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The United Kingdom has confirmed that the first delivery of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Türkiye is planned for 2030 and that Ankara will receive sovereign control of mission data, according to exclusive responses from the U.K. Embassy in Ankara and BAE Systems to Turkish defense media outlet TurDef.
The disclosures represent the first official timetable marker and numerous policy-level confirmations for Türkiye's acquisition of 20 Eurofighter Typhoons, while revealing areas where negotiations, export approvals and industrial planning continue.
The U.K. Embassy verified that the first delivery of aircraft to Türkiye is planned in 2030, marking the only official timeframe for the program. No additional information was provided on early or late 2030 delivery or contingency margins.
"This suggests that the government is still arranging the order of production rather than the industry making an announcement," the TurDef report noted.
The Embassy also confirmed that the aircraft configuration has been finalized, indicating the capability package is politically settled even though the underlying Tranche designation has not been disclosed.
BAE Systems separately confirmed that all aircraft will be delivered to the P3EC standard with an AESA radar, settling months of speculation about whether Türkiye would receive a mechanical/doppler radar.
One of the most strategically significant confirmations concerned operational sovereignty. Both the U.K. Embassy and BAE Systems stated that Typhoon provides operators with "sovereign control of mission data."
This indicates Türkiye will possess the authority to generate and update its own mission-data files and electronic warfare libraries — an operational advantage not commonly granted in many modern fighter programs.
"This level of access — rare in modern fighter exports — indicates full national authority over electronic-warfare reprogramming and tactical configuration," the report stated.
The U.K. Embassy declined to specify whether Türkiye will receive the ECRS Mk1 or Mk2 radar standard, noting that "conversations between Oman and Türkiye are ongoing."
This signals that radar decisions are intertwined with wider export considerations among Eurofighter users. BAE Systems confirmed only that Türkiye will not receive a mechanical/doppler radar but avoided naming a specific variant.
On weapons, both the Embassy and BAE Systems confirmed that Meteor air-to-air missiles are included in the package. BAE Systems referred broadly to a "comprehensive weapons package" without confirming or denying additional systems such as Brimstone and Storm Shadow.
The U.K. Embassy provided two strategic clarifications absent from industry responses. First, it stated: "Türkiye has made their intent clear. The U.K. will work with Türkiye to achieve the best possible outcome," signaling political openness to the integration of Turkish air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.
Second, the Embassy confirmed that Türkiye may export its sovereign systems to other Eurofighter nations — a policy position that could expand Türkiye's industrial role beyond national use.
BAE Systems confirmed for the first time that airframe, engine, electronic warfare suite and deep maintenance will be handled through a separate follow-on contract, revealing a two-phase structure.
The U.K. Embassy stated that this second contract will define long-term maintenance, overhaul, EW/MDF infrastructure and training.
"This is the clearest indication yet that Türkiye's Eurofighter acquisition includes an expandable support architecture, with potential industrial participation pathways," the report noted.
The U.K. Embassy provided a comprehensive description of production responsibilities, noting that around one-third of major aircraft components — such as the front fuselage, tail section and spine tank — are produced at Samlesbury. Turkish aircraft will be assembled at Warton.
BAE Systems confirmed that Samlesbury continues to manufacture major units for Germany, Spain and Italy, with ongoing orders keeping U.K. Typhoon production active into the next decade.
However, questions on cost implications and production tempo were not answered, reflecting that such matters are tightly linked to government scheduling rather than manufacturer discretion.
On offsets, BAE Systems replied only that it sees the deal as "the next chapter" in its relationship with Türkiye's defense industry — an optimistic but non-committal statement leaving the structure of industrial cooperation undefined.
BAE Systems declined entirely to discuss the financing model behind the £5.4 billion agreement, emphasizing that payment schedules, credit mechanisms and currency-risk provisions are set strictly at the government level.
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