It would be nice to have the Eurofighter Typhoon in our Air Force, but it is not a must!

The USA's removal of us from the F-35 partnership, and subsequent continuous delay in our purchase of 40 new F-16V Block 70 aircraft and 79 aircraft Block 70 modernization kit, put the Turkish Air Force's "force modernization" process into a 10-15 year delay and chaos. .

The most important project that would correct the quality balance between us and Greece, our most important air power rival in the next 10-15 years, was the purchase of new F-16s and modernization kits. The delay in this purchase pushed Turkey to search for aircraft with a configuration equal to or above the F-16V. The leading candidate is the Tranche 4, the latest variant of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft. The Typhoon was originally designed as an air superiority fighter and was produced by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, which carried out most of the project through a joint holding company called Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH. The UK has a 33% share in the consortium, Germany 33%, Italy 21% and Spain 13%.

Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH coordinates the program on the industrial side and acts as the single point of contact for NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency), customers and governments.

A total of 680 Eurofighter Typhoons have been ordered, and production will be terminated in 2035 if there are no additions to existing orders. 9 countries use the aircraft.

According to this; If production capacity is not increased (which will be very costly in terms of supply of manufacturing equipment), orders placed now will be in the user country's inventory after 2035 at the earliest, that is, eleven years later.

Eurofighter partners are planning the life cycle of Eurofighter to be able to use it until 2060 and some time after. The expected effective structural life of the aircraft is 6000 hours, or approximately 40 years with a balanced flight of around 150 hours per year, but this can be extended with structural improvements to extend the life.

Problem here; In particular, the main user countries (England, Germany, Italy, Spain) will continue to use EF Typhoon after removing it from service. This will make the maintenance and maintenance of the aircraft both very difficult and very costly.

Buying an aircraft for which the main manufacturer and user countries have not placed new orders; There will be a serious and strategic sustainability risk for an aircraft that will be used for approximately 50 years.

Our country is considering the purchase of 20 (with +20 additional options) Eurofighter Typhoon. For such an expensive aircraft (EF Typhoon is one of the most expensive aircraft in its class), making a 50-year maintenance & operation investment for 20+20 aircraft would be a very costly investment for our country.

If MRO&U (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade) investment is not made in the maintenance-maintenance process of a jet fighter aircraft; You will be completely dependent on the countries where this investment is made. Investing in MRO&U for 20+20 aircraft will be very costly.

In conclusion;

 Türkiye requests 20+20 Eurofighter Typhoon, Tranche 4 aircraft. Depending on the current production capacity, these aircraft will be in the inventory after 2035. However, for Turkey between 2024-2035; In other words, a 4+++ generation aircraft is required within the next 10-15 years for KAAN to enter the inventory and be ready for war. It is possible to increase the production capacity so that the latest variant aircraft can be manufactured immediately for Turkey, but it will result in very high costs.

 Gaining MRO&U capacity for the 20+20 Eurofighter Typhoon would be an extremely costly investment. If MRO&U investment is not made; It will remain extremely dependent on the countries where this investment is made for +50 years.

 EF Typhoon; It made its first flight in 1994, entered service in 2003, underwent four different model upgrades, two of the consortium members (England, Italy) were included in two different 6th Generation aircraft consortiums, did not order a new Typhoon, but after the 6th Generation aircraft came into operation. Due to the fact that they will gradually take Typhoon out of service; It should not be perceived as a new aircraft model. Turkey actually needs an aircraft that will reinforce our air power in the next 10-15 years and will no longer need to be used.

 EF Typhoon's production line is full until 2035, and if the +50 order from Saudi Arabia, which Germany vetoed, is approved, it will extend until the 2030s. We will probably receive our first package in the 2040s; at best, it will be 2041 for these aircraft to be ready for combat in our country. In addition, we must maintain these 40 aircraft until approximately +2090... Otherwise, it will be a waste of defense expenditure... Moreover, if we are the last to purchase the EF Typhoon and there are no other orders from us, the main consortium and main users of this aircraft will be England. We will have to maintain this aircraft until approximately +30 years after Germany, Italy and Spain take it out of service...

Procuring a Eurofighter Typhoon that can enter the inventory very early, be the latest variant, and have a reasonable maintenance investment is very difficult but possible, but the cost will be astronomical. In my opinion, supply under these conditions; “It is possible but not necessary!”

On the other hand; Alternative Eurofighter Typhoon procurement options are also available…