Turkey faces hurdles in air force upgrade due to Germany's block

Turkey, considered one of the leading NATO powers, has been striving to enhance the capabilities of its combat air force for some time. However, it continually encounters challenges. Some of these relate to interest in the Eurofighter Typhoon and Germany's stance, which blocks potential transfers.

The Turkish authorities had long hoped to acquire F-35s, but due to tensions with the United States—resulting, among other things, from Ankara's efforts to maintain good diplomatic relations with Russia and its refusal to transfer S-400 systems to Ukraine—they will ultimately have to do without them. A breath of optimism came with the agreement to transfer F-16 fighters to Turkey, but this won't meet their needs.

As a result, Turkish authorities are paying significant attention to the development of the KAAN fighter program and are also seeking other foreign fighters that could be purchased. Some time ago, the choice fell on the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The problem is that the Eurofighter Typhoon results from cooperation among four European countries: Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. Consequently, more approvals are needed to finalize the deal.

As the military-focused portal Defence Express noted, "Germany does not plan to agree to the sale of the Eurofighter Typhoon as of today." Berlin's stance is influenced by disputes over Sweden's entry into NATO, human rights issues in Turkey, and its position on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Germany's position remains steadfast even though Turkey would be interested in not 40 but as many as 50 Eurofighter Typhoon units. Giancarlo Mezzanatto, head of the Eurofighter consortium, recently suggested this.

Let us remind you that the Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multi-role fighter configured as a canard. It is powered by Eurojet EJ200 engines, allowing the aircraft to reach speeds up to Mach 2 (approximately 1,317 mph). It features a length of nearly 52 ft and a height of approximately 17 ft. It weighs 24,251 lbs.

Onboard is a Mauser BK-27 cannon with a 27 mm caliber, but this constitutes only the standard armament. Additionally, the Eurofighter Typhoon can carry a variety of external weapons, including Harpoon and Penguin anti-ship missiles, AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, as well as cruise missiles like the British Storm Shadow and the German Taurus.

Tense relations with Greece exacerbate Turkey's ambitions for further armament. This is especially notable as Athens has agreed with the United States to order 20 F-35 fighters, with the first expected to arrive in the Balkan Peninsula by 2028.