Posted on 12/19/2013 9:59:34 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Britain fails to seal multi-billion pound deal to sell 60 Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters to the United Arab Emirates
Defence group BAE's hopes of exporting its Typhoon fighter have been dealt a blow after the United Arab Emirates ended negotiations about buying the jet.
The Gulf nation had been in talks over a multi-billion pound deal to buy 60 of the twin-engine supersonic fighters as it looks to upgrade its air force.
"The UAE have advised that they have elected not to proceed with these proposals at this time," Britain's biggest defence company said in a statement as the market closed on Thursday.
BAE and the British government had been in discussion with the UAE "regarding a range of defence and security capabilities including the potential supply of Typhoon aircraft".
"We put a world-class proposal on the table but the UAE has elected not to proceed at this time," a spokesman for the company said.
On a visit to the region in November, Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain was still "in the running" to complete the deal.
A deal would have been a coup for the Coalition, creating jobs and investment in Britain.
It would also have been a boost for BAE and its Typhoon partners EADS and Finmeccanica after they lost out to Dassault on a deal to sell 126 fighters to India last year.
The development could see the UAE now turn to French Rafale fighter planes to replace its ageing French Mirages.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Thanks sukhoi-30mki.
The UAE uses a lot of French equipment in their Army, Navy and Air force. They are reverting to the norm.
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