By Bosphorus News Defense Desk
Türkiye plans to send flight personnel to the United Kingdom in August 2026 to begin Eurofighter Typhoon training, starting preparations for the aircraft's entry into Turkish Air Force service.
The Ministry of National Defense said personnel would travel to the United Kingdom during August and flight training would begin shortly afterward. It did not disclose the size of the first group, the training location or the duration of the initial phase.
The deployment follows a training and support agreement signed by Türkiye and the United Kingdom on March 25. The British government said the programme would train 10 Turkish instructor pilots and nearly 100 maintenance trainers.
BAE Systems said the Royal Air Force would train the pilots and maintenance personnel so the Turkish Air Force could later provide instruction and technical support for future crews.
Production of Türkiye's 20 new Typhoons is underway in the United Kingdom and other Eurofighter partner countries. Final assembly will take place at BAE Systems' Warton facility in Lancashire, with the first aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2030.
Türkiye signed the procurement agreement in October 2025. BAE Systems values the aircraft, weapons and integration package at approximately £5.4 billion. The company will manufacture major airframe components, conduct final assembly and lead weapons integration, while MBDA will provide most of the weapons package, including Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles.
The contract extends Typhoon production in the United Kingdom into the 2030s. Türkiye will become the tenth air force to operate the aircraft.
Sources: Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense, UK Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, Bosphorus News review and reporting.