A year after Türkiye signed for 20 new Eurofighter Typhoon, the first of them is taking physical shape. BAE Systems announced on 5 November 2026 that assembly of the aircraft’s front fuselage is under way at its Samlesbury factory in Lancashire, in the north of England, while Airbus Defence and Space is producing the centre fuselage in Germany. Representatives of the Turkish Air Force recently visited Samlesbury to see the work.
Informazioni rapide
- Cliente: Turkish Air Force
- Ordine: 20 new Eurofighter Typhoons, signed 27 October 2025
- Pietra miliare: Front fuselage assembly under way at BAE Systems Samlesbury (announced 5 November 2026)
- Centre fuselage: Airbus Defence and Space, Germany
- Prima consegna: Expected in 2030
- Operator number: Türkiye becomes the Typhoon programme’s tenth operator
- Used jets: Talks with Qatar and Oman, reportedly for up to 24; nothing signed
Production of Türkiye's first @eurofighter Typhoon is now taking shape with assembly of the aircraft's front fuselage underway at our facility in the North of England.
— BAE Systems Air (@BAESystemsAir) November 5, 2026 https://twitter.com/BAESystemsAir/status/2118267198623949059
BAE Systems announces the start of front fuselage assembly, 5 November 2026.
From Contract to Assembly Line
The deal was finalised in Ankara on 27 October 2025, when the United Kingdom agreed to supply 20 Typhoons together with a weapons and integration package. It was the first new order for UK-built Typhoons since 2017, and the British government described it as the country’s biggest fighter-jet export deal in a generation. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in 2030.
Typhoon production is shared between the partner nations. BAE Systems builds front fuselages at Samlesbury, while Airbus builds centre fuselages in Germany; final assembly and test follow once the major sections are joined. For BAE, the Turkish order and others like it keep the British Typhoon line working into the 2030s.
Why Türkiye Is Buying Typhoons
Türkiye was meant to fly the F-35. It was removed from the programme by the United States on 17 July 2019, after it took delivery of the Russian S-400 air defence system. Since then its front line has rested on its large fleet of F-16s, while its own fifth-generation fighter, the TF Kaan, is still in development.
Turkish pilots have already begun Typhoon training with the Royal Air Force at Coningsby, so that crews are ready when the first aircraft arrive.
Used Jets From the Gulf
Because new aircraft are years away, Ankara has also been negotiating to buy second-hand Typhoons from Qatar and Oman. Turkish reports in October 2025 put the number at up to 24, twelve from each country. A year later nothing had been signed: in October 2026 Türkiye’s Defence Ministry said it was still waiting for Qatar to send a draft training programme and sales contract.
The signing of the Typhoon deal in Ankara, October 2025. Video: Al Jazeera English.
What the Viral Post Gets Right
The post going around is accurate: front fuselage assembly has started at Samlesbury, Airbus is building the centre fuselage in Germany, Turkish Air Force representatives visited, 20 jets are on order, deliveries begin in 2030, Türkiye was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 over the S-400, and used Typhoons from Qatar and Oman are under discussion. One nuance: the “another 24” are not on contract. They are the reported total of second-hand jets being negotiated with Qatar and Oman, and those talks were still unfinished in October 2026.
Sources: BAE Systems Air on X (5 November 2026); UK Government, “20,000 UK jobs secured as Türkiye buys 20 Typhoon jets” (27 October 2025); BAE Systems contract release (27 October 2025), via EDR Magazine; Defence Turkey (5 November 2026); Airforce Technology (6 November 2026); Lancashire Business View (9 November 2026); Turdef (28 October 2025); Al-Monitor (22 October 2026); Defense News (17 July 2019).
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