The UK and Turkey have signed a multi-billion-pound training and support agreement for Typhoon fighter jets, advancing the wider export deal agreed last year and expanding the programme into pilot training, maintenance support and long-term sustainment, according to the government.
The agreement will see 10 Turkish pilots and nearly 100 ground crew technicians trained in the UK across mechanical, avionics, weapons and mission systems disciplines. It also covers spares, support equipment, simulators and maintenance activity involving British industry, including BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and Martin-Baker.
The deal forms part of the broader Typhoon export package announced in October 2025 and provides a significant follow-on element beyond aircraft production, linking UK-based training and industrial support to Turkey’s future operation of the platform.
Government ministers said the work would help sustain jobs across the UK Typhoon supply chain, which includes production activity in Lancashire, Scotland and Bristol. More than a third of each aircraft is built in Britain, with final assembly of the Turkish jets due to take place at BAE Systems sites in Warton and Samlesbury, according to the government.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the agreement takes the wider export arrangement into its next phase. “This partnership does not just export world-leading British built jets, it builds alliances, grows our economy, and makes NATO stronger,” he said. He added: “Turkey’s decision to acquire Typhoon is a vote of confidence in British industry and British jobs, and this agreement brings the UK-Turkey partnership to life.”
BAE Systems also set out the contract as a broader defence partnership linked to operational readiness as Simon Barnes, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Air sector, said in the government statement: “We’re delighted to play a key role in enhancing Turkey’s readiness to operate the new aircraft through this training and support agreement with the UK Government.”
