Turkey’s Eurofighter jet deal with Germany raises alarms in Israel

Israel is concerned about the possible upcoming Turkish acquisition of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Germany, an Israeli official informed The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official emphasized that the Eurofighter fighter jet does not directly threaten the Israeli Air Force’s aerial superiority but constitutes, nevertheless, a “headache” for Israel due to the current Turkish Islamist government’s hostility towards the Jewish state. 

The Eurofighter, a fourth-plus-generation fighter jet, has been jointly developed by Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain. While advanced, it does not threaten the Israeli Air Force’s American-based aerial platforms, which include the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet as well as F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. 

“This isn’t a game-changing threat to our Air Force. The Typhoon is a capable but not superior aircraft compared to our fighter jets,” the Israeli official assessed. “But it’s a clear and worrying signal that Turkey is accelerating its arms buildup in a way that could eventually challenge Israel’s military edge in the region."

Turkey, which has the second-largest military in NATO after the United States, has for years strived to upgrade and modernize its military capabilities. During the peak of Turkish-Israeli relations before the ascent of the current Turkish Islamist President Recep Erdogan, Israel played a leading role in upgrading the Turkish Air Force’s fleet. This past cooperation has given Israel in-depth knowledge about the Turkish aerial capabilities. 

The Turkish government’s decision to purchase the European-built Eurofighter jet signals its commitment to enhancing its air force's combat capabilities. However, while the Eurofighter boasts advanced performance, it still falls short of the stealth and sensor fusion capabilities offered by the Israeli-operated F-35 fighter jets.

These F-35s are further augmented by exclusive, cutting-edge Israeli military technologies not found in F-35s operated by other countries.

The Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the Netanyahu government for not blocking the Eurofighter deal between Turkey and Germany. 

Lapid noted that Turkey already has the largest navy in the Middle East and now openly seeks to challenge Israel’s aerial superiority. 

“This is dangerous,” he assessed, “and our inactive government let it happen without lifting a finger.”

In addition to acquiring the European-built fighter jet, Turkey is also seeking to secure a deal with the Trump administration to purchase more American-made F-16s and potentially even F-35 fighter jets. However, in 2019, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara opted to buy Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.

However, relations between Turkey and the United States have improved under the leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump. In April, the Trump administration reportedly considered selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, which caused concern in both the U.S. and Israel. 

Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned at the time against selling the F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, stressing the Erdogan government’s growing autocratic tendencies and its support of the terrorist organization Hamas and other anti-Western radical organizations. 

“In other words, Turkey is not just an unreliable ally. Its policies are indistinguishable from our adversaries,” Schanzer said. 

“Only America’s strongest allies should be allowed into the F-35 club,” he added.