Contract agreed with Republic of Turkiye for Typhoon aircraft

The UK Government has announced an agreement worth around £5.4bn with the Republic of Türkiye for the purchase of 20 Typhoon aircraft and an associated weapons and integration package.

It will help to sustain 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 agreement announced means the Turkish Air Force will become the tenth air force to operate Typhoon and reflects the crucial role Typhoons are providing in international air defence.

Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems chief executive, said: "Türkiye’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 continues to deliver 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.”

Türkiye becomes the tenth operator alongside: UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
Typhoon is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most successful defence export programmes contributing £1.4bn in exports annually

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 strengthen Türkiye’s advanced combat capabilities, bolstering NATO’s strength in a key region and enhancing interoperability between both our air forces. 

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.

Both deals underline the government’s work to make defence an engine for growth, delivering highly skilled jobs and putting money in the pockets of working people through the Plan for Change.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This landmark agreement with Türkiye is a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security. 

“At either ends of Europe, the UK and Türkiye are vital to tackling the challenges of our time and this will allow our Armed Forces to work even closer together as we deter threats and protect our national interests. 

“Delivering highly skilled, well-paid jobs, including in Warton, Edinburgh and Bristol for years to come, this is yet another example of our Plan for Change in action, driving renewal and opportunity up and down the country.“

The deal also follows the Prime Minister and the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signing a new agreement in July to boost world-class UK defence exports such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon. 

During the Prime Minister’s visit today, he also met Turkish military and RAF Typhoon pilots to hear firsthand how the jets will contribute to European security.

The Typhoon workshare agreement sees more than a third (37 per cent) 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