Woodburn said the company was “well on track” to achieve the higher rate. The expansion is required to support newer participants in the Eurofighter programme, including Türkiye.
BAE Systems may need to increase production further if additional export opportunities become firm orders. Woodburn said the company had several prospects in its pipeline and could move beyond the planned output rate if it secured more international sales.
The production increase strengthens Typhoon’s role in BAE Systems’ European growth strategy. Woodburn identified the aircraft as one of the main contributors to the company’s regional expansion, alongside MBDA, Hägglunds and Bofors.
Türkiye’s participation is already supporting activity across the programme. Woodburn said the country’s addition to the Eurofighter partnership was helping drive growth and creating the need for higher production rates.
BAE Systems also expects Typhoon to remain a core combat-air platform for decades. Woodburn said continuing capability upgrades would maintain the aircraft’s operational relevance while the company develops the next generation of combat-air systems through the Global Combat Air Programme.
He presented Typhoon and GCAP as complementary parts of the company’s long-term combat-air strategy. One programme extends the operational life and capabilities of an established aircraft, while the other develops a future system expected to enter service in the mid-2030s.
Woodburn also pointed to the rapid integration of APKWS laser-guided rockets onto Typhoon as evidence of the aircraft’s ability to respond to changing operational requirements. He said customers in the Gulf were placing greater emphasis on counter-drone missions and improved protection of their airspace.
The comments indicate that BAE Systems sees Typhoon as both a near-term production growth programme and a long-duration export opportunity. The final scale of the output increase will depend partly on whether additional international campaigns move into the order book.
