A Keighley company is helping build the next generation of super fighters.

Teconnex has clinched a £750,000 deal to supply special clamps for the £15 billion Eurofighter.

The five-year contract is a boon to the 130 staff at the Chesham Street company, which has spent nine years in the design, prototype manufacture and testing of the clamps with Dowty Aerospace, of Wolverhampton, which has won the contract to build the aircraft gearboxes.

The Eurofighter is a collaboration between the UK, Germany, Italy and Spai.n. The RAF expects its first delivery in 2002.

Tony Sunter, Teconnex sales supervisor, said: "We are very pleased with the contract. It's not a great amount compared with the whole contract, but in local terms it is substantial."

Not only did it bring some job security but there was potential for more jobs, he added. Their contract is for clamps used for connecting input and output drives to the accessory gearbox.

They are a unique design and provide high strength with low weight. In addition to the Eurofighter contract, Teconnex supplies clamps for the Airbus and Tornado aircraft and the B0105 helicopter.

Graham Penny, operation's director, said: "The award reinforces our position within the aerospace market, an area in which we see good growth potential."

Teconnex is the UK's leading manufacturer of fabricated V and band clamps for providing high integrity circular clamping solutions.

Mr Penny said substantial orders were expected for the Eurofighter Typhoon, the export version of the fighter.

The Greek government had already placed an order for 60 aircraft, with options for a further 30, and interest had been expressed by a number of governments in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as by Norway and the Netherlands.