BY : David Coates For Johnston Press Digital Publishing




A massive order for military fighter jets has been completed by workers at Lancashire defence giant BAE Systems.
The 3,000-strong Eurofighter Typhoon workforce has completed the delivery of its tranche one order of 53 jets, destined for the UK Royal Air Force, at the firm's site in Warton, near Preston.

Final production on aircraft number BS036 was completed at 302 Hangar on the site earlier this month, it will now be test flown at the base before being delivered to the RAF for final assessment.

The Tranche One order, which totals 148 aircraft of which 53 are bound for UK forces, was signed back in 1998 and is worth £4.9bn to BAE.

Trevor King, programme director for Typhoon at BAE, said he was "delighted" to see the final Tranche One aircraft roll off the Lancashire production line.

He said: "We should reflect on the momentous achievements in generating and providing this defence capability.

"I am proud of all the staff across
the whole of the programme for their outstanding efforts over the recent years in delivering this initial tranche of aircraft."

Work has already started on the second tranche of the aircraft, which will see a further 284 aircraft built by the four-nation Eurofighter GmBH consortium, with 89 going to the UK air force.

Talks are ongoing between the consortium and the partner nations, which includes Spain, Italy and Germany, about finalising order numbers for the third and final tranche.

A BAE spokesman said that details of the third order was "still being finalised".

The Typhoon has been in operation in the UK this year with a pair of jets being scrambled to intercept a Russian jet which entered UK air space in August.

Early flights have seen the 14-ton aircraft generate 18 tons of thrust from its afterburners, meaning it can climb 45,000 ft off the runway in just 30 seconds.