Export of the Paveway IV to the Saudis has been held up for several years by the refusal of the US State Department to give clearance for US components included in the weapon.
Raytheon UK officials briefing reporters at the company’s facility here confirmed they had signed their first Paveway IV export customer, but said they were not able to identify the nation involved.
Saudi Arabia, though, has been previously identified as the first potential export customer by numerous media organizations.
Weapons would be produced over the next two years, with the first bombs handed over in about 18 months.
To date, only the UK’s Royal Air Force has purchased the Paveway IV; it is deployed on Tornado and Typhoon jets. Saudi Arabia operates both types of combat aircraft.
Raytheon UK is closing production of a British order to replenish Paveway IV stocks run down by operations against Lybia in 2011.
Michel said approval of the export deal by the US should open the way for possible upcoming orders from other Typhoon customers, including Oman. The gulf nation has ordered a squadron’s worth of Typhoons but deliveries have yet to get underway.
defensenews
No comments:
Post a Comment