The UK’s largest fighter jet export deal in almost 20 years is a relief for its Typhoon supply chain. 

Turkey has ordered 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the UK, in a contract valued at up to GBP8 billion.  

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer signed the deal with his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Erdogan, on 27 October during a visit to the capital, Ankara. 

Deliveries of the aircraft will begin in 2030, making it the tenth country to operate the Typhoon.  According to the BBC, Turkey also has an option to purchase 20 additional aircraft.  

Typhoon negotiations between Ankara and London have been underway since 2023; however, Germany has opposed the deal.  

All four countries behind the fighter jet – Italy, Germany, Spain, and the UK – can veto any export deal. Germany has, however, since dropped its objections, as it pursues a closer defence relationship with the UK through the 2024 Trinity House Agreement. 

It marks the first UK Typhoon order since 2017 and brings a sigh of relief for a workforce of around 20,000 from suppliers across the UK, the UK Government statement says. 

Dr Charles Woodburn, Group CEO of BAE Systems, said that “today’s announcement extends Typhoon production and preserves crucial sovereign skills which underpin the UK’s defence and security”. 

BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Rolls-Royce are named as prime contractors set to benefit from the deal, with 37% of the aircraft to be manufactured in the UK.  

The rest of the work is to be undertaken in other Eurofighter partner nations. On the motivation behind the deal, the UK statement says it “strengthens NATO’s collective deterrence and ties between the UK and Turkey”.  

The deal also bolsters interoperability between key regional partners. 

Keen to highlight these benefits, the prime minister called the deal “a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security”. 

Erdogan, meanwhile, called the deal “a new symbol of the strategic relations” with the UK.