BAE Systems has signed a deal with US aircraft firm Boeing which could see the British company win work worth more than £2bn in the next 20 years.
The agreement to collaborate on the design, development, supply and support of air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft, based on the Boeing 767, could secure "significant numbers" of jobs in the UK, said a BAE spokesman.
But the deal depends on the Ministry of Defence awarding the £13bn contract for the RAF's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft to the TTSC consortium, which includes the two companies.
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