London, July 31: British Defence Ministry on Thursday announced its decision to order 20 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers from the beleagured defence giant BAE Systems.
The order would safeguard jobs at the BAE's plant in Brough, east Yorkshire, which would otherwise have been under threat. According to an official announcement the order is initially for 20 jets, with options for 24 more. The defence ministry said that the value of the full order of 44 jets would be 800 million pounds.
Workers at BAE's plant at Brough had been told that 470 jobs would have been at risk if the government did not opt for the Hawk. Welcoming the decision, Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus union said "This is a win-win-situation, good for the government, good for the company and good for employees in British manufacturing."
BAE has been negotiating with India to sell its AJTs for the last one-and-a-half decade but it recently received a set back following allegations that it had tried to bribe officials, a charge denied by the company.
Bureau Report