TWO aircraft partly built in East Lancashire will form the backbone of Britain’s military for years to come, a Government minister has pledged.
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said the Ministry of Defence had a future commitment to the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
The two military aircraft are partly constructed at BAE Systems’ massive site in Samlesbury, which employs 5,800.
In the Commons, Mr Ainsworth said: “Over time, our plans are to base our air capability principally on two aircraft – the Typhoon and the Joint Strike Fighter.”
BAE has spent around £800million on its Samlesbury site in recent years, including constructing a purpose-built aerodrome for the JSF project.
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