The 2006 Saudi Shopping Spree: BAE Wins Tornado Fleet Upgrade Contract
Sep 12, 2006 07:23 EDT
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In our December 2005 coverage of the $10 billion Saudi Eurofighter sale, DID counseled caution regarding reports that the aircraft would replace the Saudis’ existing Tornado squadrons. Now British newspapers are reporting that BAE has won a GBP 2.5 billion (about $4.66 billion) contract to upgrade Saudi Arabia’s Tornado fighter aircraft, and that these measures are likely to keep the ground attack (Tornado IDS) and air-defense (Tornado F3) aircraft in service until 2020 or so. DID will add details to this report as new information regarding the Saudi Tornado upgrades comes in.
Saudi Arabia currently operates about 120 Tornado aircraft, including both the strike-optimized Tornado IDS (96 aircraft, Scramble places them within 7, 66, 75 & 83 Squadrons at Dhahran on the east coast), and Tornado F3 ADV long-range interceptors (24 planes in 29 Sqadron at Tabuk near Jordan).
UPDATES:
Feb 19/10: Defense News reports that Saudi Arabia’s fleet of Tornado low-level, medium-range strike fighters will soon be receiving a pair of significant enhancements: MBDA’s stealthy Storm Shadow medium range cruise missiles, and the MBDA/Boeing Brimstone anti-armor missile. Read “Saudi TSP adding Storm Shadow Steath Strike to Tornados” for more.
March 4/07: Flight International:
“Tornado Sustainment Programme aircraft ZH917 is pictured at BAE’s Warton site in Lancashire on 2 April carrying two Storm Shadow rounds, including one painted in high-visibility markings for possible test release purposes…. BAE declines to comment…. a UK source close to the negotiations confirms that the more than 250km (135nm)-range Storm Shadow is “among a number of systems” now being evaluated for possible integration as part of the Royal Saudi Air Force’s Tornado upgrade.”
MBDA’s Storm Shadow/Scalp is a long-range, stealthy cruise missile with precision strike capabilities.
