Yesterday's contract was due to be signed in Paris between the Ministry of Supply and the United States Mutual Security Agency for a large number of Hawker Hunter fighters for the NATO countries. The value of the contract has been variously quoted as between $70m and $100m (£24 1/2m to £35 1/2m), and the number of aircraft involved as between 200 and 400, with spares.
The delay which has occurred in the signing of the order has been largely due to the old stumbling-block of the June 1955 deadline, and it is still unclear whether this is being extended by a year by Congressional action or whether the difficulty will be surmounted by some such move as a loan arrangement for the aircraft.
Once this contract has been signed, the way may be open for the signing of further orders - for Hunter production in Holland and for Avon production in Belgium, as already mooted. With the Mystére IV already being produced in France, a remaining possibility would then be that of Javelin airframe-component production in Italy. Results of evaluation tests by Gen. Boyd's team are learned to have been satisfactory.
Source: Flight International
