A computer generated rendering of the Eurofighter Typhoon as to be fielded by the Turkish Air Force from 2030. (BAE Systems)
Türkiye is to field Tranche 4+ Eurofighter combat aircraft fitted with the Leonardo European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 0 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar,
Janes
has learned.
Speaking on the occasion of Türkiye and the UK agreeing a GBP2.6 billion (USD3.48 billion) training and support deal on 25 March, a source with knowledge of the programme, but who requested not to be identified, set out the standard and configuration for the 20 newbuild aircraft that were ordered by Türkiye for GBP5.4 billion in October 2025.
With deliveries to the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) to commence in 2030, the most advanced standard of the Eurofighter that will be available at that time will be the Tranche 4+. That will effectively be the Tranche 5 minus the Long Term Evolution (LTE) package.
As this is a government-to-government deal between Türkiye and the UK, the source indicated that the configuration should be largely common between the two countries where possible. The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is to equip 40 of its Typhoons with the ECRS Mk 2 AESA radar from 2030 at the earliest, which means it will not likely be ready in time to be fitted to initial Turkish airframes. As such these will, initially at least, come with the ECRS Mk 0 AESA radar.
While no final delivery schedule for Türkiye’s 20 new aircraft has been formally disclosed, later jets could well be equipped with elements of the LTE package and the ECRS Mk 2 as they become available, and early jets retrofitted to the same standard.
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