BAE Systems CEO Open Minded on Future Fighter Cooperation
17 July 2018 - 9:18PM
Dow Jones News
By Robert Wall
FARNBOROUGH, England--BAE Systems PLC (BA.LN) Chief Executive
Charles Woodburn said Tuesday that the company would co-finance
Britain's drive to design a new combat plane and remain open to
potential cooperation with other countries.
The British government used the Farnborough Air Show on Monday
to launch its drive to develop a new combat plane to replace its
Typhoon combat jets after 2030. It has pledged around 2 billion
pounds ($2.65 billion) toward the effort.
"Industry has shown willing and pledged commitment of
substantial funding towards the program," Mr. Woodburn told
reporters, without giving a figure.
The program would be open to other countries, he said,
potentially before 2020.
Earlier this year, France and Germany agreed to jointly work on
their own combat plane, raising the prospect of competing projects
in the future. Airbus SE (AIR.FR) and Dassault Aviation SA (AM.FR)
are the principal plane makers involved in that project. Airbus
Chief Executive Tom Enders has said he would welcome an alignment
of the Franco-German project with Britain's.
"Both programs are still early days of a multiyear program," Mr.
Woodburn said, and that "we keep an open mind."
BAE has enjoyed a string of recent deal wins. The Pentagon said
it would buy a new amphibious assault vehicle for the U.S. Marine
Corp. from BAE Systems in a deal valued at up to $1.2 billion.
Australia has agreed to buy the company's Type 26 warship design in
a $26 billion deal. The Australia deal could double BAE's business
there, Mr. Woodburn said.
BAE has also made progress with its combat aircraft sales
efforts. Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy more of the Eurofighter
Typhoon combat planes that BAE builds with Airbus and Italy's
Leonardo Spa (LDO.MI), and Qatar has also agreed to buy the jet.
Those deals still need to be finalized, Mr. Woodburn said.
Opportunities now are also increasing for sales into Europe,
with Spain and German considering topup buys, Mr. Woodburn
said.
Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 17, 2018 07:03 ET (11:03 GMT)
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