BAE Systems bags 1.9bn pounds Saudi contracts | WPN World People News

UK defense contractor BAE Systems has signed two contracts with Saudi Arabia including a 1.6 billion pounds contract for supply of 55 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft and another 224 million pounds contract with the Royal Saudi Air force for upgrading the electronic warfare systems on 70 F-15S fighter jets.

The 1.6 billion pounds contract follows a government to government agreement between Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for providing advanced training to Royal Saudi Air Force under the Saudi British Defence Co-operation Programme, the company announced Wednesday.

The contract is primarily to support the future aircrew training requirements of the Royal Saudi Air Force. Under the agreement, BAE Systems is to supply of 55 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft to fulfill the basic training role and 22 BAE Systems Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft.

Deliveries of the Pilatus PC-21, manufactured in Switzerland, will commence in 2014, while the delivery of the UK built Hawk aircraft will commence from 2016.

The contract covers the provision of equipment and training devices such as aircraft simulators, training aids and aircraft on which to train aircrew.

The second 224 million pounds contract involves upgrading the integrated digital electronic warfare system to provide fighter jets with advanced radar warning and countermeasure capabilities, and protects aircraft with improved situational awareness, offensive targeting support and self-protection.

"As part of the contract, BAE Systems is upgrading 70 state-of-the-art Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS) / Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) onboard F-15S fighter jets in support of the Royal Saudi Air Force," the company announced.

John Nyilis, product line director at BAE Systems said: "BAE Systems looks forward to providing the Royal Saudi Air Force with this superior electronic capability. Our DEWS/CMWS product can be modified for a wide variety of platforms, providing our customers with the ability to ensure system commonality. This means the Kingdom's existing fighter F-15 fighter aircraft will match the capabilities of the next generation of F-15 SA fighter jets currently in development."

The work of upgrading the system will done at Nashua, New Hampshire, in the US at Totowa in New Jersey and Austin in Texas, while the delivery of the jets would be done to Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia under a foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia by November 2018.

The two Saudi Arabian orders has come as a relief for BAE Systems, which is battling against shrinking defense budgets in Europe and America and its consequent impact on its order book leading to job losses..

Earlier this year, BAE Systems had forewarned that its growth prospects this year is dependent on finalizing a range of contracts with Saudi Arabia.

Source: Middle East News.Net