3 min read - 28 Oct, 2025
UK agrees £8bn Typhoon aircraft deal with Turkey
The UK has secured a deal with Turkey worth up to £8bn for the purchase of 20 Typhoon aircraft and an associated weapons and integration package, sustaining more than 20,000 highly skilled jobs across the UK supply chain.
Under the agreement, BAE Systems will manufacture major airframe components, conduct the final assembly of the aircraft and lead the weapons integration at its sites in Lancashire, generating work for hundreds of companies across the UK supply chain. The weapons package will be primarily provided by MBDA.
The Turkish contract represents the biggest fighter jet deal in almost two decades and marks the first new orders for UK Typhoons since 2017.
This new agreement means the Turkish Air Force will become the tenth air force to operate Typhoon alongside the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of skilled UK jobs have been secured for years to come as the UK and Turkey sign a deal worth up to £8bn for 20 Typhoon fighter jets / Picture: BAE Systems
Charles Woodburn, chief executive, BAE Systems, said: “Turkey’s procurement of Typhoon marks the start of a new chapter in our longstanding relationship with this important NATO ally and reinforces the outstanding operational support the aircraft delivers across Europe and the Middle East as a fundamental pillar of defence and security.
“Typhoon is an export success story and demonstrates how investment in defence can fuel significant economic growth and returns across the UK. Today’s announcement extends Typhoon production and preserves crucial sovereign skills which underpin the UK’s defence and security.”
The Typhoon workshare agreement sees more than a third (37%) of each aircraft manufactured in the UK; the rest of each aircraft would be produced by the Eurofighter Partner Nations. The UK jobs include:
• Nearly 6,000 jobs directly support the Typhoon programme at BAE Systems sites in Warton and Samlesbury, where production and final assembly of each Typhoon fighter jet takes place.
• More than 1,100 jobs are supported in the South West region, including Rolls-Royce in Bristol, producing critical modules and components for Typhoon’s EJ200 jet engines and acting as the main hub for maintenance of the engines.
• More than 800 jobs are supported in Scotland, including Leonardo in Edinburgh, manufacturing the fighter jet’s cutting-edge radar for identifying enemies.
The agreement with Turkey marks the first new orders for UK Typhoons since 2017 / Picture: BAE Systems
The deal comes just weeks after the UK’s Type 26 frigates were selected by Norway, adding a further £10bn to Britain’s economy and securing 4,000 jobs.
John Healey, defence secretary, added: “This is another major export deal for the UK and is the biggest jet export deal in a generation. It will pump billions of pounds into our economy and keep British Typhoon production lines turning long into the future. This deal goes far beyond the procurement of aircraft. It is the leading edge of the growing defence and industrial partnership between our two nations.
“Turkey is an important NATO ally and the gatekeeper to the Black Sea. By equipping them with top-of-the-range Typhoon fighter jets, this deal will strengthen NATO deterrence and help make us all safer. I’m determined this government will make defence an engine for growth across the UK.”
The first delivery to Turkey is expected to take place in 2030.
