Eurofighter Typhoon Sales Push Targets 200 More Fighter Jets

A reported Eurofighter map puts Saudi Arabia, Austria and Turkey atop a 200-plus jet target. No buyer commitment to those Typhoon numbers was found, and U.S. fighters are in the mix in key markets.

Eurofighter is targeting more than 200 additional Typhoon fighter jets, led by Saudi Arabia, Austria and Turkey, a senior executive said Wednesday at a conference in Munich, FlightGlobal reported.

A slide shown in Munich, as FlightGlobal reported it, lists Eurofighter Typhoon sales targets of 54 aircraft in Saudi Arabia, 36 in Austria and 24 in Turkey. FlightGlobal attributed the outlook to Eurofighter Chief Engineering & Operations Officer Cristiano Montrucchio, who was listed as a speaker at the International Fighter Conference.

Those numbers describe potential demand, not orders, and no sales period has been documented. The estimate and country breakdown had not been independently confirmed as of Wednesday. It also remained unconfirmed whether this was the consortium’s first detailed sales map.

The push reaches into markets where U.S. manufacturers also compete. Those overlaps are specific to each country, however, and the record shows neither a lost U.S. sale nor a single competition spanning those markets.

Eurofighter combines Airbus Defence and Space, BAE Systems and Leonardo. The twin-engine, multirole Typhoon is built by an industrial partnership spanning Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Airbus counted 769 Typhoons ordered and 619 delivered across the program through Sept. 30. That 150-aircraft gap is separate from the new prospects. BAE Systems discussed pursuing up to 200 more Typhoons in 2024, so the scale of the effort is not new.

Saudi Arabia Weighs U.S. and European Jets

Saudi Arabia presents two separate U.S. angles. Airbus records 72 Typhoons delivered to the kingdom, with 71 in operation.

Janes reports a Saudi requirement for about 50 aircraft involving the Typhoon, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale and the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II. That report does not confirm Eurofighter’s reported 54-aircraft target.

Separately, the State Department notified Congress on Sept. 17 of a proposed sale of 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets to Saudi Arabia. The estimated value of the aircraft, related equipment and services is $24.3 billion. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a joint resolution of disapproval on Sept. 24.

The notification does not establish a signed purchase or an outcome in the separate fighter competition. The White House said in November 2025 that President Donald Trump had approved a defense package that included future F-35 deliveries.

Asked about possible additional Typhoon purchases, BAE Systems Chief Executive Charles Woodburn said July 30 that the regional situation was raising the priority of defense spending. No Saudi government confirmation of the 54-aircraft figure was found as of Wednesday in the official and specialist material reviewed.

Austria States a Need, Not a Model

Austria’s reported 36-aircraft prospect matches a figure in the military’s own plan. The Austrian Armed Forces’ 2026 air-defense plan calls for 36 modern supersonic combat aircraft with long-range radar-guided weapons and aerial refueling capability.

The new jets would replace 15 Eurofighters expected to reach the end of their service lives in the mid-2030s. Those aircraft are limited Tranche 1 models, an early production standard, according to Janes.

The plan does not name a replacement model. No public acceptance of a 36-Typhoon order was found as of Wednesday in the Austrian military plan and ministry coverage reviewed.

Turkey’s 24 Remains Unclear

Turkey has already committed to the Typhoon. Britain announced a deal worth up to £8 billion ($10.7 billion) on Oct. 27, 2025, in Ankara for 20 British-built aircraft. A training and support contract covering Turkish pilots and ground crews followed March 25.

The reported 24-aircraft prospect is less clear. Reuters has reported that Ankara sought 24 existing Typhoons from Qatar and Oman, and that any transfers would require separate contracts.

Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense said Oct. 22 that it was awaiting a sale contract and draft training program from Qatar, Reuters reported.

Whether the Munich figure refers to those aircraft or to new-build jets has not been confirmed. No Turkish government commitment to 24 more new-build aircraft was found as of Wednesday in the ministry account carried by Reuters and the two U.K. announcements reviewed.

Portugal, Poland and Other Prospects

FlightGlobal’s account names Bangladesh, the Philippines, Poland and Portugal within a wider pool of about 150 aircraft. The exact pool, the scope of those countries’ inclusion and how it fits with the 200-plus estimate have not been confirmed.

Portugal offers a direct comparison with a U.S. jet. Reuters reported the Typhoon, F-35, Rafale and Saab Gripen E as options to replace 28 upgraded F-16M aircraft.

Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said Oct. 8 that Portugal was seriously considering the F-35 alongside other options. The country had not launched a formal tender at that point. Airbus said Sept. 24 that it planned an unsolicited Typhoon offer in late October or early November, but its submission had not been confirmed as of Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Reuters reported in December that the Bangladesh Air Force had signed a letter of intent with Leonardo to acquire Typhoons. A binding order and quantity remain unconfirmed.

U.S. fighter plans figure in the other two markets. The U.S. notified Congress in April 2025 of a possible $5.58 billion F-16 package for the Philippines, with Lockheed Martin as principal contractor. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in November 2025 that he had returned Lockheed’s proposal, and the department had received pitches for the Typhoon and other jets, Defense News reported in February. No Philippine selection has been confirmed.

Poland signed for 32 F-35As in 2020, and eight have arrived there since May. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in June that Poland plans two more squadrons. A Polish Typhoon order has not been confirmed.

Production Depends on Exports

FlightGlobal’s account put current production capacity above 20 aircraft per year, a figure not independently confirmed as of Wednesday. Eurofighter tied any further increase to foreign sales at the Paris Air Show in June 2025.

“These new orders mean we are increasing the production rate to 20 per year, and we’re already eyeing 30 or more if these export orders materialise,” Jorge Tamarit Degenhardt, Eurofighter’s chief executive officer, said in remarks published by the company.

No date for reaching 30 aircraft per year has been established.

Recent Orders and Kuwait Deliveries

Recent orders from partner nations have added to the backlog. Spain ordered 25 aircraft on Dec. 20, 2024, and Italy followed three days later with an order for up to 24.

Germany ordered 20 Tranche 5 aircraft on Oct. 15, 2025. Airbus will build them at Manching, near Munich, with deliveries scheduled for 2031 to 2034.

Kuwait’s delivery count remains unsettled. Airbus lists 25 deliveries against 28 orders through Sept. 30, and FlightGlobal’s account said the rest would follow in a few months, while EDR Magazine reported in February that all 28 had entered service. No official reconciliation of those totals was found as of Wednesday in the Airbus snapshot or Leonardo filings reviewed.

Airbus describes a midlife modernization covering the jet’s systems, computing, sensors and cockpit. The manufacturer’s planning horizon for the aircraft extends beyond 2060.