Britain and Turkey sign air defence agreement

Britain and Turkey have signed a multi-billion pound agreement covering training and technical support as part of last year's £8 billion deal for Eurofighter Typhoon jets, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

The latest contract will see Turkish pilots and ground crews trained in Britain as Ankara prepares to operate its first batch of the aircraft. The deal was signed in London by Defence Secretary John Healey and his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler.

Several defence companies are involved, including BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and Martin-Baker, which will supply components and training equipment.

The British government described the agreement as the next phase in Turkey's integration into the Eurofighter programme, adding that it would bolster NATO’s air capabilities on its eastern flank.

Last year’s Typhoon deal was one of the largest defence agreements between the two countries. The new contract is designed to prepare Turkish forces for the aircraft's introduction and support future operations.

(reuters, lud)