BAE Systems has rebutted claims that the company-led campaign to sell the Eurofighter Typhoon to Singapore failed due to insufficient support from the programme's four partner governments (Flight International, 26 April–2 May). "The governments couldn't have been more supportive, and we particularly applaud the amount of effort that [UK minister for defence procurement] Lord Bach has given us," says BAE group marketing director Mike Rouse. He identifies the UK government's Defence Export Services Organisation and the UK Royal Air Force as having been "equally supportive" during the campaign.
BAE will have to wait until around the third quarter of this year to receive a debrief from Singapore on the reasons for its elimination, but Rouse notes: "The dates that the Typhoon programme is currently aligned to are out of step with their timescale. We fully understand the Singaporean decision." Despite its recent setback, Rouse believes that the Typhoon programme has a healthy medium-term outlook. "Our other campaigns all fall well within the timescales when we'll be delivering new capabilities," he says. Boeing's F-15T and Dassault's Rafale continue to contest the Singaporean requirement.
CRAIG HOYLE/LONDON
Source: Flight International
