Eurofighter Typhoon

NMaude said:
Moscow is in no position right now to offer such foreign "Protection".
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And yet pr.Jolani went there just for that.

Turkish protection was humiliated over and over, especially with to be Turkish bases in Syria.
And it just wasn't possible v Hel Havir. Would Turks had appeared there - they would've been killed. That was made clear, and there was clearly no way to establish some sort of viable CAP that wouldn't just add more Anatolian widows.

I am honestly unsure if eurofighters can change that as a CAP (F-35I factor), but in principle they should be able to "hunt the hunter", and easily threaten Israeli order of battle via range outmatch.

Aka, as of 2025, Turkish airforce was shown incapable of deterring Israel - same Israel which later dismembered a far more modern air defense (which in Turkish case only begins to emerge, Iran was way earlier, far ahead and it was much further away along modernization path), and then demonstrated it doesn't care about American alliances.

As for Syria, seing all this and after Druze escalation, mr. Sharaa clearly had enough.
BonPlan2 said:
Russia is already in trouble against Ukraine. Do they have the capacity and men to help a so weak proxy ?
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I won't pretend I am a specialist. It appears that Moscow has a working relationship with Israel/Netaniahu. Whatever the case, visit was about that among other things.
 
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snne said:
This is what a credible source says:


https://x.com/Fatih_MehmetK
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He added:
When things got difficult on our end, the British raised the price. That’s why the negotiations dragged on. But now that there have been positive developments regarding the F-35 and such, the talks have accelerated. We’ll see.
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There’s even a possibility of either 40 Tranche 4 + 24 Tranche 3, or 40 T4 + 24 T3 + 12 more T4. Most likely, this issue will be resolved by the end of the year.
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There were also negotiations on the MBDA Meteor missile, but there’s no new information from that front right now.
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Munitions integration has been given the green light. But I don’t know the details of the other issues yet.
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https://www.trmilitary.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8049&start=4300#p425390

the Hürriyet newspaper also reported this:
All eyes are now on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s expected visit to Turkey in the coming weeks. Final signatures are expected to be signed during the visit.
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https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/...enisliyor-eurofighterda-sona-gelindi-42990521
 
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Takeaways by Bloomberg AI​

  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Qatar this week with a request to buy 24 used Eurofighter Typhoon jets to modernize his country’s air force.
  • The UK has facilitated talks over the transfer of the jets from Qatar to Turkey, alongside Ankara’s request to buy 16 new Tranche 4 jets as part of a deal worth several billion dollars.
  • Erdogan's visit to Qatar is part of a regional tour and comes after Ankara signed a preliminary agreement on the multibillion-dollar sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets with the UK in July.

www.bloomberg.com

Erdogan Travels to Qatar, Seeking to Buy 24 Used Eurofighters

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Qatar this week with a request to buy 24 used Eurofighter Typhoon jets to modernize his country’s air force.
www.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com
 
snne said:
He added:




https://www.trmilitary.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8049&start=4300#p425390

the Hürriyet newspaper also reported this:

https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/...enisliyor-eurofighterda-sona-gelindi-42990521
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What a mess... None of this would have happened if they had ordered the jets a couple of years earlier...

Reuters mentions that Turkey is looking at both Qatari and Omani EFs. My brainfreeze, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar all operate 3As, with ECRS MK0 AESA radars. Tranche 3A is the most modern EF flying today, mostly thanks to its AESA radar.

Bloomberg had mentioned 24+16 aircraft. Reuters mentions 12+28. Maybe 6 from Qatar, 6 from Oman; details are scant. Qatar have already ordered 12 T4 aircraft, while no Omani follow up yet exists.

I don't really think cost is the actual reason for seeking second hand aircraft; but timelines. A 3 year old Qatari EF won't be that cheaper; and again, real costs are in setting up the capability and maintaining it, not flyaway cost.

"For the Typhoons, Turkey is nearing a deal with Britain and other European countries in which it would promptly receive 12 of them, albeit used, from previous buyers Qatar and Oman to meet its immediate needs, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Eurofighter consortium members Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain would approve the second-hand sale proposal, in which they would provide Turkey with 28 new jets in coming years pending a final purchase agreement, the person said.
Erdogan is expected to discuss the proposal on visits to Qatar and Oman on Wednesday and Thursday, with jet numbers, pricing, and timelines the main issues.

Erdogan is then expected to host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later this month, when agreements could be sealed, sources say."

https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...hter-jets-claw-back-regional-edge-2025-10-22/
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Airbus CEO has spoken to the state-run Anadolu Agency, confirming recent reports that negotiations have indeed accelerated:
Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn said talks to sell 40 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye are in their final stages and he is optimistic about a successful conclusion.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1981669500203225565
View: https://x.com/anadoluagency/status/1981669500203225565


Multiple sources have reported that Starmer, the MoD, the RAF chief, and BAE administrators will visit Turkey this month, so there is a chance a deal could be reached.

