When British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Turkey's purchase of 20 Eurofighter Typhoons worth roughly $10 billion, the optics were triumphal. However, for London, the sale looks like an industrial success story that masks a strategic loss.
Germany has selected Munich-based defense software company Helsing to support its Eurofighter EK program with an artificial-intelligence-enabled electronic warfare suite, marking one of the most significant attempts yet to integrate advanced AI into a front-line European combat aircraft. The program teams Helsing with Saab, which supplies its Arexis electronic warfare system, under a contract intended to replace Germany's retiring Tornado ECR fleet.
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems a £454 million contract for production of new Eurofighter Typhoon combat jet radars. The deal marks a major step forward in the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Typhoon capability, with entry to service expected by the end of the decade.