Turkish Eurofighter pilots to begin UK flight training in August

Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense (MoND) announced that Turkish pilots assigned to fly the Eurofighter Typhoon will be sent to the United Kingdom in August 2026 to begin flight training.

MoND spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk announced during the ministry's weekly press briefing at Roketsan’s Lalahan facility that flight personnel are scheduled to travel to the United Kingdom as part of the Eurofighter procurement process, with flight training set to commence shortly afterward.

The ministry said that under the signed contract, flight and maintenance personnel would continue to be sent to the U.K. over the coming years.

A German Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet plane is pictured at the Noervenich Air Base in Noervenich, western Germany, on July 17, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Türkiye's Eurofighter deal

Türkiye and the U.K. signed a contract for the procurement of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 aircraft.

The original procurement contract, covering the 20 aircraft, equipment and munitions, was signed in Oct. 2025 during a visit by then-U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer to Ankara at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Then-U.K. defense secretary John Healey and Royal Air Force (RAF) Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth also attended the signing ceremony.

The U.K. government described the deal as the largest combat aircraft export in recent history, with a package ceiling valued at up to £8 billion, covering the 20 aircraft, Meteor missiles manufactured by aerospace giant MBDA, pilot training, spare parts and integration services.

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A separate figure of £5.4 billion represents the initial contract value covering airframe components, final assembly and weapons integration.

The weapons package will be primarily provided by MBDA.

Final assembly of Türkiye's Eurofighter aircraft will take place in Warton, Lancashire, with production already underway in the U.K. and other Eurofighter partner nations. With this deal, the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) will become the 10th air force worldwide to operate the Eurofighter Typhoon alongside the U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

July 23, 2026 02:40 PM GMT+03:00