MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

RAF will upgrade 107 Typhoon Tranches 2 and 3; four Tranche 1 will remain at Falklands’ MPC

A formation of Typhoon Tranche 1 fighter jets flying over the Falklands (MoD Pic)

The Royal Air Force will upgrade all of its 107 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets at a cost of £5.4 billion, according to the latest UK Defense Investment Plan, as reported by Aerospace Global News, AGN, a British media company specializing in military information.This represents a significant increase from the 40 previously planned and announced in January 2026.

At the time AGN reported that UK was retiring 26 of its Tranche 1 Typhoons, leaving only Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 fighters. Nevertheless there will be four remaining Tranche 1 fighters at Mount Pleasant Complex in the Falkland Islands.

Commenting on the issue, Minister for Defense Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, said that “the £5.4 billion Typhoon spend detailed in the DIP comprises the planned spend to maintain and upgrade the UK’s 107 Typhoons.”

Minister Pollard went on to explain the investment, “includes radar, communications, and software upgrades, new defensive aids systems, and improvements to weapons systems such as the upgraded helmet-mounted sight.”

Comments were in answer to a question by Conservative MP Andrew Snowden, whose constituency includes Warton, where BAE Systems builds the Typhoon fighter jet. He asked for a breakdown on the increased £5.4 billion figure slated for the Typhoons in the Defense Investment Plan.

In January the government said the“investment will deliver an additional 40 advanced European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2 radars for RAF Typhoons, including 38 new systems and modifications to two test systems, ensuring radars will be fitted to 40 aircraft.”

These funds are to be spread out over the four years from FY 2026/2027 to FY 2029/2030. The Typhoon fleet is receiving a further £1.1 billion to upgrade and sustain the fleet into the 2040s, including through the Long Term Evolution program. The Typhoon fleet is to continue to be the core of the combat air capability into the 2040s.

It also includes £300 million in investment for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (aka loyal wingman drones), £8.6 billion for the GCAP/Tempest 6th-generation fighter jet program, and £2.2 billion for the F-35 fighter jet.

Another half a billion has been marked for the E-7 Wedgetail, almost two billion for the A400M Atlas airlifter, £2.4 billion for the Airbus A330 MRTT Voyager tanker fleet, and billions of pounds for the Hawk trainers, P-8 Poseidon, and other RAF aircraft and systems.

Unlike Spain, Germany, and Italy, the UK has not placed any new orders for the Typhoon and instead appears interested in sustaining its fleet. UK has managed to secure export orders from Turkey that will keep its production line humming and its specialized workforce employed until Tempest enters production. Around a third of the Eurofighter Typhoon’s systems are built in the UK.