27 Oct 25. 20,000 UK jobs secured as Türkiye buys 20 Typhoon jets in biggest fighter jet deal in a generation.
Thousands of skilled UK jobs have been secured for years to come as the UK and Türkiye sign a deal worth up to £8bn for 20 UK Typhoon fighter jets – the biggest fighter jet exports deal in a generation.
From:
- £8bn deal struck with Türkiye for first new orders for UK Typhoons since 2017, as the Prime Minister visits Ankara for the first time.
- Deal strengthens NATO’s collective deterrence and ties between UK and Türkiye.
- Skilled jobs on production lines sustained across the UK for years to come, including in Warton, Salmesbury, Bristol and Edinburgh, delivering on this government’s Plan for Change.
- Türkiye becomes the tenth operator alongside: UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
- Typhoon is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most successful defence export programmes contributing £1.4bn in exports annually
- The programme generates £1.6bn to the UK economy each year
- More than 20,000 jobs across the UK are supported by the Typhoon programme, including highly skilled sovereign engineering roles, with the majority based in the North West of England
- Typhoon production in the UK now extends into the 2030s
- From the UK Government’s original £12bn investment, the programme has already returned more than £30bn to the UK economy
- Under the agreement, BAE Systems anticipates that it will recognise c.£4.6 billion including through its shareholding in MBDA.
Thousands of skilled UK jobs have been secured for years to come as the UK and Türkiye sign a deal worth up to £8bn for 20 UK Typhoon fighter jets – the biggest fighter jet exports deal in a generation.
The multi-billion pound deal was signed as the Prime Minister was hosted by the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during his first visit to Ankara today.
The deal will help to sustain a 20,000 strong UK wide workforce, with production lines in Edinburgh, Warton, Salmesbury and Bristol.
The Turkish agreement is a major boost for the British order book, representing the biggest fighter jet deal in almost 20 years and saving the Warton production line.
Under the agreement, BAE Systems will manufacture major airframe components, conduct the final assembly of the aircraft and lead the weapons integration at its sites in Lancashire, generating work for hundreds of companies across the UK supply chain. The weapons package will be primarily provided by MBDA.
The agreement announced today means the Turkish Air Force will become the tenth air force to operate Typhoon and reflects the crucial role Typhoons are providing in international air defence.
It will also strengthen Türkiye’s advanced combat capabilities, bolstering NATO’s strength in a key region and enhancing interoperability between both our air forces.
The deal comes just weeks after the UK’s Type 26 frigates were selected by Norway, adding a further £10 billion to Britain’s economy and securing 4,000 jobs.
Both deals underline the government’s work to make defence an engine for growth, delivering highly skilled jobs and putting money in the pockets of working people through the Plan for Change.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This landmark agreement with Türkiye is a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security. At either ends of Europe, the UK and Türkiye are vital to tackling the challenges of our time and this will allow our Armed Forces to work even closer together as we deter threats and protect our national interests. Delivering highly skilled, well-paid jobs, including in Warton, Edinburgh and Bristol for years to come, this is yet another example of our Plan for Change in action, driving renewal and opportunity up and down the country.”
The deal also follows the Prime Minister and the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signing a new agreement in July to boost world-class UK defence exports such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon.
During the Prime Minister’s visit today, he also met Turkish military and RAF Typhoon pilots to hear firsthand how the jets will contribute to European security.
The Prime Minister also laid a wreath at the Anitkabir Ataturk Mausoleum, before finalising the Typhoon deal at the Presidential Palace.
The Typhoon workshare agreement sees more than a third (37%) of each aircraft manufactured in the UK; the rest of each aircraft would be produced by the Eurofighter Partner Nations. The UK jobs include:
- Nearly 6,000 jobs directly support the Typhoon programme at BAE Systems sites in Warton and Samlesbury, where production and final assembly of each Typhoon fighter jet takes place.
- The Typhoon programme supports more than 1,100 jobs in the South West region. That includes Rolls-Royce in Bristol producing critical modules and components for Typhoon’s EJ200 jet engines and acting as main hub for maintenance of the engines.
- The Typhoon programme supports more than 800 jobs in Scotland. That includes Leonardo in Edinburgh manufacturing the fighter jet’s cutting-edge radar for identifying enemies.
Defence Secretary John Healey, who travelled with the Prime Minister to Ankara to finalise the deal, said: “This is another major export deal for the UK and is the biggest jet exports deal in a generation. It will pump billions of pounds into our economy and keep British Typhoon production lines turning long into the future. This deal goes far beyond the procurement of aircraft. It is the leading edge of the growing defence and industrial partnership between our two nations.
Türkiye is an important NATO ally and the gatekeeper to the Black Sea. By equipping them with top-of-the-range Typhoon fighter jets, this deal will strengthen NATO deterrence and help make us all safer.
I’m determined this government will make defence an engine for growth across the UK.”
The first delivery to Türkiye is expected to take place in 2030.
Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive, BAE Systems said: “Türkiye’s procurement of Typhoon marks the start of a new chapter in our longstanding relationship with this important NATO ally and reinforces the outstanding operational support the aircraft delivers across Europe and the Middle East as a fundamental pillar of defence and security.
Typhoon is an export success story and demonstrates how investment in defence can fuel significant economic growth and returns across the UK. Today’s announcement extends Typhoon production and preserves crucial sovereign skills which underpin the UK’s defence and security.”
Typhoon jets continue to demonstrate their formidable capabilities as the mainstay of RAF combat air operations. Deployments include:
- NATO Air Policing: Securing NATO’s eastern border and reinforcing collective defence.
- Quick Reaction Alert: Providing 24/7 protection of UK airspace for homeland security.
- Operation Shader: Supporting counter-Daesh operations in Iraq and Syria.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)