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PM heralds Typhoon export push
09 July 2012
In a speech at Farnborough Air Show, the Prime Minister will say that the UK and Eurofighter partner nations Germany, Italy and Spain are working on "further development" of the aircraft to boost export orders.
It is widely understood to include a push to develop and install the AESA radar on Typhoons by mid-2015, improving the aircraft's air-to-ground capability and the range of weapons it can carry.
The move is designed to boost the UK's £20bn aerospace industry and promote export orders for the Typhoon, which earlier this year lost a multi-billion dollar contract to Dassault's Rafale in a bid to become India's next generation multi-role combat aircraft.
"The further development of Typhoon that we have been working on with our partners is good for the RAF who need this capability, good for our export customers who want it too and brilliant for the British manufacturers and British workers who are going to benefit," Cameron is to say.
"From this government you will see nothing less than an unstinting, unrelenting, unflagging commitment to making Britain the best place in the world for aerospace businesses to invest, design, manufacture and export."
Cameron also said the UK would also fund "500 Masters-level qualifications" in aerospace engineering in coming years.
Farnborough will also see a £50m contract to provide flight simulators for the future transport aircraft the A400M awarded to Thales Training and Simulation in Crawley, West Sussex.
HAVE YOUR SAY
09 July 2012
About b***** time!
Indigenous capability is what it is all about. Only metal bashing on US lead programs will ultimately lead to decline.
I hope Dave actions his words!
Martin Bayliss - Stroud
09 July 2012
Martin - I totally agree. For Cameron it is deeds not words I wish to see.
But, as ever, where is the vision for Britain and British companies?
As usual, Cameron's speech could apply to any company anywhere - reading between the lines, he's not committing to British business he's just committing to jobs for British people. This is not visionary, it's just management.
This sort of nonsense will be the death of our industry unless he - and others - grasp the nettle and say "we are British, this is what we make, this is what we use and this is what we sell". A bit like the French, huh?
Michael - Hertfordshire
09 July 2012
Flogging Typhoon isn't the answer to the decades long decline of the British aviation industry. Once at the forefront of world aviation with Harrier, Concorde, and TSR2. From that - to now buying drones from Israel.
If the UK wants what it once had then it should invest in R&D. Indiginous drones, or hypersonic missiles. Perhaps Skylon. The absolute best AEW platform is an airship but the absolute worst (helicopters) will probably be built for the new carriers. Total lack of imagination.
The dying skill base for those kind of projects is still just about here and up for rescue. It won't be in another couple of decades.
Jeremy - Newcastle
09 July 2012
From Cameron you only get unstinting waffle & flipflopping.
If he was serious, there would be a Typhoon STOBAR + FOAS stretched Typhoon demonstrators.
Still the money will go to management consultants & bankers instead.
John Hartley - Woking/Surrey/UK
10 July 2012
Well then Cameron should also push for a navalized version of the Typhoon including thrust vectoring for British aircraft carriers and scrap the F-35. A typhoon with an AESA radar, PIRATE infrared sensor, thrust vectoring, and missiles like the MBDA meteor, Taurus and Iris-T would boost the performance of the weapon system to a level comparable with the F-22 (without the F-22's horrific technical problems)
kikl - Germany
10 July 2012
kikl - Germany
Absolutely!
But we in the UK for reasons I don't understand don't do the obvious
It is almost as if the UK MOD wants to destroy our defence industrial base.
Martin Bayliss - Stroud
17 July 2012
There is a rather nice report on the Typhoon's performance over Libya in AFM Magazine and it is rather glowing.
I am aware anyway from friends who are still in 6 Squadron the aircraft is an incredible piece of kit but has lacked investment. Looks like the Libya reports have added solid evidence that teh Typhoon was worth the time and money.
HamishUK - GB