The deal, worth around £5bn includes the aircraft and a bespoke support and training package. Qatar is now buying nine Hawk trainers, rather than six, which will also be welcome news for BAE Systems’ factories in Warton and Brough which make the jets.

Welcoming the news, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

This monumental, multi-billion-pound deal is now officially in place, and those from across government and industry who have worked so hard on it together can be extremely proud to see it reach this stage. It’s a massive boost to the British defence industry, helping to support thousands of jobs, and it will help us further build the trust between the UK and Qatar to tackle the challenges we both share, support stability in the region and deliver security at home.

UK Export Finance’s (UKEF) £5bn package of support was vital to securing the deal, including by providing financing and insurance. UKEF’s role is to support UK exports including by providing export finance to enable overseas buyers to purchase goods and services from the UK, and export insurance for companies selling overseas.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:

The UK Government is proud to be a part of this hugely significant export contract, supporting BAE Systems, its nearly 35,000 employees and the 9,000 companies in its supply chain.

This support from UK Export Finance will sustain jobs in one of the UK’s key industrial sectors, support economic growth, and strengthen our own defence capabilities as well as those of a key strategic ally.

BAE Systems Chief Executive, Charles Woodburn said:

This contract, effective today, represents a significant step in BAE Systems’ long-term relationship with the State of Qatar, as it becomes the ninth country to choose Typhoon. The proven combination of Typhoon and Hawk will provide the Qatari Armed Forces with the most advanced and flexible multi-role combat aircraft on the market today, along with best in class support and training.

The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and his Qatari counterpart, Dr Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, oversaw the signing of the deal in Doha in December. Deliveries of the first Typhoon aircraft are expected to commence in 2022.

The deal also involves a package of training and co-operation between the British and Qatari Air Forces which will see them working closely together in the future. A new UK-based Typhoon joint squadron, reformed as No.12 squadron, will comprise both Qatari Emiri Air Force and RAF personnel, including pilots and ground-crew based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire ahead of the delivery of the aircraft. It represents a unique initiative, with the RAF not having formed a squadron with another nation since the Second World War and the Battle of Britain.

The UK and Qatar share mutual interests in countering violent extremism, and ensuring stability in the region, and the deal further reinforces those ties by helping to prevent terrorism from spreading and protecting the prosperity and security of the UK at home.

Qatar is the ninth country to purchase the Typhoon, with the deal sustaining thousands of UK jobs. The MOD continues to bang the drum for the UK’s world-leading aerospace industry, with sales of defence equipment to foreign customers surging by 53% last year to £9bn.

The UK is a world-leader in the combat air sector, with a mix of skills and technologies unique in Europe, supporting over 18,000 highly skilled jobs. The sector delivers a turnover of more than £6bn a year and has made up over 80% of defence exports from the UK over the last ten years.

The support follows the launch of the Government’s Export Strategy, which sets out how the government will support businesses of all sizes to make the most of the opportunities presented by markets around the world.

A man who sexually assaulted a young girl on repeated occasions has had been jailed after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

Antonio Lawrie, now 22, sexually assaulted the victim at least 16 times over a period of several months. Lawrie was reported to the police when a witness saw him with his hand under the victim’s dress.

Lawrie was originally sentenced at Southampton Crown Court in June, where he was given 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years. He was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation activity, and put on the Sex Offender’s Register for 10 years. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 3 years immediate imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“Lawrie carried out a campaign of sexual assault against a young girl, and I hope that she will take some comfort from the increased sentence today. Lawrie continues to pose a threat to other children, and it is therefore important that he serves an immediate custodial sentence.”

Updated: September update.

The Home Secretary held meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Minister of State for the Interior Shehryar Afridi, Minister of Law and Justice Mohammad Farogh Naseem and Special Assistant for Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar.

During his visit, the Home Secretary announced a new Justice and Accountability Partnership to help Pakistan tackle the scourge of corruption. This partnership includes an initial £750,000 to support Pakistan pursue those involved in money laundering and the appointment of a new Envoy on Justice and Accountability, Donald Toon, who is the Director of Prosperity (Economic Crime and Cyber Crime) at the UK National Crime Agency.

The Home Secretary also announced that the UK and Pakistan had agreed to restart the bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement, which will help prisoners from both countries service their sentences closer to their families

Speaking during his visit, the Home Secretary said:

The UK and Pakistan have an important partnership. Our shared history and the 2% of the British population who, like me, trace their roots back to Pakistan, mean that we have uniquely strong ties to this country. We firmly believe that the UK is Pakistan’s most committed and enduring partner.

That is why today I am delighted to announce a new Justice and Accountability Partnership. Corruption reduces tax and is a barrier to investment. The UK has done more than any country to tackle corruption and we are absolutely committed to supporting Pakistan to tackle this problem. Our announcement today demonstrates this commitment.

The Home Secretary also hosted: a joint education event with the British Council, the UK’s Department for International Development and the Minister for Education; a round table on forced marriage with the High Commission’s forced marriage team and operational partners; and a round table with British businesses. The British High Commission held a reception for Mr Javid with senior media representatives, religious leaders and senior politicians.

Further information

Donald Toon – Biography

Donald is the Director, Prosperity (economy crime and cyber crime) in the National Crime Agency, responsible for leading and coordinating the UK’s enforcement response to a range of criminality, including money laundering, international corruption, fraud and cyber crime.

Donald joined HM Customs & Excise in 1991, where he held a number of policy, strategy and leadership roles in anti-smuggling, project management, counter-drugs enforcement and criminal finances. In early 2011, Donald was appointed as HMRC’s Director of Criminal Investigation, where he led the delivery of a five-fold increase in prosecutions for tax fraud. In 2014, he was appointed as the Director, Economic Crime Command in the NCA.

Before joining the Civil Service, Donald spent the first ten years of his career as an officer in the Royal Navy. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Imperial College, London and a Bachelor’s degree in Systems Science and Management from The City University, London.

More Information

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