Saudi Arabia received two Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft

Saudi Arabia has received the first two Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft out of seventy two, said Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD). The entire contract for the Eurofighter as the Tornado F3s and Boeing F-15s replacement, including also armaments and maintenance service is estimated to be worth $32.9 billion. The deal was first announced in August 2006, but then fell into doubt due to a British investigation into massive corruption allegations in earlier arms deals between Saudi Arabia and BAE Systems that implicated senior officials of both countries. Under the original deal, BAE is to deliver 24 Typhoons completely built to the Saudis, and another 48 are to be assembled inside Saudi Arabia as the country seeks to build up its own aeronautic industry capabilities. Britain's armed forces minister Bill Rammell said,” The Royal Saudi Air Force is getting a fantastic aircraft”. He said that the industrial benefits of the project are also substantial for both nations and will help to sustain several thousand, skilled jobs in the UK and Saudi Arabia over the next 10 years.