MPs press Government to order new Typhoon jets for Britain

Conservative MPs have called on the government to commit to new Typhoon fighter orders for the Royal Air Force, warning that Britain risks undermining its credibility as a leading manufacturer and exporter of military aircraft.

Following the £8 billion agreement for Türkiye to buy 20 British-built Typhoons, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge asked whether the RAF would receive replacement jets for the 30 tranche 1 aircraft that have been retired. “Does the Minister plan to order any further Typhoons for the RAF to replace those, and if so, when?” he said.

Cartlidge also pressed for clarity on key upgrades for the existing fleet, including the long-delayed E-Scan radar and associated phase 4 enhancement (P4E) package. “E-Scan radar for the RAF’s Typhoons, which is led by Leonardo in Edinburgh, has been successfully developed, but no production orders have been placed,” he told the House.

“When will E-Scan radar be in service for the RAF? The Typhoon needs an associated electronics upgrade known as P4E to fully exploit the capabilities of E-Scan radar, but I understand that no contract for that has been placed yet either.”

Andrew Snowden, the MP for Fylde, whose constituency includes BAE Systems’ Warton plant, said the Turkish deal would sustain thousands of jobs but highlighted the irony of Britain selling aircraft it no longer buys. “We are now the only major partner in the Eurofighter project that is not ordering the aircraft that we are trying to sell to other countries,” he said. “We are trying to sell aircraft abroad that we are not buying ourselves.”

Snowden urged ministers to place a domestic order, arguing it would strengthen export prospects and preserve the UK’s sovereign design and production capability. “It would be a great aid to future export deals… and would continue to boost our sovereign capability in military aircraft and maintain jobs across our country if we placed that order for more Typhoons for the RAF,” he said.

Defence Minister Luke Pollard responded:

“The hon. Gentleman will know that all our spending announcements will be made as part of the defence investment plan towards the end of this year. The radar he mentions is an incredible piece of technology, which is of benefit not only to the RAF, but to other Typhoon nations.

I gently point out to the hon. Gentleman that, since taking office just over a year ago, we have signed 1,000 major deals in the MOD. We continue to procure not just traditional aspects, but cyber, drones and other capabilities for our armed forces.

We will continue to work with our allies because the change we need in our armed forces is not just about renewing the kit and equipment for our forces, but about buying equipment alongside our allies, cutting research and development costs, increasing interoperability, moving towards interchangeability and strengthening our warfighting resilience.”

The debate followed the Prime Minister’s visit to Ankara, where the deal with President Erdoğan was finalised. Ministers have hailed it as “our biggest fighter jet export contract since 2007” and a demonstration that “defence is an engine for growth.”

The government says the contract will sustain 20,000 jobs across 330 British companies, including nearly 6,000 at BAE Systems sites in Lancashire, 1,100 at Rolls-Royce in Bristol, and over 800 at Leonardo in Edinburgh. However, with no current RAF order in place, MPs warned that the UK must match export success with investment in its own frontline capability if it is to retain credibility as a global defence manufacturer.