Negotiations for the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, which are on the Turkish Air Force’s urgent needs list, have reached their final stage. The transfer agreement for 24 Tranche-3A jets to be procured from Qatar is expected to be signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Doha.
The Eurofighter Typhoon procurement process, carried out to swiftly add new fighter jets to the Turkish Air Force inventory, has reached a critical phase. Common ground has been established in the talks between Turkey and Qatar regarding the transfer of 24 Tranche-3A model Eurofighters.
It has been reported that the agreement in question could be signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Doha, as part of his Gulf tour covering Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. It is understood that the parties are finalising the last technical and administrative details, with the final signature planned to be made in Doha.
During the meeting between President Erdoğan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, defence industry cooperation and regional security issues, as well as the Eurofighter procurement, are expected to be on the agenda.
US-based Bloomberg claimed that, in addition to the 24 Tranche-3A aircraft from Qatar, Turkey may also place an order for 16 new-generation Tranche-4 Eurofighter Typhoons. The report stated that the UK has taken on a mediating role in the negotiation process and that the total value could reach several billion dollars.
Ankara’s goal is to both take over the aircraft in the Qatari Air Force inventory in the short term and acquire newly produced Tranche-4 models as part of a long-term modernisation effort. In this way, Turkey plans to establish a Eurofighter fleet totalling 40 aircraft.
The delivery process for the 24 Eurofighter Tranche-3A aircraft ordered by Qatar in 2017 has been completed as of 2024. These jets stand out as the “most up-to-date Typhoon version in service”, featuring the advanced Captor-E AESA radar, modern avionics systems, and superior electronic defence capabilities.
If the agreement is signed, the 24 jets to be transferred from Qatar to Turkey are expected to be delivered by the end of the year. It is stated that Turkish pilots are already conducting training flights with Eurofighter aircraft at the 3rd Main Jet Base in Konya and that no issues have been encountered during the adaptation process.
During President Erdoğan’s Doha engagements, new agreements in the fields of defence, economy, education, and culture are also planned to be signed at the 11th Meeting of the Turkey-Qatar High Strategic Committee.