Aviation reporter Tolga Özbek reports:
The report stated that delivery of the Eurofighter aircraft is scheduled to begin next year, but that new F-16s are not expected to arrive in Turkey before 2030. This gap is considered a decisive factor in the Turkish Air Force's decision to turn to European-made aircraft to meet its urgent modernization needs.
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https://tolgaozbek.com/savunma/ingiltere-basbakani-turkiyeye-geliyor/
 
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snne said:
Airbus CEO has spoken to the state-run Anadolu Agency, confirming recent reports that negotiations have indeed accelerated:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1981669500203225565
View: https://x.com/anadoluagency/status/1981669500203225565


Multiple sources have reported that Starmer, the MoD, the RAF chief, and BAE administrators will visit Turkey this month, so there is a chance a deal could be reached.

Aviation reporter Tolga Özbek reports:

https://tolgaozbek.com/savunma/ingiltere-basbakani-turkiyeye-geliyor/
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I assume the expectation is T4? Germany have just agreed on a T5 but the timeline for that may be more than Turkey is happy to accept.
 

UK's Starmer visit to Turkey set to finalise multibillion-dollar Eurofighter deal
British PM to visit Ankara on Monday, reportedly sending two Eurofighter jets to mark the deal​

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The two countries signed a provisional agreement in July for 40 jets and have since continued negotiations over technical specifications and pricing, which Ankara reportedly found relatively high.

One source familiar with the matter said that of the 40 jets, 20 will be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to allow for faster delivery. The remaining 20 will be delivered later and customised to Turkish specifications.

To speed up delivery, Turkey signed an agreement earlier this month to purchase used Eurofighter jets from Qatar, a Turkish official familiar with the issue told MEE.

Meanwhile, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported that the UK would prioritise Ankara's order by delivering aircraft currently being built for the RAF.
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https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/...-finalise-multibilion-dollar-eurofighter-deal

British MEE claims RAF will deliver 20 used EFs to TurAF. It also mentions other claims of Qatari aircraft.

So now we have 5 conflicting claims:

Reuters said 12 used + 28 new,
Bloomberg said 24 used + 12 new
Tolga Özbek said 24 Qatari EFs + 12 slots + new orders
NTV said slots for RAF being transferred to TurAF
and now MEE says 20 ex RAF jets + 20 new orders
 
The 20 new + 20 optional order is a proven certainty; however, what remains uncertain is the number and origin of second-hand aircraft to be delivered for earlier induction.

That said, the more important question is: what weapons will TR integrate? A2A missiles seem more likely, given that Turkey has hundreds of platforms capable of taking over A2G missions from the supremacy/interceptor aircraft.

But does Turkey really want to share highly confidential performance details with other countries? If the total number of aircraft is <72, I don’t see any justification for it.

In any case, we should wait till tomorrow to confirm the details.
 
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To add more complication, from what I have seen its around 20 (might be 24?) from Oman and Qatar, the Qatar ones are diverted fresh deliveries (the order for 12 extra they placed last year following the completion of their original 24 order) and will be delivered to Turkey almost immediately (not seen whether Qatar are completely novating their orders or just moving to the back of the delivery queue) they will be followed quickly by the used Oman ones which are Tranche 3A and will be modernised first.

Turkey will get all of its first 20 or so 'used' within three years, they will then receive 20 new Tranche 4 orders placed by themselves.
 
So the mystery jets are options to come after the first lot are delivered that is if Turkey wants them in the future not second hand, like many I had thought that was the way Turkey was heading.
 
FighterJock said:
So the mystery jets are options to come after the first lot are delivered that is if Turkey wants them in the future not second hand, like many I had thought that was the way Turkey was heading.
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Apparently, a deal was signed last week with Qatar for their Tranche 3A aircraft (and their slots). Gabriele says there won’t be any handover of RAF jets and confirms the 20 + 20 new aircraft order.
 
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WatcherZero said:
they will be followed quickly by the used Oman ones which are Tranche 3A and will be modernised first.
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That's 25% of RAFO front-line strength, 35% if you discount the Hawk 200s, so does raise the question of whether Oman has a replacement in mind.
 
 
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www.al-monitor.com

Turkey’s Erdogan, UK’s Starmer ink $11B Eurofighter deal in Ankara

Turkey plans to purchase a total of 44 Eurofighter jets, the Turkish defense chief said, including 20 from the UK and 12 each from Oman and Qatar.
www.al-monitor.com www.al-monitor.com
Speaking ahead of the signing ceremony, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told reporters that Turkey would buy a total of 24 used Eurofighter jets, 12 each from Oman and Qatar, and 20 new ones from the United Kingdom.
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Screenshot 2025-01-30 102602.jpg
First shot of a Turkish Typhoon...
(waited 9 months, after the first Qatar speculation surfaced here, to make this wisecrack)

Yet on a more serious note. As already been asked in this thread a few times...
Which aircraft will Qatar and Oman acquire as compensation for their Air Forces?
Typhoon T4s would be the obvious choice (first AESA radar/aircraft for Oman BTW) but I have a question mark about that.
Qatar didn’t look good in the news after the Israeli airstrike last month and the fighters came probably through/over Oman.

