SHAH ALAM: Eagles, Typhoons and Rafale too. Qatar has signed a deal with the UK for 24 Eurofighter Typhoons and a package weapons including the MBDA Meteor AAM and Brimstone AGM worth an estimated US$8 billion on Dec. 10. The deal also include training for pilots and maintainers to be conducted in the UK.
The deal will also result in formation of a “joint operational squadron,” featuring both British and Qatari military pilots who will fly together to protect the 2022 Football World Cup.
The contract comes just days after Qatar signed up to buy 12 additional Dassault Rafales from France, adding to the 24 it already has on order, as well as the 36 Boeing F-15QA Advanced Eagles being purchased from the U.S.
Qatar now has ordered 96 fighter jets to replace the 12 Dassault Mirage 2000s currently used for the Gulf state’s air defense.
BAE Systems statement on the deal.
BAE Systems and the Government of the State of Qatar have entered into a contract, valued at approximately £5bn, for the supply of Typhoon aircraft to the Qatar Emiri Air Force along with a bespoke support and training package.
The contract is subject to financing conditions and receipt by the Company of first payment, which are expected to be fulfilled no later than mid-2018.The contract provides for 24 Typhoon aircraft with delivery expected to commence in late 2022.
BAE Systems is the prime contractor for both the provision of the aircraft and the agreed arrangements for the in-service support and initial training. Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive said:
“We are delighted to begin a new chapter in the development of a long-term relationship with the State of Qatar and the Qatar Armed Forces, and we look forward to working alongside our customer as they continue to develop their military capability”.
Qatar is also expected to sign the contract for six Hawk training aircraft. However no contract has been signed yet for the deal.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (35)
What if RMAF, with limited funds aquire 6 SAAB Awacs, 24 Gripen D.
Minus : All Mig 29 + F5E
isit me or the mud hens are still selling like hot cakes albeit Typhoons, Rafales and Sukhois. Just Wow ! 96 platforms to replace 12 mirages!
one wonders how there going to churn out pilots and wizzos!
contractors maybe ?
Mana pilot tuk pejuang tu? Import dari negara mana lak?
Is Qatar giving away any fighters by any chance⁇
Reply
They have 12 Mirage 2000, probably India will be interested. As for the new ones they can decide later on
ya. pilot import dari bangadesh....
Basically Qatar is paying for those countries to be by its side when it is now boycotted by most arab countries. But even that is not a given, as history shows. Just remember what happened to Kedah. The kedah sultan gave penang to the british, expecting them to protect kedah from the siamese. But when Siam attacked in 1810, the british did nothing, and Kedah lose Junk Ceylon (Ujong Salang - Phuket), Krabi, Trang, Setol (Satun) and Perlis.
Off topic,
Info from bulgaria for their MiG-29 maintenance. They spent usd49 million to overhaul 15 Mig-29, plus 4 years of integrated logistics support from RAC MiG. So that is the ballpark number to retain the MiGs as a stopgap while waiting for the MRCA to come
Total cost of Qatar fighter buy
24 Rafale plus training and weapons usd7.5 billion
12 Rafale usd1.3 billion
24 Typhoon plus training and weapons usd8 billion (delivery 2022)
36 F-15QA plus training and weapons usd12 billion.
Total of usd28.8 billion!!!
OMG- If that is the cost, then SU30 la gamaknya for brand new MRCA or 2nd hand F18
Qatar's purchase is not so much a wise strategic planning as an attempted payoff to the various Mafias so they do not to stand by should its neighborhood sand m*nkey gangs (GCC) decide to ram up the tension. Remember what happened to Gaddafi's Libya when he forgot to pay protection money (i.e. arms purchase) from the Mafias...
Btw, what about the discussion to buy surplus equipment from a certain Middle East despot? I was hoping that with the way things are going financially, that clown prince might be thinking to have a military garage sale soon since that recent round of familicide did not seem to generate much revenue (at least not enough for the clown prince's shopping tendency of splurging 1 billion buck for a painting and a yacht), not to mention his plan to sell a stake in the national oil company had hit a snake... Anyway, it made me really uneasy to see our dopey MoD standing there zombie-like in the recent so called "A*ab NATO" meeting. Sincerely praying that Malaysia do not get dragged into some sand m*nkey conflicts...
3 suppliers, 3 front line types, what a shack. They have the means and will so why not.