Aircraft

Oman has moved a step closer towards acquiring a fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, according to the UK government.

The UK has not revealed how many aircraft are likely to be involved, but a government-to-government deal could include some Typhoons to be drawn from its own Tranche 3 commitment to the European programme.

The Eurofighter industry consortium will allow partner nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK to sell on some of their production aircraft to third parties, as long as such transactions do not interfere with its own export campaigns with the Typhoon.

The UK has already sold 24 Eurofighters as part of the 72-aircraft Project Salam deal with Saudi Arabia. Photo: BAE Systems

The UK has already sold 24 of its planned total offtake of 232 Eurofighters as part of the 72-aircraft Project Salam deal with Saudi Arabia.

Flight Daily News reported Omani interest in the Typhoon as a potential Sepecat Jaguar replacement during the 2008 Farnborough air show. Flightglobal's MiliCAS database says the Royal Air Force of Oman still has 16 of the type in use, with deliveries having started in 1974. It also operates 12 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters.