The Turkish Ministry of National Defence (MoND) announced that the procurement process for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets has officially been completed under an agreement with the United Kingdom exceeding £8 billion. The Ministry stated that the first aircraft will begin entering the inventory of the Turkish Air Force (TuAF) in 2030.
Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler, in a statement regarding the delivery schedule, said that 6 aircraft will be delivered in 2030, 8 in 2031, and the remaining 6 in 2032. Thus, it is aimed that the Eurofighter fleet will become fully operational within three years, significantly strengthening the combat capabilities of the TuAF.
A CRITICAL AGREEMENT ON THE ANKARA–LONDON AXIS
The agreement in question was finalised following talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during Starmer’s visit to Ankara in October. Starmer described the deal as one of the largest aircraft export contracts for the UK aviation industry in recent years.
According to the British government, the contract will contribute to sustaining approximately 20,000 jobs across various facilities, notably in Edinburgh, Samlesbury, Bristol and Warton.
A STRATEGIC INTERIM PLATFORM FOR THE TURKISH AIR FORCE
The Eurofighter acquisition also puts an end to the long-standing uncertainty faced by the Turkish Air Force. Until the domestically developed fifth-generation KAAN fighter aircraft enters service, Türkiye had been seeking a high-performance interim platform to fill the resulting capability gap.
During this period, the backbone of the TuAF has been formed by the F-16 fleet, modernised with indigenous capabilities. Developed by ASELSAN:
- Final tests of the SOM-J cruise/anti-ship missile
- Live-fire trials of the GÖKDOĞAN and BOZDOĞAN air-to-air missiles
stand out as concrete examples of Türkiye’s strategy to strengthen its existing fleet with domestically produced munitions and systems.
THE GERMAN OBJECTION AND A POLITICAL TURNING POINT
The Eurofighter deal had been delayed for a long time due to opposition from Germany, one of the consortium partner countries. Berlin had withheld approval for the sale, criticising Ankara over alleged human rights violations against the Kurdish population and military activities in Syria and Libya.
This stance changed after Friedrich Merz assumed the office of Chancellor in Germany. With the approval of the new government, the biggest political obstacle to the sale was overcome.
OPTION OF USED EUROFIGHTERS FROM QATAR AND OMAN
At the same time that Minister Güler announced the delivery schedule, it emerged that Türkiye was also holding talks with Qatar and Oman regarding the procurement of used Eurofighter aircraft. These aircraft are planned to be considered as a temporary solution to enable Turkish pilots and technicians to adapt more quickly to the platform.
Aircraft potentially sourced from Qatar are expected to have a significant remaining service life and to come with a comprehensive weapons and equipment package for rapid integration.
Aircraft originating from Oman are reported to have relatively low flight hours, but would require modernisation to meet Turkish standards. In this context, AESA radar upgrades, METEOR missile integration and avionics enhancements are on the agenda.
TRAINING HAS BEGUN
Minister Güler emphasised that Turkish pilots and technicians are already working with regional allies as part of preparations for the Eurofighter. Güler used the following statements:
“Our pilots at the Qatar Air Command are continuously working together with Qatari pilots. As soon as possible, we will begin the training of Eurofighter pilots and maintenance personnel both in Qatar and in Oman.”
