UK defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon and his Qatari counterpart, Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, have signed a Statement of Intent concerning Qatar’s proposed purchase of 24 Typhoon aircraft.
During a visit to Qatar on 17th September, UK defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon and his Qatari counterpart, Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, signed a Statement of Intent concerning Qatar’s proposed purchase of 24 Typhoon aircraft. The order, if finalized, will be a major boost for BAE Systems, which is facing a declining backlog for the aircraft.
Sir Michael Fallon said the acquisition would be the first major defence contract with Qatar and the basis for even closer defence co-operation between the two countries. Qatar is currently isolated in the region following the decision of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to cut diplomatic and trade ties in June.
The announcement follows Qatar’s purchase of F-15QA fighters from Boeing in June and an order for 24 Rafales from Dassault Aviation last year.
Qatar is the fourth customer in the region for the Eurofighter combat aircraft, after Oman (12 aircraft), Kuwait (28) and Saudi Arabia (72). The first Omani aircraft was rolled out in May.