£8bn Typhoon order is great news for Lancashire

The UK and Turkey have signed a deal worth up to £8bn for 20 UK Typhoon fighter jets in a major boost for Lancashire’s defence and aerospace sector.

Under the agreement, BAE Systems will manufacture major airframe components, conduct the final assembly of the aircraft and lead the weapons integration at its Warton and Samlesbury sites.

The Turkish agreement is a major boost for the British order book, representing the biggest fighter jet deal in almost 20 years and saving the Warton production line. 

It will also generate work for hundreds of companies across the UK supply chain. The weapons package will be primarily provided by MBDA, which is also based in the North West.

Almost 6,000 jobs directly support the Typhoon programme at BAE Systems in Warton and Samlesbury, where production and final assembly of each fighter jet takes place.  

BAE Systems chief executive Charles Woodburn said: “Typhoon is an export success story and demonstrates how investment in defence can fuel significant economic growth and returns across the UK.

“The announcement extends Typhoon production and preserves crucial sovereign skills which underpin the UK’s defence and security.”

Typhoon is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most successful defence export programmes contributing £1.4bn in exports annually. The programme generates £1.6bn to the UK economy each year

More than 20,000 jobs across the UK are supported by the Typhoon programme, including highly skilled sovereign engineering roles, with the majority based in the North West.

The deal means that Typhoon production in the UK will now extend into the 2030

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the order as “A win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security.”

The deal with Turkey could also help talks with other countries, such as Qatar and Austria, in efforts to win more orders for the programme in what is a highly competitive market.

Continuing Typhoon assembly in Lancashire is seen as vital in bridging the gap until the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) fully ramps up and in securing the skills needed to deliver it.

The UK is a partner with Italy and Japan in GCAP, working to develop the sixth-generation fighter and accompanying systems, with much of the early work taking place at BAE Systems’ Lancashire facilities.

The Unite union, which represents thousands of BAE Systems workers has welcomed the deal with Turkey. It says the order is critical to maintain vital fast jet engineering skills, particularly in final assembly. However, the union is adamant that it remains imperative that the RAF also places an order for new Typhoon aircraft without delay.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This new Typhoon order is very welcome news for our members. Unite has been extremely clear about the need for having more British-built Typhoons in order to sustain jobs and vital engineering skills in the UK, especially in final assembly capability.

“Now our own government needs to follow suit and buy new state-of-the-art British Typhoons to replace the RAF’s aging fast-jets. The Prime Minister promised to use the defence budget to get workers in Britain building, so what are we waiting for?”