A significant agreement was signed last month (22/6/2023) between Saudi Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC) and MTU Germany.
The purpose of the agreement is to repair the RB199 engines installed on Tornado aircraft, which serve as the primary fleet for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
This has raised questions about this agreement’s relation to the Kingdom's plans to procure additional U.S. and European fighters.
Tactical Report has prepared a report (323 words) to highlight this matter, including:
- The political and defense reasons behind the agreement
- The effect this agreement could have on the Kingdom's ongoing talks with a number of Western countries to purchase additional fighters
- The Saudi Defense Ministry’s view on the future of defense relations with Germany in light of the agreement
The report also mentions a Saudi project to repurpose other RSAF Tornado aircraft.