- Agreement forms part of the major £8 billion UK export
deal secured in October 2025.
- Pilots and technicians to be trained in the
UK, alongside long-term maintenance support for the
Turkish Airforce.
- 20,000 UK jobs backed by deal for British-built
Typhoon fighter jets for Türkiye.
UK-built fighter jets for Türkiye will be
supported under a major new training and support contract
signed today.
The UK and Türkiye have signed a multi-billion-pound agreement
which will see the UK train Turkish Air Force pilots and ground
crew to fly and maintain Typhoon fighter jets, marking
the next phase of the landmark £8 billion Typhoon deal agreed in
October 2025.
The support agreement, signed in London today between
Defence Secretary MP and Turkish Defence
Minister, Yaşar Güler, will see 10 Turkish pilots
and nearly 100 ground crew
technicians - covering mechanical,
avionics, weapons and mission
systems - trained in the UK.
The work also secures production
of aircraft components and spares in support of
Türkiye's maintenance of the aircraft with the
support of UK industry, including BAE Systems, Leonardo UK,
MBDA, Rolls Royce and – backing British defence
jobs across the country. That work includes delivery of
spares and support equipment, associated engineer and pilot
training, high-tech training simulators and electronic
warfare capabilities.
More than a third of every Typhoon is built in Britain, with
production lines in Scotland, Lancashire and Bristol,
and 330 UK companies in the supply chain. The overall deal is
securing 20,000 skilled UK jobs for years to
come, demonstrating that defence is an engine for
growth by being a powerful backer of British industry.
Türkiye's acquisition of Typhoon will
strengthen NATO's combat air capability on its eastern
flank. The training programme represents a significant
step forward in delivering on the wider deal, which is the
largest UK fighter jet export order in nearly
20 years.
Typhoon fighter jets continue to demonstrate their importance
around the clock, flying regular defensive missions in the Middle
East to help protect UK personnel and allies and partners in the
region.
Defence Secretary MP said:
"This partnership does not just export world-leading British
built jets, it builds alliances, grows our economy, and
makes NATO stronger.
“Türkiye's decision to acquire Typhoon is a vote of
confidence in British industry and British jobs,
and this agreement brings the UK-Türkiye partnership to
life.
“As UK Typhoon pilots continue to fly defensive missions over the
Middle East, I'm proud that Turkish pilots and engineers will
train alongside our RAF personnel to strengthen our collective
security - this is defence delivering for Britain."
The Typhoon workshare agreement sees more than a third (37%) of
each aircraft manufactured in the UK; the rest of
each aircraft is 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 Turkish Typhoon fighter
jet will take place.
- The Typhoon programme supports more than 1,100 jobs in
the South West region. That includes Rolls-Royce in
Bristol producing critical modules and components for Typhoon's
EJ200 jet engines and acting as main hub for maintenance of the
engines.
- The Typhoon programme supports more than 800 jobs in
Scotland. That includes Leonardo in Edinburgh manufacturing the
fighter jet's cutting-edge radar
for identifying enemies.
Simon Barnes, Group Managing Director, BAE Systems' Air
sector, said:
“We're proud to support the UK's partnership with Türkiye by
delivering a trusted defence capability that deepens
collaboration and reinforces shared security commitments.
“Türkiye's acquisition of Typhoon strengthens this partnership
and enhances the country's advanced combat air capabilities.
“We're delighted to play a key role in enhancing Türkiye's
readiness to operate the new aircraft through this training and
support agreement with the UK Government.”
Typhoon remains the proven backbone of RAF combat air
power, and Türkiye's acquisition signals growing international
confidence in British aerospace capability.
