A recent study by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) shows clear indications that two Eurofighter programme contracts will secure up to 26,000 jobs in Spain. The study was funded by Airbus and took six months to complete.
The report focuses on the economic impact of the ‘Halcon’ and ‘Quadriga’ contracts which are relevant to Spain. The report estimates that, during its life cycle, the manufacturing phase (2020-2030) and maintenance phase (2023-2060) of the Halcon and Quadriga programmes will create on average 657 jobs – direct, indirect and induced – per year, reaching a total of 26,000 positions by 2060. This equates to a total annual employment impact of 2.7% direct jobs in the Spanish aerospace sector.
These two Tranche 4 contracts should contribute around €1.7 billion to the Spanish GDP, with the manufacturing and maintenance of Halcon generating approximately €1.5 billion and the production of Quadriga contributing the remaining €200 million. The Halcon contract was signed in June 2022 and comprises the acquisition of 20 latest-generation Eurofighter jets which will replace the aged Spanish Air Force F-18 fleet which is based on the Canary Islands. The Halcon programme followed the Quadriga contract, signed in 2020, and will deliver 38 new Eurofighter aircraft to the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), meaning that Germany will have the greatest number of orders for Europe’s biggest defence programme. The Halcon programme will result in the Spanish Eurofighter fleet expanding to 90 aircraft, with the first delivery due in 2026, securing industrial production activity through to 2030.
Quadriga guarantees production of the new Tranche 4 Eurofighter, which is currently the most modern European-built combat aircraft – until 2030, with a service-life well past 2060. Both programmes are decisive to guarantee national and European strategic autonomy in defence, when it matters most. (£1.00 = US$1.14 at time of publication).
