LONDON — Production of Türkiye's first fleet of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets has officially begun in the United Kingdom, marking a major milestone in the defense agreement signed between Ankara and London in October 2025.
BAE Systems confirmed in its first-half 2026 financial results that manufacturing of components is now underway at its facilities in the United Kingdom and across the Eurofighter partner nations. Final assembly of all 20 aircraft will take place at the company's Warton facility in Lancashire, England.
The £5.4 billion (approximately $7.2 billion) agreement covers the production of 20 newly built Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, along with weapons, training and long-term support. The order also helps sustain Typhoon production at Warton into the 2030s.
Deliveries Planned in Three Phases
The Turkish Air Force will receive the aircraft in three batches to support the gradual introduction of the new fleet.
- Six aircraft will be delivered in 2030
- Eight aircraft will follow in 2031
- The final six aircraft will arrive in 2032
Latest Production Standard
Türkiye's aircraft will be built in the Tranche 4 production standard, the latest version currently in production.
According to defense reports, the aircraft will be equipped with the Leonardo ECRS Mk 0 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The Tranche 4 standard also includes updated sensors, avionics and structural improvements.
The aircraft will be integrated with:
- MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles
- Brimstone precision ground-attack missiles
- Advanced short-range air-to-air missiles
Weapons integration is being carried out by BAE Systems in cooperation with MBDA.
Training and Support Package
In March 2026, the United Kingdom and Türkiye signed a separate agreement covering training, logistics and technical support for the Typhoon fleet. Reports have valued the package at around £2.5 billion, while other reports indicate it could be worth up to £2.6 billion.
The agreement includes high-fidelity flight simulators, electronic warfare systems, spare parts, technical assistance and support services for an initial three-year period after the aircraft enter service.
The Royal Air Force will train 10 Turkish instructor pilots and nearly 100 Turkish maintenance personnel to help Türkiye develop its own long-term training and maintenance capability. Turkish personnel are expected to begin travelling to the United Kingdom in August 2026, following the signing of a separate technical and logistics support agreement on March 25, 2026.
BAE Systems Statement
Simon Barnes, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems' Air sector, said:
"We're proud to support the UK's partnership with Türkiye by delivering a trusted defence capability that deepens collaboration and reinforces shared security commitments. Türkiye's acquisition of Typhoon strengthens this partnership and enhances the country's advanced combat air capabilities."
Strengthening Türkiye's Air Force
With this order, Türkiye will become the tenth operator of the Eurofighter Typhoon, joining Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multirole combat aircraft produced by the European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus and Leonardo. It entered service in 2003 and is designed for air-to-air, air-to-ground and reconnaissance missions.
Separately, Türkiye is also discussing the possible acquisition of second-hand Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from Qatar and Oman to bridge the gap before deliveries of its newly built aircraft begin in 2030. No agreement has been announced.
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