It is a fact that in recent years, especially after BREXIT, there has been an alignment and cooperation between Turkey and Great Britain in various sectors, such as trade, economy, tourism, but also in military matters between the defense industries of the two countries, with this prominent concerning the construction of the engine for Turkey’s indigenous 5th generation fighter aircraft KAAN (TF-X), while the strong interest from Ankara in the possible purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon fighters is also noted, either in the event that the purchase of 40 F-16 BLOCKs is not successful -70 from the USA, or more of them in case of a positive outcome of the purchase from the USA.
The Turkish President is playing on a double board with the USA and the UK, attempting to acquire both 40 F-16 BLOCK-70 from the former, and 40 Eurofighters with the “backs” of the latter. Especially with Great Britain, Erdoğan seeks to push her to convince Germany to advocate for the sale of Eurofighters, and for this reason, with a new cooperation agreement, he is attempting to heat up Sunak’s economy with billions of dollars.
Mammoth deal Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Turkish Airlines brings Turkey-UK even closer
Prime Minister Sunak and Business and Trade Minister Badenoch have welcomed a major deal for Airbus to supply 220 aircraft to Turkish Airlines, worth billions of pounds to the UK.
The deal includes 150 A321 aircraft and 70 A350 family aircraft, the engines of which will be supplied by Rolls-Royce.
The deal announced by the companies on December 15 in Istanbul will support thousands of highly skilled jobs across the UK, helping to boost exports and grow the economy.
A significant part of the manufacturing process of the new aircraft is expected to take place in the UK.
All wings will be designed in Filton, Bristol and assembled in North Wales, supporting hundreds of manufacturing jobs in the UK aerospace supply chain.
The new A350 aircraft will also be powered exclusively by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, which are assembled and tested in Derby, and will deliver 25% lower CO2 emissions compared to previous generation aircraft.
In 2022, the UK’s global aerospace industry contributed £10.9 billion to the UK economy, exported around 70% of its domestic output and directly employed 108,000 highly skilled people, 90% of whom are based outside London and South East Europe . It is also a leading sector for high-value apprenticeships, with 5,200 people currently employed in the sector.
Sunak’s statements on the agreement
This landmark deal between Turkish Airlines, Airbus and Rolls-Royce demonstrates the UK’s thriving aerospace sector.
Meeting growing demand in aviation will create better paying jobs and new opportunities in manufacturing hubs from Derby to Wales so we can continue to grow the economy, helping to deliver my five priorities for the country.
This landmark deal between Turkish Airlines, Airbus and Rolls-Royce demonstrates the UK’s thriving aerospace sector.
Meeting growing demand in aviation will create better paying jobs and new opportunities in manufacturing hubs from Derby to Wales so we can continue to grow the economy, helping to deliver my five priorities for the country.
The UK is already a leading investment destination and by strengthening trade links with growing economic powerhouses such as Turkey, we will ensure that British businesses remain at the forefront of global growth and innovation as we build on our ground-breaking global investment summit. record we hosted in London last year month.
Turkey-UK military cooperation
In addition to the economic dimension of the above agreement, the cooperation of companies of the two countries will bring additional profit for the neighbors regarding the acquisition of know-how in the critical field of aerospace technology, enhancing the already existing military cooperation of the two countries, which concerns the cooperation in the construction of the engine for Turkey’s indigenous 5th generation fighter aircraft KAAN (TF-X), but also the modernization of the 4 E-7T Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) early warning aircraft.
Rolls Royce and KAAN (TF-X)
It is known that an engine for the KAAN fighter aircraft is being developed by the Turkish Air Engine Company (TAEC), a joint venture between Kale Group (51% of shares) and Rolls-Royce with 49%.
The British company and Turkey’s Kale Group had earlier formed a joint venture to produce a locally developed engine for Turkey’s fighter jet program, which have two engines, each rated at more than 20,000 pounds of thrust, according to Air Force Technology .
Thus, thanks to the help of Rolls-Royce, Erdogan’s expansionary plans are unlocked in the air with the granting of engines for KHAAN aircraft.
The British visit-inspection to the 4 Turkish E-7T Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft
We remind you that at the end of May 2023, representatives of the British Royal Air Force visited Turkey and inspected the 4 E-7T Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft of the neighbors, with the aim of:
- In examining the compatibility of the Turkish software with NATO standards, in the context of the imposed interoperability of the early warning aircraft and the air defense of the member states of the Alliance
- In gathering data on the additional capabilities of HAVELSAN’s new calculation and the upgrading of the capabilities of the Turkish E-7T early warning aircraft, advertised by the Turks.
- In examining possible UK-Turkey cooperation in the field in question.
