Fighters prepare for Saudi take-off[

[tigershark]

Fighters prepare for Saudi take-off
THE first batch of Eurofighter Typhoons bound for the Middle East has reached the final assembly line at Warton.
But BAE Systems bosses are keeping tight-lipped when its first flight over the Fylde will be.
It is part of the controversial defence deal signed last year with Saudi Arabia which will supply 72 of the state-of-the-art jets to the kingdom.
Hundreds

of engineers will work on the first seven Typhoons with 24 of the order coming from the defence giant's Warton base.
The remaining 48 aircraft will be assembled in Saudi Arabia where the construction of the new assembly building began in March.
The £10bn deal forms part of the Saudi British Defence Co-operation Programme (SBDCP) and could still be affected by last year's corruption probe by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) which dogged the progress of the deal and put thousands of Warton jobs at risk.
Ministers halted an investigation into past dealings by BAE Systems and Saudi officials in December 2006, citing national security interest.
Anti-arms campaigners mounted a legal challenge to that decision, won their case at the High Court, and argued it again at the House of Lords on July 8 after the Government appealed to the highest court in the land.
A verdict is due shortly.
Saudi Arabia announced last summer that it planned to buy 72 Typhoons to replace its aging Tornado fleet.
If the SFO had continued with its probe, it was rumoured the Saudis would opt for the French-built Rafale jet
instead.
A spokesman for BAE Systems said: "We continue to deliver against our contractual commitments and as publicly stated first deliveries will commence in 2009."
Meanwhile, the defence giant today announced a three-year programme which will implement 23 recommendations from Government to achieve benchmark standards of governance in the conduct of its day-to-day business.
The Woolf Committee, which examined the ethical principles and practices underlying the company's business, identified various areas for further improvement that the company should address in order to be recognised as a global leader in ethical business conduct.
Mike Turner, chief executive, BAE Systems, said; "Both I, and my successor Ian King, are determined that BAE Systems is recognised both as a high performing company in terms of its programme and financial performance and as a leader in standards of ethical business conduct among global companies.
"BAE Systems is proud to conduct its business with integrity and we will continue to ensure we communicate how we are doing this clearly and regularly with our stakeholders."


Source
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/business/Fighters-prepare-for-Saudi-takeoff.4320210.jp