Due to the lack of new orders in the UK, the production of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets has virtually stopped, Ukrinform reports, citing the Financial Times.
The planes have been assembled at BAE Systems' factory in Warton, Lancashire, for decades. But work on the final assembly line has almost ground to a halt. The company is now preparing to deliver the last aircraft under a contract with Qatar, which was awarded in 2017.
"There is one jet in the hangar but it is basically waiting for a few parts and to be painted. As far as major assembly goes, it’s finished, it isn’t sustaining any workers," said a union representative.
According to the FT, the UK government has not placed an order for new aircraft since 2009. Further export orders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar have not yet been agreed.
If there are no new orders in the near future, there is a risk of losing important industrial skills for building next-generation fighters as part of the UK's participation in the Global Combat Aviation Programme (GCAP).
As Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, BAE and defence industry workers across the UK "will be asking how a government that promises to transform defence spending into 'British growth, British jobs, British skills, British innovation' could allow this to happen."
As you know, the Typhoon aircraft are built by a pan-European consortium that includes BAE, Airbus and Leonardo. Each company produces different parts, and they also manage the final assembly line in the partner countries. BAE produces the forward fuselages for the Typhoon, which are ordered by other countries. They are then sent to Europe for final assembly.