{"id":183165,"date":"2023-11-01T10:10:08","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=183165"},"modified":"2023-11-01T10:10:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:10:08","slug":"german-bid-to-derail-typhoon-deal-imperils-uk-defence-industry-mps-warning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/politics\/german-bid-to-derail-typhoon-deal-imperils-uk-defence-industry-mps-warning\/","title":{"rendered":"German bid to derail Typhoon deal imperils UK defence industry – MP’s warning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Robert Courts discusses export of British Typhoon fighters<\/h3>\n

Germany\u2019s bid to derail a UK deal to sell Typhoon jets to Saudi Arabia is a \u201chugely concerning\u201d development which represents the UK\u2019s \u201centire defence perspective\u201d at risk, the new chairman of Parliament\u2019s powerful Defence Committee has warned.<\/p>\n

Robert Courts was commenting on reports that Germany, a stakeholder in the Eurofighter Typhoon programme, is blocking plans to sell 48 jets to the Saudis.<\/p>\n

Insiders have consequently voiced their concerns about the implications for the 6,000 people who work for manufacturer BAE Systems.<\/p>\n

To make the situation worse, France is understood to be plotting to take advantage by selling its own Rafale jets to the desert kingdom instead.<\/p>\n

A memo circulating among top officials in Whitehall predicts that if the Typhoon deal does not go ahead, the UK\u2019s \u201ccombat air industrial base\u201d could take a \u00a315billion hit, The Sun reports.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Hamas ‘wouldn’t abide by any ceasefire and Israel must defend itself’ \u2013 MP[VIDEO] <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mr Courts, the Tory MP for Witney, who described the situation on X as \u201chugely concerning\u201d, told Express.co.uk: \u201cOne of the things we have to rebuild as a country is our supply lines and the ability to build Sovereign capability and this is never more important than in the combat air space.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have outstanding aircraft in Typhoon, it’s one of the best multi-role aircraft in the world, but we’re also looking to the successor to that, which is Tempest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to do that you need to have the export capability, you’re going to need to sell them abroad, because the Royal Air Force won\u2019t be able to buy enough to make that program worthwhile on its own. That’s the first, most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second thing aspect was jobs in order to deliver that sovereign capability, Mr Courts stressed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cSo I would ask any partners that are making it harder to export aircraft to think very carefully about what that means in the long term.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause if we aren’t able to export we don’t have the production lines running, which means we don’t have the skills and we don’t have the jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat imperils our Sovereign capability, it imperils our defence perspective and it imperils future programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any threat to the UK defence industry had wider implications, Mr Courts stressed, with the aftermath of the war in Ukraine showing \u201cas never before\u201d the importance of Britain having the freedom to produce vital military equipment.<\/p>\n