Image: UK MoD © Crown copyright 2025
In a landmark agreement hailed as the largest British fighter jet export in nearly two decades, the United Kingdom and Türkiye have signed an £8 billion deal for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, securing around 20,000 skilled jobs across the UK’s defence industry.
The deal was finalised during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Ankara, where he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to the UK government, the agreement will sustain production lines in Warton, Samlesbury, Edinburgh, and Bristol—ensuring the future of Britain’s Typhoon manufacturing programme, led by BAE Systems and its partners.
A Boost for British Industry
The Turkish order marks the biggest export of Typhoon jets since the aircraft entered service and provides a significant lifeline to the UK’s aerospace sector. BAE Systems’ facilities in Lancashire, where the jets are assembled, employ nearly 6,000 people directly on the Typhoon programme. Additional work will take place at Rolls-Royce in Bristol—responsible for the EJ200 engines—and at Leonardo in Edinburgh, which builds the aircraft’s advanced radar systems.
The UK government said the Typhoon programme supports over 1,100 jobs in the South West and more than 800 in Scotland. Roughly 37 percent of each aircraft is manufactured in the UK under the Eurofighter consortium’s work-share agreement, with the remainder produced by partner nations Germany, Italy, and Spain.
“This landmark agreement with Türkiye is a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security,” Prime Minister Starmer said. “At either end of Europe, the UK and Türkiye are vital to tackling the challenges of our time.”
Strengthening NATO Ties
For Türkiye, the acquisition represents a major upgrade to its air combat fleet and a deepening of defence cooperation with Western allies. Ankara’s purchase of the Typhoon—an advanced multi-role aircraft capable of both air superiority and ground attack missions—will enhance NATO interoperability and reinforce deterrence along the alliance’s southern and Black Sea flanks.
Defence Secretary John Healey, who accompanied the Prime Minister to Ankara, called the deal “the biggest jet export in a generation.” He added: “By equipping Türkiye with top-of-the-range Typhoon fighter jets, this agreement will strengthen NATO deterrence and help make us all safer.”
The first aircraft are expected to be delivered to Türkiye by 2030.
Broader Defence Growth
The deal follows a series of recent British defence export successes, including Norway’s selection of the UK-designed Type 26 frigate earlier this month—a contract valued at around £10 billion and expected to support 4,000 jobs. London has also recently signed an agreement with Germany to boost exports of armoured vehicles and other military platforms.
Together, these deals underscore the government’s ambition to position defence manufacturing as a key driver of national economic growth under its “Plan for Change.”
BAE Systems Chief Executive Charles Woodburn said Türkiye’s procurement “marks the start of a new chapter in our longstanding relationship with this important NATO ally.” He added that the agreement “extends Typhoon production and preserves crucial sovereign skills which underpin the UK’s defence and security.”
Currently, Typhoon aircraft form the backbone of the Royal Air Force’s combat air capability, serving in roles such as NATO air policing and homeland air defence, as well as in overseas operations including counter-terror missions in Iraq and Syria.
The UK government described the Turkish deal as both an industrial milestone and a strategic investment in European security—cementing the Typhoon’s position as one of Britain’s most successful defence exports.
Source: 10 Downing Street
