On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the company BAE Systems announced that, under an agreement between the government of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Turkey, it will provide training, support equipment, and services for the 20 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 5 multirole aircraft recently ordered by Ankara.
Turkish and UK Ministers of Defense, Yaşar Güler and John Healey / Photo and graphic: BAE Systems
Under the contract of undisclosed value, BAE Systems will supply spare parts and support equipment, provide training for technical personnel and pilots, deliver high-fidelity training simulators, and supply electronic warfare systems. In addition, BAE Systems will provide technical support services during an initial three-year period following the entry of the aircraft into service with the Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri).
The contract will support the Turkish armed forces in maintaining fleet readiness and effectiveness, as well as in gradually increasing national sovereignty in support capabilities.
This follows the agreement announced in October between the governments of the United Kingdom and Turkey for the purchase of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 5 multirole aircraft for approximately 5.4 billion GBP, highlighting the key role this platform plays in the security and defense of Europe and the Middle East. The package includes not only the aircraft themselves but also armament (primarily from the European consortium MBDA).
It is worth recalling that a preliminary agreement in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the UK and Turkish Ministers of Defense, John Healey and Yaşar Güler, on July 23, 2025, during the second day of the 17th International Defence Industry Fair IDEF 2025 in Istanbul.
“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. We’re delighted to play a key role in enhancing Türkiye’s readiness to operate the new aircraft through this training and support agreement with the UK Government.” said Simon Barnes, Group Managing Director, BAE Systems’ Air sector.
Production of components for the first aircraft for Turkey is already underway in the United Kingdom and across Eurofighter partner nations, with delivery of the first aircraft planned for 2030.
Under separate agreements with the UK government, the Royal Air Force (RAF) will train 10 Turkish instructor pilots and nearly 100 maintenance instructors, enabling the Turkish Air Force to independently conduct training and support for future pilots and ground personnel, further strengthening ties between the two countries.
More than one-third of each Typhoon aircraft (37%) will be built in the United Kingdom, supporting hundreds of companies across the national supply chain, while the remainder will be produced by partner countries (Germany, Spain, and Italy). Final assembly of the Turkish aircraft will take place at BAE Systems’ facility in Warton, Lancashire, and will also include radars from Edinburgh and engines from Bristol. The Eurofighter Typhoon program supports more than 20,000 jobs in the UK economy.
With this new contract, ten countries have ordered over 760 Eurofighter aircraft. In recent years, additional Typhoons have been ordered by Italy (+24 units), Spain (+20 units + 25 units), Qatar (+12 units), and Germany (38 units + 20 units). Interest has also been expressed by Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Ukraine (although the latter has recently announced plans to acquire Gripen and Rafale aircraft), while the aircraft is currently being offered to the Philippines.
Previously, Typhoons were also exported to Austria and Oman. The United Kingdom has not yet decided on replacing its oldest Typhoons with new ones, although these must be retired by 2027 (on July 1 this year, 26 of 30 Tranche 1 aircraft were withdrawn from service, according to Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry at the Ministry of Defence).
We have been awarded a contract to deliver support and training equipment and services to support Türkiye's @eurofighter Typhoon fleet.
This work will support the Turkish Air Force to deliver operational readiness and progressively increase its sovereign support of its fleet.… pic.twitter.com/u83NMMWI6a
— BAE Systems (@BAESystemsplc) March 25, 2026
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