Typhoon programme spends over £650m with UK suppliers
Figures revealed by the Eurofighter Typhoon programme, which is flown by air forces across the globe including the RAF, show it spent £690m with supply chain companies during 2013.
Its biggest spend came in the East Midlands where it spent £215m with electronic warfare experts, Selex, at its Luton site, and the South West where it spent nearly £150m, including £65m spent with Rolls-Royce which provides the engines which power the aircraft.
Chris Boardman, BAE Systems' Military Air and Information managing director, said the figures underlined the importance of the Typhoon programme to the UK economy as well as supplying cutting-edge technology to the nation’s armed forces.
He said: “When we see one of the RAF’s elite pilots takes to the air in a Typhoon, it is the collective achievement of thousands of people across the country whose day-to-day jobs make it happen.
“From Leith in Scotland to Christchurch on the South Coast and Cambridge in the east right out to Tewkesbury in the South West, the programme is supporting highly-skilled people which make our supply chain tick.
“We recognise the value these people bring to our business and work closely with them to help them invest in their people and technology.
“This way we can not only ensure Typhoon is a world-leading product, but that UK plc retains the talent and capability which has kept it at the cutting edge for so many generations.”
Paul Everitt, chief executive of defence trade organisation ADS Group, said: “Typhoon is hugely successful programme, it is a prime example of the UK’s world-leading capability in the sector, supporting many thousands of jobs and contributing significantly to the UK economy.
“Through the Defence Growth Partnership, a joint government and industry initiative to maintain our industrial position in this valuable sector, we will develop a plan that identifies core strengths and puts a strategy in place to ensure programmes like this are supported and maximised now and into the future.”
BAE Sytems' Military Air and Information business is behind the company’s leading military aircraft including Typhoon, the Hawk trainer jet, used by air forces across the globe including the RAF to train pilots of the future, and its work on the F-35 Lightning II programme.
During 2013, MAI spent nearly £2 billion into the supply chain, a 5% increase on 2012.
The bulk of this spend came with 1,746 UK supply chain companies as well as firms in Europe (177), North America (102) and Asia (20).
