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British defense contractor BAE Systems expressed confidence Tuesday in securing up to 150 new Eurofighter Typhoon orders from export markets, with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar leading potential buyers as regional conflicts drive military modernization efforts.
"We're working with the U.K. government on a number of those campaigns presently," Richard Hamilton, managing director for Europe and International in BAE Systems Air sector, told reporters at the company's Warton facility in northern England.
When asked about converting sales campaigns into firm orders, Hamilton responded: "Yeah, absolutely," noting that approximately 110 of the potential orders would likely come from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Qatar, with the remainder potentially from Poland through Italian partner Leonardo SpA.
"We see very, very real opportunities in terms of what we can do in those additional markets," Hamilton said, adding that about two-thirds of total export orders could involve U.K.-led final assembly.
The optimism comes as BAE faces concerns from British trade unions about production line continuity. Unite union reported in July that Typhoon assembly lines at Warton had ground to a halt, with workers being transferred to other facilities due to a lack of orders.
Türkiye has shown increasing interest in acquiring the Eurofighter Typhoon since 2022 as it seeks to modernize its air fleet, following exclusion from the U.S.-led F-35 program and delays in procuring new F-16 jets.
Talks have progressed in a "very positive" atmosphere, according to British Consul General in Istanbul Kenan Poleo. "We are confident that all four partner countries are willing to see Türkiye acquire the Eurofighter Typhoon," Poleo told Anadolu Agency on July 9.
The proposed deal reportedly includes 40 jets: 20 used Tranche 1 aircraft from the U.K. and 20 new Tranche 4 fighters expected to enter service by 2030. Some reports suggest that 28 retired Tranche 1 jets could be transferred to Türkiye at no cost, though this has not been officially confirmed.
The Eurofighter program requires unanimous approval from all four partner countries—Germany, the U.K., Italy, and Spain—for any export. Germany signaled its approval in November 2024 after discussions between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Türkiye submitted technical requirements in early 2025 and began evaluating the U.K. Ministry of Defense's proposal.
Hamilton said that confidence in securing new deals is bolstered by the U.K. government’s ongoing investment in upgrading Typhoon capabilities, which reassures international buyers of long-term support.
"The confidence it gives the export partner, you know, with the Saudis, with the Turkish, when they see that this thing has a life, it just makes the whole conversation so much easier," Hamilton said.
BAE is currently tailoring the Typhoon with electronic warfare, AI upgrades, and country-specific configurations to compete against U.S., European, and Chinese aircraft in the global market.
To date, the Eurofighter Typhoon has received 721 total orders, with 609 delivered and a backlog of 112 aircraft, according to BAE figures released Tuesday.
Trade union Unite recently warned that final assembly lines at Warton could face shutdowns without new orders. On July 7, Unite stated that Typhoon production lines had come to a halt, with some workers reassigned to other BAE sites or Royal Air Force facilities.
"A failure to do this could destroy a generation of aerospace workers and would amount to an act of self-harm," said Sharon Graham, Unite's general secretary, calling on the U.K. Ministry of Defense to place domestic orders for the new T5 variant of the Typhoon.
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