Could be a coincidence to make such a change in their air fleet right after that, but maybe not.
And there was this and that rumour a while back. (edited)

The QEAF’s Typhoon T3A configuration includes the ECRS Mk0 radar and PIRATE. Maybe they came to the conclusion, that even the Mk.2 radar wouldn’t be sufficient for their needs any more.
Interesting developments ahead...
 
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Will there be more to follow after the 20 new UK Typhoons get delivered? It would be good news if that were the case.
 
The price is definitely high… but I assume it comes with a massive weapons package.
Great news for the British final assembly line at last !
Will the Qatari and Omani jets be replaced as well?
 
EmoBirb said:
And with that Turkey can be welcomed into the Eurofighter family
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It's a shame that Turkey had been invited to be an official member of the Eurofighter programme multiple times before, even as late as the late-00s; but the conservative-TurAF heads decided that it was better to wait for the F-35s, and procuring an additional 30 F-16B50+ would do the job in the meantime.

The reason why we're all cheerful about this is that this is the first addition to the TurAF fighter fleet in 16 years! Turkey is literally surrounded by wars, and every neighbor, except Georgia, has been investing heavily in their air power during that time. The TurAF desperately needed this fresh blood...
 
snne said:
It's a shame that Turkey had been invited to be an official member of the Eurofighter programme multiple times before, even as late as the late-00s; but the conservative-TurAF heads decided that it was better to wait for the F-35s, and procuring an additional 30 F-16B50+ would do the job in the meantime.

The reason why we're all cheerful about this is that this is the first addition to the TurAF fighter fleet in 16 years! Every neighbor of Turkey has been investing heavily in their air power, except Georgia, during that timeframe, and TurAF desperately needed this fresh blood...
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True but it's not enough
 
B-1R said:
True but it's not enough
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It's the initial order, perhaps they will pick up more in the future, perhaps even ECR types like the ones ordered by Germany which would offer an interesting capability.

It's also just one puzzle piece for the Turks, the KAAN and indigenous F-16 upgrades are others. And at the latest KAAN will even out the odds against neighbors and regional rivals with stealth aircraft of their own.
 
Titus K said:
The price is definitely high… but I assume it comes with a massive weapons package.
Great news for the British final assembly line at last !
Will the Qatari and Omani jets be replaced as well?
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looks like they're now relying on just their F-16s and Hawks (both the single and twin seaters).
That being said, it seems the Hurjets would be a great option for them to replace the Hawks and could likely do both roles (advance trainer and light combat). I wonder if they could get some Hurjets in exchange for the Typhoons
 
Second-hand jets are scheduled for delivery at the beginning of 2026. The next question on our minds is whether the Turkish-owned F-35s will be coming home in the coming years. The Turkish side has been working hard lately to resolve this...

helmutkohl said:
looks like they're now relying on just their F-16s and Hawks (both the single and twin seaters).
That being said, it seems the Hurjets would be a great option for them to replace the Hawks and could likely do both roles (advance trainer and light combat). I wonder if they could get some Hurjets in exchange for the Typhoons
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Historically, Turkish-Omani relations have never been that strong, but Oman just gave up its most capable jets to Turkey, so who knows what will happen in the end. What’s certain is that the Hürjet has found an unexpected opening in the LIFT/LCA market due to its rapid development and the delays in the T-7 project.
 
FighterJock said:
means that the jobs at the Warton plant are secure.
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Just to note the number of people at Warton directly affected by closure of the assembly line is incredibly small. I've seen numbers as low as 25.... and a decent number of those will have been able to move to the upgrades underway on other aircraft...and long term maintenance, plus other roles. But of course having a line open also means you are credible when trying to sell your system in the eyes of buyers...

The overwhelming bulk of the personnel at Warton involved in Typhoon are in component manufacture etc. for the wider enterprise, regardless of where the aircraft are actually assembled. And that side of things, with the German, Spanish, Italian etc. orders is in rude health until GCAP comes online. I've said before that if BAE ever lands the long running saga of the Saudi order (somewhere between 48 and 72 jets has been reported over the years) and the Turkish order they could find themselves with an embarrassing surfeit of orders for their actual capacity...mind you that's an easier place to be in than none at all...
 
And with that, Turkey bids farewell to the monopoly of operating US jets. Should have been a lesson learned from 1974 to be honest, relying on a single country to protect your skies... silly, someone should have been fired from sticking to that doctrine long agooo!
 

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