British production of the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft has come to a halt due to a shortage of new orders, sparking fears over the potential loss of critical aerospace industry skills in the UK.
For decades, the Typhoon has been assembled at BAE Systems’ extensive factory in Warton, Lancashire. However, work on the final assembly line has now slowed as the factory prepares to deliver the last Typhoon jet for Qatar under a £5 billion order placed in 2017, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
“There is one jet in the hangar but it is basically waiting for a few parts and to be painted,” said one union official. “As far as major assembly goes, it’s finished, it isn’t sustaining any workers.”
The UK government has not placed any new orders for the Typhoon since 2009, while follow-on export deals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar remain unresolved. Without new contracts, there are growing concerns that essential industrial skills needed to build the next generation of fighter aircraft through the UK’s role in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) could be lost.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at the Unite union, criticised the government’s approach: “Workers at BAE and across the UK defence industry will be asking how a government promising to turn defence spending into ‘British growth, British jobs, British skills, British innovation’ could let it happen.”
She added, “I have repeatedly told government ministers how much is at risk in terms of jobs, skills, and national security if we stop assembling our own fighter planes.”
The Typhoon is produced by a pan-European consortium including BAE Systems, Airbus, and Leonardo, with each company responsible for manufacturing different parts of the aircraft. Each partner nation operates its own final assembly line — building aircraft only when that nation places orders or leads on export deals.
While BAE continues to build front fuselages for Typhoons ordered by other countries at its nearby Samlesbury site, these parts are shipped to continental Europe for final assembly.
The government’s recent decision to procure US-made F-35A fighter jets instead of placing a new order for the most advanced Typhoons has reignited debate about the UK's defence priorities. Although the UK is committed to upgrading its current Typhoon fleet, including fitting them with a new radar system, it remains the only consortium nation yet to order the latest Typhoon model.
By Vugar Khalilov
Source: caliber.az
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