Turkish media outlet Milliyet reported that Ankara plans for fielding the Eurofighter TYPHOON have been expanded with the aim to quickly build a force of 56 jets, up from 44 in earlier plans.

Turkey signed a deal with the United Kingdom in the October of 2025 which will see them receive 20 new-build TYPHOONs from the BAE Systems Warton assembly line in Great Britain. The deal is worth £5.4 billion, expected to grow to 8 when follow-on negotiations for a Support deal will conclude. The 20 “Tranche 4” jets are expected to be delivered over 3 years, with 6 in 2030, 8 in 2031 and 6 in 2032.

In addition to those new-build jets, however, Turkey said it had concluded agreements with Oman and Qatar to purchase 12 second-hand TYPHOONs from each Country, giving a combined total of 44. The 12 Omani (9 single seaters and 3 twin) jets are the oldest involved in the deal: they were originally ordered in 2012. Produced in the UK, they were delivered beginning in 2017. For Oman, the handover of 12 TYPHOONs equates to the sale of their whole Eurofighter fleet.

Turkey says that the ex-Omani jets will transit through the UK for a comprehensive modernisation before being delivered in 2028. The fitting of AESA radars is specifically mentioned, although it remains uncertain which radar Turkey is planning to use: it is fair to assume that the new TYPHOONs procured from the UK would have the new and advanced British ECRS MK2 radar, but a final confirmation remains elusive.

The TYPHOONs from Qatar are due to be the first to get to Turkey. Being of more recent production, the Qatari jets are “Tranche 3A” airframes equipped with the ECRS Mk 0, early generation AESA first integrated onto TYPHOON.

According to the new reports, Qatar is now going to hand not just 12, but all of its 24 TYPHOONs to Turkey, a surprising development which would also have an inevitable impact on cooperation with the UK, considering that London supported the Qatari purchase and subsequent capability build-up making the Royal Air Force’s 12 Squadron a joint unit integrating Qatari personnel.

If the agreements with Turkey will be confirmed, both Oman and Qatar would lose the entirety of their TYPHOON fleets, with no apparent plans, particularly in Oman’s case, to procure replacements. In Qatar’s case, there had been talks with London about a follow-on purchase for 12 jets: it’s unclear at present if this remains on the cards, or whether it could indeed expand to replace the aircraft handed over to Ankara.

Turkey has publicly highlighted the importance of the MBDA METEOR long-range air to air missiles which will come alongside TYPHOON, but the rest of the weapons package connected to the new jets remains uncertain. The CGI images used at the time of contract signature with the UK show jets equipped with SNIPER targeting pods by Lockheed Martin, apparent PAVEWAY IV bombs by Raytheon UK, MBDA METEOR, MBDA BRIMSTONE and even ASRAAM short-range air to air missiles.

Turkey however has an increasingly capable national industrial capability for weapons and plans to eventually integrate its own solutions.

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