It’s a Battle for Britain to Sell the Eurofighter
- Typhoon build rates may be cut as warplane’s backlog shrinks
- Defense giant boosts half-year profit 11%; guidance unchanged
A Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet
Photographer: Luke MacGregor/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
U.K. output of the Eurofighter Typhoon warplane may be cut as manufacturer BAE Systems Plc struggles to pin down a follow-on order from Saudi Arabia, the biggest export customer for the Mach 2 jet.
Eurofighter production is the cornerstone of a military-aircraft business that employs 12,500 people at BAE, with final assembly at Warton in northwest England. The last four aircraft from an earlier Saudi contract were delivered in the first half, with the first two from an Omani deal for 12 planes already shipped, eating into the backlog.