Cameron hails £2.5bn BAE fighter deal

British defence giant BAE Systems has won a £2.5 billion deal to sell 20 aircraft to Oman.

David Cameron, who is in the Middle Eastern state today, welcomed the contract for the 12 Typhoon and eight Hawk aircraft and dismissed concerns about Britain selling arms in the region.

Before his arrival in the capital Muscat, he said: “Every country in the world has a right to self-defence and I’m determined to put Britain’s first-class defence industry at the forefront of this market, supporting 300,000 jobs across the country.

“It’s testament to Britain’s leading aerospace industry and the deal will safeguard thousands of jobs across the UK, not just at the BAE Systems factories in Lancashire and Yorkshire but at many more small businesses up and down the country that play a vital role in delivering these aircraft.”

A BAE spokesman said the deal would help sustain 6,000 technology and engineering jobs in Britain. It will begin building the aircraft in 2014 with delivery expected in 2017. He said: “This contract is further recognition that both Typhoon and Hawk are leading aircraft in their class.”