(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reported to have urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to grant approval for the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
Sunak want Germany to approve the sale of these fighter jets before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in Britain for an upcoming official visit, as claimed by British media.
The official visit of the Saudi Crown Prince, who is the de facto leader of the Arab state, is expected to take place later this year, as stated by the country’s embassy.
The Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets are built by a consortium of defense companies from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain, with each country contributing specific components to the fighter jets.
The sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets requires the approval of all consortium member countries.
The proposal to sell 48 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Riyadh faced obstacles in 2018 when the German government suspended the sale of any weapons to Saudi Arabia following the kidnapping and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The transaction for the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia faced further challenges when a British court in 2019 banned the export of weapons to the Arab country due to its military actions in Yemen.
However, following a ceasefire agreement in Yemen, Britain now intends to proceed with the sale of 48 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
Yet, London’s efforts to sell these fighter jets have encountered opposition from the German government.
London argues that Germany no longer has a reason to obstruct the sale of Eurofighter fighter jets after the United Nations (UN) signed a ceasefire agreement between Saudi Arabia and Yemen last year.
Five years ago, Saudi Arabia and Britain signed a Memorandum of Intent regarding the Arab nation’s desire to purchase 48 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to augment their existing fleet.
However, to date, it remains uncertain whether their aspiration to acquire these fighter jets will come to fruition.
If the acquisition is successfully carried out, it would increase Saudi Arabia’s total number of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to 120, as Riyadh already possesses 48 of these fighter jets.
The German government intends to proceed with the sale of the fighter jets, but some political parties in the country, including the Greens and a faction of the SPD, which form part of the country’s coalition government, opposed the proposal.
“The federal government (of Germany) cannot agree to the sale of the Eurofighter Typhoon in any way,” said Sara Nanni, the spokesperson for the country’s defense policy and a member of the Green Party.– DSA
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