Air defence scheme

This file concerns HMG's run of difficulties with the Saudi Arabian Government over the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme (SAADS). This was due to Saudi dissatisfaction with the Saudi Arabian Defence Consortium (SADC). The SADC is comprised of three British companies that supply the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) with aircrafts, training, maintenance and military equipment in accordance with the SAADS: British Aircraft Corporation Limited (BAC), Associated Electrical Industries (AEI), Airwork Services Limited. This file contains correspondence relating to:

• Saudi Government accusing Airwork of breaching the contract, and therefore refusing to make T33 aircraft available, due to Airwork failing to provide ex-RAF and ex-Royal Navy instructors qualified to fly T33 and F86 aircraft
• BAC 167 program, including a memorandum by D J McCarthy concerning Saudi complaints about the conditions of the BAC "Strikemaster" 167 training aircrafts
• How these problems were affecting Saudi Arabia's relations with HMG
• Memorandum by A J D Stirling, recommending that the Minister of State should write to Gerald T Fowler expressing that a determined effort should be made to get the Consortium to remedy its shortcomings
• List of ministerial assurances to the Saudi Government
• Possibility of the Consortium contracts being cancelled and the Saudi Government seeking alternative arrangements
• Memorandum by W Morris, stating that King Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud criticised the SAADS
• Notes on reports from the Air Attaché in Jeddah, stating that they had difficulty with the RSAF over starting the Security Operations Centre's (SOC) training
• Delayed deliveries of aircraft and equipment to Saudi Arabia
• Minutes of meetings held on 31 October and 19 November 1968 by the Ministry of Technology and the Executive Committee concerning the Consortium
• Memorandum by N W Kearon regarding the operational training of a RSAF Lightning squadron
• Provisional program for UK officials visiting Saudi Arabia in January 1969