Britain provided 11 Typhoon jets and "substantial support" to Saudi Arabia in 2014, ahead of the kingdom’s bombing aggression in Yemen in March, a recent British government report reveals.
In a publication entitled "United Kingdom Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2014", which was revealed recently last week on July 16, it said: "The UK has a longstanding Government-to-Government defence cooperation programme with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under which the UK has provided Typhoon, Tornado, and Hawk aircraft, mine countermeasure vessels, and associated munitions, infrastructure, logistics and manpower support packages".
Defense News reported that the air forces of both nations use the precision-guided Paveway IV bomb on BAE Systems-supplied Tornado and Typhoon jets, making stocks easily interchangeable.
The Saudi Royal Air Force has been using the highly accurate, 500-pound bombs in its airstrikes in Yemen.
Also this month [July], the UK Ministry of Defense, responding to a House of Lords question regarding the amount of assistance Britain had given the Saudi government in its fight in Yemen, said:
"We are not participating directly in Saudi-led military operations in Yemen, but we are providing technical support, precision-guided weapons and exchanging information with the Saudi Arabian armed forces through pre-existing arrangements."
"With the destruction of Yemen and the intensifying crackdown on dissent in Saudi Arabia, the UK government is sending the message that human rights and democracy are less important than arms sales".
