After a long struggle that finally led to the US approving the sale of F-16 Fighting Falcons, upgrade kits, and munitions to Turkey, Ankara has reportedly backtracked and scaled back the number of upgrade kits and munitions meant for modernizing its aging F-16s. Turkey now appears to be eyeing the Eurofighter Typhoon instead.

According to a Bloomberg report, Turkey is seeking an offset deal to manufacture some warplane parts and is reducing the scope of a planned $23 billion defense contract with the US to rebuild NATO’s second-largest fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

To modernize its aging F-16 fleet and enhance its combat capabilities, Ankara has been working since 2021 to acquire hundreds of bombs and missiles, 40 of the latest generation F-16s from Lockheed Martin Corp., and 79 kits.

Earlier this year, after a long struggle, the US approved the sale of F-16 warplanes to Turkey. Washington approved the sale after Ankara ratified Sweden’s membership of NATO.

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The Turkish Parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid on January 23 was a pivotal moment. It overcame a 20-month delay and cleared the path for the expansion of the Western military alliance.

The report, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, stated that Turkey was now advocating the acquisition of fewer upgrade kits and munitions due to domestic budget cuts. The country is reportedly trying to save billions of euros that could be injected into its domestic aviation industry.

During a news conference in Washington, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dodged a question on plans to revise the deal, saying instead that “the issue regarding these spare parts is something we always discuss.”

According to the initial plan, the Turkish Air Force was scheduled to receive F-16s and upgrade kits by 2030. It will feature upgrades to the radar, electronic warfare suites, communications systems, and mission computers.

There are strong indications that Ankara is seriously considering the Eurofighter Typhoon, which Germany has prevented Turkey from acquiring, making it unavailable for the Turkish Air Force.

Turkey Urges Germany To Remove Eurofighter Ban

Shortly after scaling back a $23 billion deal for F-16s with the US, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to remove the ban on the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets, according to Bloomberg.

At the recent NATO summit held in Washington, leaders also talked about Turkey’s request to buy engines for its warships. “We also want to receive turbines by Siemens, which are the most critical unit of our Akkuyu nuclear plant,” President Erdogan said, referring to a $24 billion plant being built by Russia on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

Turkey is eager to sign fighter jet contracts in response to Greece’s procurement of Rafale fighters and the impending acquisition of F-35 stealth fighters.

Turkey first announced its willingness to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets in November 2023, when Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Gular officially acknowledged negotiations with Spain and the UK.

“We want to buy Eurofighters. It is a very effective aircraft. These aircraft are related to the UK, Germany, and Spain,” Gular told parliament. “Both the UK and Spain say ‘yes,’ and now they are working to persuade Germany. The UK and Spain say: ‘We will solve that problem’. If solved, we plan to purchase 40 Eurofighter jets.”

Germany has, so far, shown its reluctance to lift a ban as tensions persist between the two countries on matters including Turkey’s condemnation of Israel. Germany asserts its firm position on Israel’s right to defend itself, supposedly against the Hamas.

There are other areas of strain between the two countries, such as diplomatic tensions within the NATO alliance due to Turkey’s purchase of Russian air defenses, its vague relationship with Moscow, and military operations against Kurdish forces in Syria. However, Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership is believed to have dispelled some concerns.

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Eurofighters To Fight Greek Rafales?

Turkey is eager to close deals on fighters in reaction to Greece’s acquisition of Rafale fighters and the impending purchase of F-35 aircraft. The two NATO neighbors remain embroiled in protracted territorial disputes from the Aegean Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean.

In January 2021, Athens reinforced its military capabilities by entering into a contract with Dassault Aviation for 18 Rafale fighter jets. The aim was to enhance its defense against ongoing conflicts with Ankara. However, just over a year later, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Greek Minister of National Defense, signed another contract for the acquisition of six additional Rafale aircraft, bringing the number to 24.

Turkey requires Eurofighters to replace the void left after being removed from the F-35 program. As Turkey continues to develop its fifth-generation aircraft, KAAN, experts believe that acquiring Eurofighters and upgrading its F-16 fleet would strengthen its air force, especially in the face of the challenge posed by the Greek fighters.

Both planes have demonstrated combat effectiveness and are used as primary fighters in multiple air forces globally. They feature a delta-wing design, twin engines, and front swept-back canards.

With thrust vectoring nozzles, the Typhoon’s aerodynamically unstable design allows for exceptional mobility. The Typhoon is equipped with two after-burning Eurojet-2000 engines, while the Rafale features Safran M-88 engines, both of which provide super-cruise capability.

The Eurofighter debuted in 2003. It is available in single-seat and two-seat variants. The fighter’s maximum takeoff weight is 23,500 kilograms, and its empty weight is 11,000 kilograms. It can operate in combat within a radius of 1388 kilometers and travel 3781 kilometers in a ferry.

The Typhoon’s maximum height is 65,000 feet, and its climb rate is 1,043 feet per second. The fighter jet has 13 hardpoints and a 27 mm revolver cannon.

The Rafale debuted in 2001. The aircraft, available in single and twin-seat versions, weighs 10,600 kg upon takeoff and has a maximum weight limit of 24,499 kg. The combined power of Rafale’s two M-88 turbofan engines is 15,422 kilograms, which allows it to reach a top speed of 2222 km/hour.

Rafale has a fighting radius of 1,852 km and a ferry range of 3,701 km. It can climb to a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet at a pace of 1,000 feet per second. It has a 30 mm autocannon and 14 hardpoints.

The Rafale has a sustained turn rate of 24 degrees and an instantaneous turn rate of 30 degrees, whereas the Typhoon has a sustained turn rate of 23 degrees.

Faster climb rates enable both fighter jets to rapidly replenish their energy. Rafale’s 48-degree wing sweep provides it with a superior lift-to-drag ratio over the Eurofighter’s 52-degree sweep, and its close-coupled canards increase its maximum lift and drag ratio.

The latest Tranche 4 versions of the Typhoon are equipped with an air-to-air and air-to-surface steerable Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Both aircraft carry the Meteor missile, which can travel over 100 km and perhaps as far as 150 km. Dassault is likely to introduce an F5 variant of the aircraft after the F4.

Both fighters are capable and possess similar configurations and armaments.

With the Hellenic Air Force (Greece) acquiring two dozen Rafales and F-35s eventually, Turkey’s eagerness to acquire Eurofighter Typhoons is understandable.

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