BAE Systems is bracing for a transformational moment in its Eurofighter Typhoon programme, with mounting confidence that new orders from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are imminent.
In a significant development for UK defence exports, BAE Systems’ Typhoon programme director Richard Hamilton recently expressed strong optimism, telling British media he was “really confident” that the company would soon ink major export agreements.
Among the key potential buyers, Hamilton highlighted Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, all of which are conducting high-level deliberations on the multi-role Eurofighter platform.
The defence giant is targeting up to 150 new Typhoon orders, a figure that would not only reinforce its role as a cornerstone of European aerospace capability but also ensure the continuation of production at its Warton assembly plant in Lancashire.
“I want to build more Typhoons here, and I believe we will,” Hamilton said, underscoring BAE’s strategic intent to anchor production in the UK despite increasing global industrial competition.
A major tranche of these potential orders would originate from Türkiye, whose senior defence leadership has recently intensified engagement with BAE Systems and British officials.
On 4 July, Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler formally met with BAE Systems CEO Charles Woodburn and UK Ambassador to Türkiye Jill Morris in Ankara, joined by Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu.
Although no public statement was issued following the meeting, the presence of top-level defence and diplomatic figures strongly signals that talks over Türkiye’s prospective purchase of 40 Eurofighter Typhoons are progressing constructively.
Ankara’s interest in the Eurofighter comes amid its prolonged exclusion from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme, following its acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defence system.
With its domestic TF Kaan fifth-generation fighter still in development, the Typhoon presents a critical interim solution to bolster Türkiye’s airpower while bridging operational gaps.
The potential Typhoon acquisition would not only enhance the Turkish Air Force’s air superiority capabilities but also signal Ankara’s willingness to deepen its industrial and military ties with the United Kingdom and Europe.
Saudi Arabia, another strategic Middle Eastern power and a current operator of 72 Typhoons, is also in advanced negotiations with BAE Systems for a second tranche of Eurofighters.
The Kingdom’s potential follow-on purchase would mark a continuation of its long-standing defence cooperation with the UK, although this time in a far more competitive procurement environment, increasingly influenced by the United States.
Recent American diplomatic efforts have sought to steer Riyadh toward acquiring more U.S.-origin platforms such as the F-15EX and F-35, adding urgency to BAE’s campaign to lock in the Typhoon deal.
Reflecting this challenge, one senior BAE executive noted, “We survived the first visit,” referencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertive defence sales diplomacy, “but the window to secure a deal is not huge—we need to be fast.”
Despite such geopolitical headwinds, the Eurofighter’s proven combat record, multinational backing, and ability to serve as a strategic hedge against over-reliance on U.S. platforms continue to make it an attractive option for Saudi Arabia.
For Qatar, which already fields a fleet of 24 Typhoons, a follow-on buy remains on the table as it seeks to scale its airpower projection in tandem with broader national defence modernisation efforts.
The Qatari Emiri Air Force’s joint training and operational alignment with the Royal Air Force—most notably through the combined 12 Squadron—have created a strong interoperability framework that supports continued Eurofighter acquisition.
Should all three nations proceed with their purchases, the cumulative order value could exceed $20 billion (RM94 billion), establishing one of the most consequential Typhoon export campaigns in the programme’s history.
For the United Kingdom, such a windfall would help alleviate mounting pressure on the Warton production line and safeguard thousands of high-skilled aerospace jobs.
The UK’s Unite union has already raised red flags over the lack of new orders, warning of possible layoffs if production were to stagnate in the absence of fresh deals.
Beyond job preservation, securing these exports would also reinforce the UK’s defence-industrial base ahead of the full-scale rollout of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), the UK-Japan-Italy sixth-generation fighter project.
From a regional security standpoint, the timing of these deals is critical.
The Middle East remains fraught with tensions—from Red Sea naval clashes to ongoing instability in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq—fueling a heightened demand for air superiority and multi-role strike capability.
The Eurofighter Typhoon, with its swing-role design, advanced radar systems, and ability to carry both short-range and beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (such as the Meteor and IRIS-T), offers exactly that operational versatility.
Its continuous upgrade roadmap, including the integration of the E-Scan Mk1 AESA radar, ensures long-term relevance in contested air environments—particularly against rising threats from adversaries equipped with increasingly sophisticated anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems.
BAE Systems has also made a compelling industrial pitch to its Middle Eastern partners, offering potential co-production, technology transfer, and sustainment packages as part of its export proposals.
Such arrangements not only align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 localisation goals but also dovetail with Türkiye’s ambition to expand its defence manufacturing footprint across multiple domains.
Furthermore, the ability to deliver a tailored, sovereign-capability-enhancing fighter platform gives the Typhoon an edge in negotiations, particularly where political autonomy is a key procurement criterion.
With U.S. defence sales frequently entangled in congressional approvals and end-user restrictions, the Typhoon’s European origin provides strategic buyers a more balanced acquisition pathway.
As global defence budgets expand in response to emerging threats—from Iranian missile proliferation to heightened NATO-Russia confrontation—procurements like the Typhoon will play a pivotal role in shaping regional military equilibria.
If sealed, the deals with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar would represent more than just commercial victories.
They would signify a major affirmation of the Eurofighter consortium’s relevance in a fast-changing air combat landscape, and reaffirm BAE Systems’ role as a linchpin in the global fighter aircraft market.
The coming months will be decisive.
As negotiations intensify and political calculus aligns, the world could soon witness one of the largest multi-national fighter jet orders of the decade, with the UK and BAE Systems at its centre.