London, Feb 2 (IANS) The British aerospace industry has been dealt a major blow after India favoured a French firm for a multibillion-pound fighter plane order, a newspaper said.
India Wednesday gave the preferred bidder status to French firm Dassault ahead of an European consortium that included British defence giant BAE Systems. BAE has been hoping to partly assemble 126 Eurofighter Typhoon jets at Warton and Samlesbury in Lancashire for the Indian Air Force.
Favouring the French firm in the tendering process for India’s new multi-role combat aircraft could have serious implications for BAE Systems and the British aerospace industry, the Morning Star reported Wednesday.
The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, an umbrella body of manufacturing unions, will meet Defence Procurement Ministry Minister Peter Luff next week and will be raising the issue.
