British defense company BAE Systems is confident about winning new orders for Eurofighter Typhoon military jets from countries such as Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to its European air sector boss.
"We're working with the U.K. government on a number of those campaigns presently," Richard Hamilton, managing director for Europe and International in BAE Systems Air sector, told reporters on Tuesday.
Asked whether he was confident that those sales campaigns would result in new orders for the aircraft, he said, "Yeah, absolutely," adding that there was potential for new orders of up to 150 new Typhoons.
Underpinning that confidence in the new export order, he said, was Britain's commitment to funding upgrades to Typhoon's capabilities, which extend the aircraft's lifespan.
"The confidence it gives the export partner, you know, with the Saudis, with the Turkish, when they see that this thing has a life, it just makes the whole conversation so much easier," he said at the group's facility in Warton, northern England.
The jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Trade unions in Britain have raised concerns that without the new orders, some BAE final assembly production lines would run out of work in the 2030s.
Türkiye has been in negotiations to acquire up to 40 Eurofighters to enhance its air force. Any export agreement must receive the unanimous approval of the partner nations.
Germany has reportedly opposed the Türkiye deal, but officials have recently voiced progress in talks.
Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks with British and German leaders regarding the jets at the NATO summit and said there were "positive developments" on the issue.
British Consul General Kenan Poleo last week said negotiations about Türkiye's procurement of the warplanes are progressing "quite positively."
Türkiye, despite boasting NATO's second-largest army, has often in the past faced arms embargoes. That pushed it to significantly boost domestic capabilities and curb foreign dependence over the last two decades.
Today, it produces a wide range of vehicles and arms types domestically, including its own drones, missiles and naval vessels. It's also developing its own fifth-generation fighter jet, named Kaan.
Kaan is sought to replace the Air Forces Command's aging F-16 fleet, which is planned to be phased out starting in the 2030s. Its mass production is expected to start in 2028.
