UK and Turkiye sign multi-billion-pound air defense deal

LONDON: ‌Britain and Turkiye on Wednesday signed a multi-billion-pound agreement ​for a major new training and support contract as part of its 8 -billion-pound ($10.73 billion) Typhoon fighter jet deal the two ‌countries concluded last ‌year.
The ​new ‌contract ⁠covers ​UK-based training ⁠for Turkish pilots and ground crew as Turkiye moves toward operating its first batch of British-built jets, Britain’s ⁠Ministry of Defense ‌said in ‌a statement.
Defense firms ​including BAE ‌Systems, Leonardo UK , ‌MBDA, Rolls-Royce and Martin-Baker will supply components and training equipment.
Defense Secretary John Healey and ‌Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler signed the agreement ⁠in ⁠London, which the British government said marked the next phase of Turkiye’s entry into the Eurofighter program and reinforcing NATO’s combat air capability on its eastern flank.