Türkiye seeks to acquire 400 Meteor missiles in Eurofighter Typhoon deal

Türkiye has reportedly requested approximately 400 Meteor air-to-air missiles as part of its potential acquisition of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, according to a Greek media report.

Eurofighter Typhoon sale to Türkiye gains traction

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense has formally submitted an offer to its Turkish counterpart regarding the sale of the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.

Recently during the weekly press briefing the Turkish Ministry of Defense (MoD) answered questions regarding the Eurofighter procurement, and said, “We had previously announced that the Requirements Definition Document prepared within the scope of the procurement of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft to meet the operational needs of our Air Force was sent to the U.K. Ministry of Defense and the relevant company, and that an offer was expected. The expected offer has reached our ministry and the offer review process is ongoing.”

This development, confirmed by Ankara, indicates that the European-manufactured jet may soon be available for Türkiye.

A key hurdle in the process—Germany’s previous objections—appears to have been overcome. Berlin had initially expressed strong reservations about supplying Türkiye with the 4.5-generation combat aircraft. However, with the recent change in Germany’s leadership, those concerns seem to have diminished.

Reports indicate that Berlin has yielded to diplomatic pressure from London, while Italy and Spain—two other nations involved in the Eurofighter consortium—have already approved the sale.

Meteor missiles key negotiation point

While Türkiye continues to assess the Eurofighter Typhoon offer, reports indicate that negotiations have shifted focus toward the procurement of Meteor missiles.

Sources suggest that Ankara has made it clear that the agreement must be a package deal, including the acquisition of up to 400 of these advanced long-range missiles.

According to La Tribune, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu has reached out to his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, regarding the sale of the Meteor missiles.

However, Dendias has not responded to the request for a meeting to discuss the matter.

France’s ‘limited power’ to block the deal

France’s ability to block the sale of Meteor missiles to Türkiye appears to be minimal. France holds only a 12.4% share in the missile manufacturing consortium, whereas Germany (16%), Italy (12%), Spain (10%), and Sweden (10%) have reportedly raised no objections to the sale.

Given this distribution of stakes, any French attempt to obstruct the deal would have no impact.

The proposed Eurofighter and Meteor package reportedly could be worth up to €8 billion ($8.7B), benefiting the companies involved in both aircraft and missile production.