UK Fighter Jets to Saudi Arabia Extend a Century of Arms Deals
The United Kingdom announced on October 20 that it will deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to help defend against missile and drone attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The British Ministry of Defence said the jets will play a "defensive role" and will not carry out offensive strikes against the Iran-backed group. Britain will also send an Atlas A400M military transport aircraft and military advisers, and extended air-to-air refuelling support for Saudi aircraft by 90 days.
The Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, launching ballistic missiles and drones at oil facilities and airports. On October 10, a missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing at least 12 people and injuring 309, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation. Operations at the airport were suspended following the strike. A years-long truce in Yemen's civil war collapsed in September, prompting the Houthis to step up their campaign. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced last month that British planes would provide air-to-air refuelling for Saudi defensive operations, citing concerns about the impact of hostilities on UK cost of living and energy supplies.
The UK-Saudi military relationship stretches back more than a century. In December 1915, Sir Percy Cox, a senior British official in the Gulf, concluded the Treaty of Darin with King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, then ruler of Nejd in central Arabia, according to India Office records held by the UK's National Archives. Ibn Saud allied with Britain against the Ottoman Empire in exchange for cash and weapons. A new treaty was signed at Jeddah in May 1927. King Abdulaziz founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The UK government's 2025 Strategic Export Controls Annual Report described the military relationship with Saudi Arabia as a "longstanding" partnership.
BAE Systems says its ties with Saudi Arabia date back to 1966. In May of that year, Saudi Arabia signed contracts to buy 40 Lightning fighter jets and 25 jet trainers from the British Aircraft Corporation, along with a radar system. In 1973, the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding naming the company as prime contractor. On September 26, 1985, the two governments signed the Al-Yamamah oil-for-arms agreement for Tornado and Hawk jets. Saudi Arabia set aside up to 600,000 barrels of oil a day to pay for the aircraft. Reuters described the Al-Yamamah deals as the largest export contracts in British history. BAE CEO Mike Turner was quoted as saying the company had received 43 billion pounds from Al-Yamamah over 20 years and there could be another 40 billion.
Al-Yamamah I included 48 Panavia Tornado IDS ground-attack aircraft, 24 Tornado ADV air-defence variants, 30 Hawk trainers, 30 Pilatus PC-9 trainers, weapons, radar and a pilot-training programme. Saudi Arabia ultimately ordered 96 Tornado IDS and 24 ADV aircraft, with ADVs retired in 2006. In September 2007, Saudi Arabia agreed to buy 72 Typhoon fighters from Britain for 4.43 billion pounds (then about $8.9 billion). BAE Systems called it the Salam Project, and the jets replaced Tornados and other aircraft in the Saudi air force. In March 2018, during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to London, the UK signed a memorandum of intent with Saudi Arabia to finalise the purchase of 48 more Typhoons, but negotiations have dragged on for years without finalisation.
The Al-Yamamah deals have long been dogged by corruption allegations. The Telegraph reported that BAE Systems allegedly maintained a 20 million pound slush fund to woo Saudi officials. The UK Serious Fraud Office opened an investigation into BAE, which was later discontinued on "national security" grounds. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised British arms sales to Saudi Arabia, noting that the weapons have been used in the Yemen war. TIME magazine reported that Saudi Arabia was BAE Systems' largest customer by sales in its air business in 2025.
Britain's deployment of Typhoons to Saudi Arabia represents the latest chapter in a century-old military partnership. Saudi Arabia continues to consider purchasing 48 additional Typhoons, and BAE Systems remains a key supplier of weapons, training and logistics support to Riyadh. As the Yemen conflict escalates and regional tensions mount, UK-Saudi military cooperation shows no sign of diminishing.