Turkey to Receive Eurofighter Next Month, its First New Fighter in Decades

Turkey is expected to receive its first Eurofighter Typhoon fighter by the end of February, marking the country’s first induction of a new combat aircraft type in decades.

As per local media, the aircraft will be transferred from Qatar’s existing Eurofighter fleet and will be the first of 12 second-hand Typhoons Ankara plans to acquire from Doha. The jet will be used by the Turkish Air Force for evaluation, pilot training and integration before further deliveries follow. Training for Turkish pilots is said to have already begun.

The delivery follows recent high-level trilateral talks in Doha involving defense officials from Turkey, Qatar and the United Kingdom. Turkey’s Air Force Commander, Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, met his counterparts to address outstanding elements of the Eurofighter procurement process.

In October, Ankara signed another agreement with the U.K. valued at around £8 billion for 20 newly built Typhoons. The deal includes training, spares, integration support and a weapons package supplied by MBDA, reportedly including Meteor and Brimstone. The first U.K.-built aircraft are expected to be delivered around 2030, with options for additional jets included.

Additionally, Turkey reportedly plans to acquire a dozen second-hand Typhoons from Oman, bringing the total planned fleet to 44 aircraft.

How Qatari, Omani and British Typhoons differ

Mixed sourcing will result in aircraft with different configurations. Phase 2 Enhancement (P2E) was the earlier Typhoon upgrade baseline and was divided into two stages. P2E(a) introduced initial Storm Shadow integration, while P2E(b) added Meteor integration. Oman’s Tranche 3A Typhoons retain the mechanically scanned CAPTOR-M radar and are believed to operate in the P2E configuration, although newly built aircraft may be delivered to a newer standard.

Phase 3 Enhancement (P3E) introduced the European Common Radar System (ECRS) AESA radar, the Litening 5 targeting pod, Brimstone, full Meteor integration, along with avionics and human-machine interface upgrades. The P3E(b) configuration was the first to enable operational use of the ECRS radar. Qatar’s Tranche 3A Typhoons are equipped with the early-generation ECRS Mk0 AESA radar and operate in the P3E(b) configuration.

Phase 4 Enhancement (P4E), announced in 2024, represents the latest upgrade standard. It introduces automated sensor management across all Typhoon radar types, enabling multiple simultaneous tasks while reducing pilot workload. Newly built U.K. Typhoons are expected to be delivered in the P4E configuration and, while not confirmed, it is likely that U.K.-manufactured aircraft for Turkey will feature the latest electronically scanning ECRS Mk2 radar.

Why’s Turkey buying so many Typhoon jets?

The Eurofighter Typhoon is produced by a four-nation consortium involving the U.K., Germany, Italy and Spain, represented by BAE Systems, Airbus and Leonardo. Turkey’s interest in the aircraft surfaced in 2022 as negotiations with the U.S. over F-35 fighter procurement stalled, after it purchased S-400 missile systems from Russia.

The rapid delivery of second-hand Eurofighter Typhoons is aimed at avoiding capability gaps as Turkey moves to retire its ageing F-4 Phantom II fleet, which was originally expected to be replaced by the F-35.

Turkey’s F-16 buy and KAAN fighter development

In parallel, Turkey finalized a $7 billion deal with the U.S. in 2024 for 40 new-build F-16 Block 70 aircraft, while opting to replace planned upgrade kits for its existing fleet with locally developed modernization efforts.

Turkey is also developing its indigenous fifth-generation fighter, KAAN, intended to begin replacing parts of the F-16 fleet in the 2030s.