Berlin - Four nations placed their orders Friday for another shipment of Eurofighter jets, amid fears at defence factories that the 112 planes would be the last ordered.

Britain, Italy, Spain and Germany have dragged their feet over the latest round of orders for the controversial plane, which has been derided as outdated and overpriced.

The project began in 1988 and the planes, also known as Typhoons, entered service in 2003.

The German Defence Ministry in Berlin said the contract signed Friday for the 112 planes was worth 9 billion euros (13 billion dollars).

Instead of ordering the whole of this third and last tranche, the nations have ordered only part and put off an order for an additional 61 jets until later.

The consortium of companies building the jets signed that contract - for 112 jets and 241 engines - on Friday.

Germany is to receive 31 of the planes. It has dug in its heels over the programme because cost overruns mean the budget for the entire system has been used up on 143 fighter planes for which orders had been placed as of Friday.

Britain is ordering 40.

The contractors include EADS and BAE Systems. The newly ordered planes will not enter service before 2013.(dpa)