A major sale of Typhoon jets to Turkey is set to go ahead after an agreement was struck on Wednesday with the British government, and with Germany finally clearing objections to the deal.
In the absence of an F-16 fighter export agreement with the US, Ankara will now progress with the purchase of up to 40 of the battle-proven aircraft that will be assembled in the UK.
The move will also save the BAE Systems production line of Typhoons in Warton, Lancashire, that has been wound down with no further orders and its staff posted elsewhere.
After two years of talks, UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Guler signed a preliminary agreement on building the fighters, at the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Negotiations to finalise an arms deal will continue over the coming weeks, but the UK will hope to secure its first major export order for Typhoons since 2017.
The highly capable fighter-bomber is flown by several Gulf states, with squadrons fielded by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain and a total of about 700 Typhoons built to date.
Mr Healey said the preliminary agreement was “a big step towards Turkey buying UK Typhoon fighter jets” and that the jets would “strengthen Nato’s collective defence”.
Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems which assembles the aircraft, agreed that the move underscored the importance of co-operation in Nato and “the critical role Typhoon plays in security and defence in Europe and the Middle East”.
The RAF’s Typhoon, regarded as an agile aircraft, has seen active service across the Middle East, primarily targeting ISIS during its insurgency in Syria and Iraq.
It initially saw action during the 2011 bombing campaign in Libya and is capable of carrying several ground attack weapons including the Storm Shadow cruise and Brimstone precision missiles.
The Turkey deal, which could be worth $5.6 billion, had been held up by the previous German government’s reluctance to approve export licences, allegedly for political reasons following Ankara’s treatment of opposition figures.
But Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new government had cleared the way for it following a positive decision by the federal security council earlier this week.
Further progress had been made after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, which Turkish government officials said had gone positively.
After the announcement of Wednesday’s preliminary agreement, Mr Starmer said that “signing a multibillion export deal with Turkey” will sustain 20,000 UK jobs as well as “keep us and our allies safer during these uncertain times”.
Mr Erdogan said developments in the defence sector would positively contribute to co-operation between the sides, who are both Nato members.
A defence industry source told The National that while staff had been allocated elsewhere from the Warton site, BAE had “been in this position before” when orders had dried up and it would be straightforward to stand up the production line again if the Turkey deal succeeded.
The UK Ministry of Defence also said the potential Typhoon exports would strengthen Turkey’s “advanced combat capabilities”.
As the second-largest military force in the Nato alliance, the addition of 40 highly capable fighter jets will provide Turkey with an important upgrade to its air force.
The $110 million warplanes are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, with the main production line in the UK.
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
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What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
