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Britain and Türkiye finalized an agreement Monday for the sale of 20 Typhoon fighter jets valued at up to £8 billion, marking the largest British fighter aircraft export deal in a generation and securing thousands of manufacturing jobs across the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the agreement during Starmer's first official visit to Ankara, with the deal representing the first new orders for UK Typhoons since 2017.
The contract will sustain approximately 20,000 jobs across Britain's defense manufacturing sector, with production concentrated at facilities in Warton, Salmesbury, Bristol and Edinburgh. Nearly 6,000 positions at BAE Systems sites in Warton and Salmesbury directly support Typhoon production and final assembly, while more than 1,100 jobs in southwest England and over 800 in Scotland contribute to the program.
"This landmark agreement with Türkiye is a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security," Starmer said in a statement.
Under the workshare arrangement, Britain will manufacture more than one-third of each aircraft, with the remaining portions produced by other Eurofighter partner nations. Rolls-Royce facilities in Bristol will produce critical components for the jets' EJ200 engines, while Leonardo's Edinburgh operation will manufacture the aircraft's radar systems.
The sale bolsters NATO's defensive capabilities in a strategically vital region, with Türkiye serving as the alliance's gateway to the Black Sea. The advanced combat aircraft will enhance interoperability between British and Turkish air forces while strengthening collective deterrence along the alliance's southeastern flank.
Defence Secretary John Healey, who accompanied Starmer to Ankara, emphasized the agreement's strategic significance beyond military hardware sales. "This deal goes far beyond the procurement of aircraft. It is the leading edge of the growing defence and industrial partnership between our two nations," Healey said.
The deal arrives weeks after Norway selected Britain's Type 26 frigates in a separate agreement worth £10 billion and supporting 4,000 jobs, underscoring the government's strategy to leverage defense exports for economic growth.
Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems, called Türkiye's procurement "the start of a new chapter in our longstanding relationship with this important NATO ally."
During his visit, Starmer met with Turkish military personnel and RAF Typhoon pilots to discuss how the jets would contribute to European security. He also laid a wreath at the Anitkabir Ataturk Mausoleum before finalizing the agreement at the Presidential Palace.
The first aircraft delivery to Türkiye is scheduled for 2030. The Typhoon deal follows a July agreement between Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to boost exports of British defense equipment, including Boxer armored vehicles and Typhoon jets.
Typhoon aircraft currently serve as the backbone of RAF combat operations, deployed in NATO air policing missions along the alliance's eastern border, round-the-clock protection of UK airspace, and counter-Daesh operations in Iraq and Syria.
The Turkish order provides crucial continuity for Britain's Typhoon production infrastructure, preserving specialized manufacturing capabilities the government considers essential to national defense and industrial sovereignty.
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