Oman plans to buy Eurofighters says UK

Oman has indicated that it intends to buy an unspecified number of Eurofighter warplanes, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said on Friday.

The possible deal followed three years of talks between Brown and the leaders of Oman, the spokesman said without giving details of the size or timing of any sale.

Media reports in late 2008 said Oman was in talks with BAE Systems to buy 24 Typhoons worth at least 1.4 billion pounds ($2.13 billion).

The British company makes the Eurofighter alongside Italian group Finmeccanica and European aerospace group EADS. The engines are supplied by a group led by Rolls-Royce and Germany's MTU Aero Engines.

A BAE spokesman said the company had no immediate comment, but would release a statement later on Friday.

If confirmed, the deal would give a boost to the Eurofighter project after years of uncertainty over whether European countries would agree to buy the full number of jets they signed up for.

Saudi Arabia bought 72 Eurofighter Typhoons in 2006 and India is considering buying the aircraft for its $11 billion fighter jet contract.