Türkiye signs deal with UK to train Eurofighter pilots

Türkiye and Britain have signed a three-year deal covering training, maintenance and technical support for UK-made Eurofighter Typhoon jets, 20 of which Türkiye bought last year.

The agreement was signed in London on Wednesday by Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and his British counterpart John Healey. It provides for U.K.-based training of Turkish fighter pilots and ground crews.

It also includes technical and logistical support for the 20 aircraft, ensuring their operational readiness, according to Türkiye’s Defence Ministry.

“The agreement includes training for pilots and instructors, maintenance technicians, electronic warfare and systems operators, as well as spare parts, simulators, test equipment and ground support systems,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The manufacturer will also provide technical support services for the first three years after the aircraft enter service,” it added.

Last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an initial $10.7 billion deal for Türkiye to purchase the 20 U.K.-made fighter jets.

At the time, Starmer said the agreement would deepen defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen the overall security of NATO, of which Türkiye has long been a key member.

British officials said the procurement agreement - covering equipment, associated munitions and the aircraft - was the U.K.’s largest fighter jet export deal in almost two decades.

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At this week’s signing in London, Güler and Healey emphasised their shared commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in defence.

The twin-engine Eurofighter Typhoon can reach speeds of up to Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound, and operate at altitudes above 16,000 metres.

In a statement this week, BAE Systems, the U.K. defence firm that produces the aircraft, said the jets would allow Türkiye to “progressively increase [its] sovereign support capability.”

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