UK and Turkiye sign multi-billion-pound air defense deal

LONDON: Britain and Turkiye signed a multi-billion-pound agreement on Wednesday for a major new training and support contract.

The deal is part of the 8-billion-pound ($10.73 billion) Typhoon fighter jet agreement the two countries concluded last year.

“This marks the next phase of Turkiye’s entry into the Eurofighter program,” the British government said.

The new contract covers UK-based training for Turkish pilots and ground crew. Turkiye is moving toward operating its first batch of British-built jets, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Defense firms including BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and Martin-Baker will supply components and training equipment.

Defense Secretary John Healey and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler signed the agreement in London.

The deal reinforces NATO’s combat air capability on its eastern flank, the British government said. Monitoring Desk