Bangladesh has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to begin negotiations for the acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoon jets—an agreement that would make the country the first buyer of the aircraft outside Europe and the Middle East.
According to the Bangladesh Air Force, discussions will take place with Italy’s Leonardo, the company responsible for promoting the Eurofighter in Bangladesh.
“Under this LOI, Leonardo will deliver Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to the Bangladesh Air Force,” the service stated.
Reports in Bangladeshi media indicate that the country may be aiming to procure as many as 16 of the fighters. The Eurofighter is produced by a consortium involving Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
The signing ceremony was held at Bangladesh Air Force headquarters, attended by Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Italy’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Antonio Alessandro.
If finalized, the agreement would represent Bangladesh’s first major purchase of a Western-made fighter jet. China’s Chengdu J-10C has also been mentioned as a competing option.
Earlier this year, a Bangladesh Air Force delegation visited Leonardo’s Turin facility to conduct test flights of the Eurofighter.
Bangladesh already flies Leonardo-built AW109 and AW139 helicopters.
Leonardo is also pursuing Eurofighter sales in the Philippines—where a proposal for 32 aircraft is on the table—and in Poland. So far, 769 Eurofighters have been ordered worldwide, and the jet is currently in service with ten countries: the U.K., Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman.
