AFP - The four partner countries in the Eurofighter consortium signed a contract for the delivery of 112 of the aircraft, worth around nine billion euros (13 billion dollars), the German defence ministry said Friday.
   
"NATO Eurofighter and Tornade Development, Production and Logistics Agency (NETMA) today signed a contract for the delivery of 112 Eurofighter aircraft in the name of the partner countries Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain," the ministry said in a statement.
   
"The procurement volume amounts to approximately nine billion euros," the statement added.
   
The Eurofighter is a multi-purpose combat jet developed by a European consortium comprised of the aerospace group EADS, BAE Systems of Britain and the Italian group Alenia/Finmeccanica.
   
The four partner countries in the consortium divided up work on the plane in 1998 according to the number of aircraft each planned to buy, with a total of 620 orders booked in three stages through to 2017.
   
"The continuation of the programme will not only secure thousands of highly qualified jobs in the European aviation industry but also improve the export chances of the eurofighter," the ministry added.