UK and Turkey set for Typhoon fighter jet deal

Defence ministers boost hopes for lifeline exports of 40 warplanes

Spanish and Italian Typhoon jets patrolling over the Baltic Sea. Turkey could soon join the Nato countries with a potential order for 40 of the warplanes. AP

A major sale of Typhoon jets to Turkey is set to go ahead after an agreement was struck on Wednesday with the British government, and with Germany finally clearing objections to the deal.

In the absence of an F-16 fighter export agreement with the US, Ankara will now progress with the purchase of up to 40 of the battle-proven aircraft that will be assembled in the UK.

The move will also save the BAE Systems production line of Typhoons in Warton, Lancashire, that has been wound down with no further orders and its staff posted elsewhere.

After two years of talks, UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Guler signed a preliminary agreement on building the fighters, at the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Negotiations to finalise an arms deal will continue over the coming weeks, but the UK will hope to secure its first major export order for Typhoons since 2017.

The highly capable fighter-bomber is flown by several Gulf states, with squadrons fielded by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain and a total of about 700 Typhoons built to date.

Saudi Typhoon fighters perform during a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the King Faisal Air Academy in Riyadh. AFP

Mr Healey said the preliminary agreement was “a big step towards Turkey buying UK Typhoon fighter jets” and that the jets would “strengthen Nato’s collective defence”.

Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems which assembles the aircraft, agreed that the move underscored the importance of co-operation in Nato and “the critical role Typhoon plays in security and defence in Europe and the Middle East”.

The RAF’s Typhoon, regarded as an agile aircraft, has seen active service across the Middle East, primarily targeting ISIS during its insurgency in Syria and Iraq.

It initially saw action during the 2011 bombing campaign in Libya and is capable of carrying several ground attack weapons including the Storm Shadow cruise and Brimstone precision missiles.

The Turkey deal, which could be worth $5.6 billion, had been held up by the previous German government’s reluctance to approve export licences, allegedly for political reasons following Ankara’s treatment of opposition figures.

But Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new government had cleared the way for it following a positive decision by the federal security council earlier this week.

Further progress had been made after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, which Turkish government officials said had gone positively.

After the announcement of Wednesday’s preliminary agreement, Mr Starmer said that “signing a multibillion export deal with Turkey” will sustain 20,000 UK jobs as well as “keep us and our allies safer during these uncertain times”.

Mr Erdogan said developments in the defence sector would positively contribute to co-operation between the sides, who are both Nato members.

A defence industry source told The National that while staff had been allocated elsewhere from the Warton site, BAE had “been in this position before” when orders had dried up and it would be straightforward to stand up the production line again if the Turkey deal succeeded.

The UK Ministry of Defence also said the potential Typhoon exports would strengthen Turkey’s “advanced combat capabilities”.

As the second-largest military force in the Nato alliance, the addition of 40 highly capable fighter jets will provide Turkey with an important upgrade to its air force.

The $110 million warplanes are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, with the main production line in the UK.