Saudi Arabia in talks to buy more fighter jets

Riyadh is in talks with Britain over possibly doubling a recent purchase of 72 Eurofighter Typhoons with an add-on purchase buttressed by a support deal, and has held exploratory talks with Boeing on adding more F-15s, the sources said.

"Saudi Arabia has not finalised its requirements or decided if it will hold a competition or go with one player," said a source closely following the discussions.

Saudi Arabia is expected to split the purchase into two batches of 36 and there is potential for a total of more than 100 aircraft as it continues to renew its fleet of 276, said one of the sources. Both sources agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.

Splitting the order into three has also not been ruled out.

Britain's BAE Systems, which coordinates production of Eurofighter Typhoons recently sold to Saudi Arabia, and F-15 manufacturer Boeing both declined to comment.

Saudi Arabian Typhoons are being delivered now

Britain's defence ministry and the Eurofighter consortium, grouping BAE Systems, European aerospace group EADS and Finmeccanica of Italy, also declined to comment.

Britain sold Saudi Arabia 72 Typhoons in 2006, the first of which are just starting to be delivered.

Those 72 aircraft will serve as a partial replacement for the Saudi fleet of Anglo-German-Italian Tornados. But military analysts have long expected the kingdom to return to the market for upgrades to the rest of its Tornados and US-built F-5s.