UK rules out Typhoon jets for Ukraine amid defence strategy shift
The British authorities have made a final decision about the fate of 30 Typhoon fighters, which will soon be withdrawn from service in the Royal Air Force (RAF). Although the possibility of transferring them to Ukraine was considered, these aircraft will ultimately not be deployed.
Details about the reduction of RAF resources by 30 Typhoon fighters (in the Tranche 1 variant) first emerged in 2023 and immediately sparked speculation about whether these aircraft would be included in future aid packages for Ukraine.
The UK will not transfer Typhoon fighters to Ukraine
British Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed that the aircraft will begin to be withdrawn from service this year. He added that the British Ministry of Defence has repeatedly assessed the possibility of delivering jets to Ukraine, along with the potential pros and cons of such a transfer, but ultimately no decision was made to proceed. The focus will instead remain on facilitating the transfer of European F-16s to Ukraine.
Pollard said that Denmark and the Netherlands have announced they will deliver up to 61 F-16 fighters to Ukraine, which is significantly more than the total number of Typhoon Tranche 1 aircraft in RAF service.
Could Typhoon Tranche 1 be useful to Ukraine?
British media note that the announcement regarding the disposal (after recovering some useful components) of the Typhoon Tranche 1 comes at a time when discussions are ongoing about the "Sky Shield" project, a European initiative to protect Ukrainian airspace. Initial analyses suggest that up to 160 Western fighters may be needed for this effort.
Although the Typhoon Tranche 1 is the oldest variant of this fighter, it was introduced into RAF service in 2003, relatively recently. These aircraft have exhausted only about 40% of their manufacturer-prescribed service life. They are primarily designed for air combat, with an emphasis on defence, and have several limitations compared to later variants. However, the design allows for upgrades to higher variants with relatively little effort.
Lack of orders for new variants
A separate issue raising doubts is whether the delivery of Typhoon Tranche 1 to Ukraine could not serve as a strategy to secure a potential export customer for new variants of these fighters.
According to Airbus representatives, the Eurofighter program needs additional customers to remain profitable. Reports surfaced in early March that the factory in Warton might face closure due to a lack of new orders for Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
