptor in the air-air combat role. There are reports that Russia's advanced SU-30MKI/M sold to India and Malaysia may be superior - but at the very least, one can say with confidence that the Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the top 3 air superiority fighters in the world. To date, it has been ordered by its partner nations (Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain) and by Austria, but it has lost out in a number of export competitions for various reasons.
December 2005 saw confirmation that Saudi Arabia had ordered Eurofighter Typhoons, but the 72-plane deal started sinking into the tar sands shortly thereafter. Investigations from Britain's Serious Fraud Office swirled around a GBP 43 billion oil-for-planes deal from the 1980s called Al-Yamamah (see Appendix A); in return, the Saudis played some hardball of their own. The investigation was eventually called off at the highest levels of government, and after a period of uncertainty, a contract was finally signed on Sept 11/07. Ironies aside, the price was a bit lower than many expected; even so, it comes with support arrangements that are likely to push the final value quite a bit higher, while facing much less scrutiny.
DID's Spotlight article covers the Saudi Eurofighter deal, its associated controversies, and related developments...
- Typhoons Incoming: Updates and Contracts (i.e. "Continue reading...")
- The Long Road to the Deal
- Analysis: Effects on the Eurofighter's Export Prospects (updated)
- Appendix A: From Al-Yamamah to Project Salaam
- Appendix B: Saudi Arabia: Dependence & Deployment Options (December 2006)