Turkish move to acquire Eurofighter jets effort to restore air force balance
Senior military sources have interpreted Ankara’s attempt to acquire at least one squadron of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft as an effort by Turkey to restore its air force balance with Greece.
The balance has changed drastically since an escalation in tensions between the two countries in 2020 prompted Athens to decide to acquire 4.5 generation fighters with the procurement of 24 Rafale F3Rs, expected by mid-2025, before moving on to 5th generation F-35 models, while also upgrading 82 F-16s to the superior Viper version, a procedure already in progress.
The Rafale model is equipped with advanced sensors and systems that position it between 4th and 5th generation fighter aircraft.
Turkey, following a failed coup in 2016 and subsequent purges in its army and air force, lost a significant part of its experienced personnel and has since done little to strengthen its air force fleet.
The Eurofighter Typhoon, Turkey’s response to Athens’ series of orders, is a highly capable European fighter jet that, despite problems in the production chain and high support costs, has continued to develop and equip many air forces worldwide.
If Ankara secures the green light from Berlin for German military exports to Turkey and acquires, as an initial order, 24 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, which could eventually reach up to 40, then the neighboring country will have taken an important step towards restoring its air force balance with Greece.
The core of both the Greek and Turkish air forces consists of F-16 fighters.
Turkey has started negotiations for the upgrade of 80 F-16 Vipers and supply of a further 40 with the Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics Corp, this fighter jet’s US manufacturers, but it is not clear whether the entire order will be carried out, primarily given its huge costs.
