Saudi Arabia receives first Typhoon
Saudi Arabia has taken delivery of the first two Eurofighter Typhoons out of an order for 72 of the multirole fighter; state news agency SPA said June 12.
Assistant Defence and Aviation Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan received the two Typhoons at a ceremony with British officials at the facilities of BAE Systems, in Warton, England on June 11, it said.
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.
Prince Khaled, who is also commander of the Saudi air force, said the new aircraft "are not to threaten anyone but to protect and secure the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the coming decades," SPA reported.
According to Lebanon-based defence news service Tactical Newswires, the Saudis will soon begin meetings with U.S. officials to discuss buying F-16s for the Saudi air force.
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