Filenews 29 December 2025
By Paul Iddon
As expected, the British government has highlighted that Turkey's recent purchase of 20 new Eurofighter Typhoons will provide many jobs in the UK in the coming years. And it's true. However, London sought to portray the historic deal as a valuable contribution to strengthening NATO's southern front against a revanchist Russia to the north of Turkey. These aircraft, with their electronic scanning radars and long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles, may be a big challenge for Russian fighters, but Ankara did not intend the Eurofighters for this mission when it bought them. Turkey is buying one of Europe's top fighters to compete with the increasingly advanced air force of its neighbour Greece.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Turkey in late October, where he struck a deal to sell 20 new Eurofighters worth up to $10.7 billion. dollars. Turkey will buy another 24 Eurofighters, slightly used, from Qatar and Oman.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler clarified on December 19 that the 12 Eurofighters from Oman are expected to be received by 2028. As he said, these fighters will be upgraded before their delivery with AESA radar, while they will now be compatible with Meteor missiles. Oman's Eurofighters are Tranche 3A models equipped with the older CAPTOR-M Doppler radars, the same ones used in the Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 versions.
The British Typhoon, which some speculate may be the next advanced Tranche 5 models, will enter service between 2030 and 2032. Turkey expects to have 44 Eurofighters at its disposal: used Tranche 3A with a few flight hours and new Tranche 5 or even Tranche 4.
In an official statement, London described Turkey's purchase as "the largest fighter jet export deal in a generation," arguing that it would strengthen "NATO's strength in a critical region."
Some believe that with this move, Turkey has improved its capabilities against Russia.
"The Eurofighter is a radical change in Ankara's capabilities. It is a more modern warplane capable of resisting the Russians," the British newspaper Telegraph pointed out.
Turkey may deploy some Eurofighters to patrol the Black Sea, where Turkish F-16s recently intercepted drones, but most will probably serve a different purpose.
Ankara chose the Eurofighter as a temporary 4,5th generation fighter to keep its air force at a good level until it acquired fifth-generation fighters. Turkey hopes to return to the U.S. F-35 program, from where the U.S. blocked it in 2019 after acquiring Russian S-400 missiles. On December 17, Bloomberg reported that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan asked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to take back the S-400s, perhaps paving the way for Ankara's acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-35s. Officially, Russia denies this. Ankara wants to acquire at least 40 F-35 fighters. It also builds its own fighter: the TF Kaan.
Ankara chose the Eurofighter not only as a powerful "temporary" fighter, but also to raise the recent acquisitions of the Greek Air Force.
Since the beginning of the decade, Athens has acquired 24 4.5th generation Dassault Rafale F3R fighters, equipped with Meteor missiles. Like Turkey, Greece bought some of these 4.5th generation aircraft "second-hand" in order to speed up their delivery. In addition, Greece has upgraded most of its F-16s to Block 72, making them more advanced than the largest fleet of Turkish Vipers, and has ordered 20 F-35A fighters, which will likely begin deliveries in 2028.
Without the 4.5th generation Eurofighter and in the future the 5th generation F-35, Turkey risks Greece gaining a significant technological advantage in the skies, which could change the balance in the Aegean.
Greek media reported in December that the Turkish Air Force "carried out a series of violations of Greek airspace". Armed Turkish F-16s illegally entered the Athens FIR in September, while in October a violation of the Greek airspace by a Turkish armed F-16 was recorded. These violations came after a period of relative calm since early 2023, when relations between the two states "came off ice" with Athens' assistance to Ankara after a devastating earthquake hit Turkey.
Ankara may become bolder and continue the violations or even engage in virtual dogfights over the Aegean when it has Eurofighters that can "compete" with the Greek Rafale.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense rejected reports that the sale of the Eurofighters included restrictions on their use against Greece, confirming that they would carry out missions over the Aegean. Greek and Turkish fighter jets have been engaged in virtual dogfights over the Aegean for decades, some of which have had a deadly outcome.
When all aircraft enter service, Turkey's 44 Eurofighters will outnumber the Greek Rafale fleet. If the 20 new British aircraft are indeed Tranche 5s, they will probably surpass him in quality.
Greece is not expected to remain inactive. Already, Athens is reportedly considering upgrading the Rafale fleet with 10 newer, more advanced F4 models currently in service, or even with the upcoming F5 Super Rafale variant. Like the Eurofighter Tranche 5, the Rafale F5 is expected to enter service around 2030.
The acquisition of other, more advanced, Rafale would ensure that the Greek Air Force can compete with the 4.5th generation Turkish aircraft, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
As mentioned above, Turkey wants to acquire at least 40 F-35As, if it rejoins the program. Greece has already ordered 20 F-35s, while the agreement allows it to buy an additional 20. Athens may exercise this right if Ankara convinces the US to allow it to buy the F-35s.
This could mark the start of a new arms race in the sensitive Aegean region, with significant implications for the security and stability of the Eastern Mediterranean in the not-too-distant future.
