Looks like this Typhoon has lost its wind ...
Production ‘essentially stopped’ for British-built Typhoons
A letter from the joint unions representing BAE Systems workers at Warton and Samlesbury has raised significant concerns over the future of the Typhoon aircraft production line in the UK.
Addressed to Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Member of Parliament for Slough, the letter outlines the growing unease regarding the suspension of Typhoon final assembly at the Warton site and the absence of future orders for the aircraft.
“As it stands as I write this letter, there are currently no Typhoons being final assembled at Warton and no orders for future aircraft, essentially production has stopped for British-built Typhoon aircraft.” the letter begins, making clear the halt in production and the uncertainty surrounding the future of the UK-built Typhoon fleet. The letter also highlights concerns regarding the UK’s potential replacement of these aircraft with American-made F-35A jets.
BAE Systems told me:
“Typhoon manufacturing is currently underpinned by the orders from Qatar, Germany and Spain which will ensure continuity of production of major units beyond the late 2020s. Further orders are needed to extend production beyond the latter part of this decade.”
A key point raised in the letter is the economic and industrial impact of such a shift. The unions argue that the UK’s industrial stake in the F-35 program, which does not depend on the number of platforms the UK acquires, would not mitigate the loss of domestic Typhoon production.
Workers at BAE Systems warn that production has "essentially stopped" at Warton, with no future orders in place. They urge the UK government to order 24 Typhoon jets to secure the UK's sovereign defence capabilities.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk