Typhoons touch down in Turkey – deal imminent?
December 19, 2024
Two Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.Mk 4s belonging to No.12 Squadron, the joint Qatar/UK Typhoon squadron, landed at Mürted Air Base Command outside Ankara on 18 December 2024, after participating in the 34th ATLC course. The aircraft (ZK413 and ZK437, the UK’s 160th and last Typhoon) were welcomed by Maria Eagle, the UK Minister of State for Defence, Procurement and Industry, Deputy Minister Şuay Alpay and Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri or THK) Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu.
Mürted was previously known as the 4th Ana Jet Üssu (Main Jet Base) Akıncı before the 15 July 2016 attempted coup d’état. After the coup, the units at Akıncı were disbanded and the air base was converted into reserve air base Mürted Hava Meydan Komutanlığı. The only based entity at Mürted today is Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), who undertake manufacturing and overhaul at the former THK base.
One report suggested that Türkiye’s Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler has already announced that the nation will purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft (after first purchasing 40 Block 70 F-16s) but other reports are more cautious, quoting the minister as telling local media representatives on 14 December only that “discussions regarding Eurofighter collaboration were progressing positively.”
The Typhoon purchase is separate to Türkiye’s efforts to upgrade and reinforce its F-16 force, and to plans to reinvigorate its F-35 purchase. Güler said that: “Two Eurofighters belonging to the United Kingdom, which are participating in exercises in Qatar, will come to Ankara on December 18 and we will have the opportunity to see the planes. Regarding the F-35, we have said before that we want to buy it. We think that the positive atmosphere in the F-16 procurement process will also be reflected in the F-35 process. We will also discuss with the new administration that will take office in the US the lifting of CAATSA sanctions that are contrary to the spirit of alliance. There is no change in our position on the S-400.”
The THK aims to have more than 300 operational manned combat aircraft and more than 100 unmanned vehicles in service in the 2030s. Turkey hopes that it will be the largest, most capable and combat-ready fleet in Europe.
The backbone will be provided by about 229 F-16s upgraded under the Ozgur programme, with a Murad-110/200A AESA radar, augmented by 40 Block 70 F-16s with an AN/APG-83 AESA, IVEWS EW, and a Legion IRST. There will also be 40 Tranche 4/5 Eurofighter Typhoons, with AESA (possibly ECRS.Mk 2), the Praetorian DASS and a PIRATE IRST.
More than 20 Block 10 and 20 indigenous Kaan fifth generation fighters should be in service, with Murad-600A AESA, a Burfis EW system, a Karat-100 IRST, a local EOTS system and a Yildirm-300 DIRCM. Finally, Turkey hopes to have been readmitted to the F-35 programme.
