[🇧🇩-Airforce] MRCA Program of Bangladesh Air Force

[Strong]

Unfortunately, yes.

@Bilal9

 

[Saif]

Deal signed to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon from Italy

Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and Leonardo S.p.A., an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security, on Tuesday signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) at the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Headquarters in Dhaka. “Through this LOI, Leonardo S.p.A will supply Eurofighter Typh

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Deal signed to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon from Italy

BSS
Published :
Dec 09, 2025 21:46
Updated :
Dec 09, 2025 21:46

Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and Leonardo S.p.A., an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security, on Tuesday signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) at the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Headquarters in Dhaka.

“Through this LOI, Leonardo S.p.A will supply Eurofighter Typhoon to Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) as a step to include modern Multi-Role Combat Aircraft at its frontline war craft," said a release of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate in Dhaka on Tuesday evening.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of Bangladesh Armed Forces Division (BAFD) and relevant representatives of Italy were present at the event, the ISPR added.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Italy

The Letter of Intent for the purchase has been signed in the presence of the Italian ambassador to Dhaka

bdnews24.com

Bangladesh to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Italy
The Letter of Intent for the purchase has been signed in the presence of the Italian ambassador to Dhaka

Senior Correspondent

Published : 09 Dec 2025, 10:04 PM

Updated : 09 Dec 2025, 10:04 PM

Bangladesh is set to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Italy amid pressure from European ambassadors as the government backs down on buying Airbus passenger and cargo planes.

The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) finalised a Letter of Intent (LOI) on Tuesday with Italian company Leonardo SpA to buy the fighter jets.

The Eurofighter is manufactured and marketed under the Eurofighter GmbH consortium of Leonardo SpA Italy, BAE Systems, and Airbus Defence and Space company.

A notice on the BAF Facebook page shared information about the signing of the LOI with Leonardo SpA, adding that the signing took place at the Air Force Headquarters in the presence of Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Italian Ambassador to Dhaka Antonio Alessandro.

The notice also said this fighter jet is being purchased as a state-of-the-art multi-role combat aircraft for frontline warfare.

Under the LOI, Leonardo SpA will supply the BAF with the fighter jets.

The number of jets to be purchased and the total cost, however, were not disclosed.

According to information on Leonardo's website, the Eurofighter consortium includes the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

The twin-engine Eurofighter Typhoon is capable of flying at a maximum altitude of 55,000ft.

This supersonic fighter jet is currently in the fleet of the air forces of Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.

Following the ouster of the Awami League government, French-based manufacturer Airbus has actively pursued the sale of aircraft to state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

During a visit to Dhaka in September 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron said Bangladesh had “committed to buying” 10 large aircraft from Airbus.

During this process, the American company Boeing also became active in reviewing the deal to purchase eight passenger and two cargo aircraft from Airbus.

Negotiations were ongoing when the Sheikh Hasina government fell in a mass uprising in August 2024.

The US-China trade war initiated by President Donald Trump this year also impacted Bangladesh.

To avoid Trump's proposed 35 percent tariff, the interim government announced in July the decision to purchase 25 aircraft from Boeing.

This move cast doubt on Bangladesh's prior commitment to buy 10 large aircraft from Airbus.

In response, European officials began pressuring the government to proceed with the Airbus sale.

Airbus Executive Vice President Wouter van Wersch met with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus during his visit to the UK in June, initiating sustained contact with government officials.

However, in standard airline procurement, the purchasing company initiates the demand for aircraft, but here Biman was kept out of the process.

In early November, the ambassadors of the UK, France, Germany, and the EU jointly expressed their hope of Airbus being “reasonably” considered in the aircraft purchase negotiations, highlighting the multi-billion euro market for Bangladeshi products in Europe, the Least Developed Country (LDC) graduation, its duty-free access to the UK, and the long-standing partnership.

At a Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh, (DCAB) talk in Dhaka on Nov 26, German Ambassador to Bangladesh Rüdiger Lotz said if Dhaka withdrew from its Airbus commitment, it would affect trade relations with Europe.

He hinted it could also alter the “climate of tariff negotiations” in the European market, to which Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain responded saying Bangladesh's “overall relations” with Europe did not depend on a “commercial deal”.

Meanwhile, the BAF announced on Tuesday its intent to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Leonardo SpA.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh to buy 20 Chinese J-10C fighter jets in $2.2bn deal

Bangladesh is preparing to purchase 20 Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets by 2027 to modernize the Bangladesh Air Force and strengthen national air defence. The deal, valued at approximately $2.20 billion (around Tk27,060 crore), will also cover training, maintenance, and other...

www.dhakatribune.com

Bangladesh to buy 20 Chinese J-10C fighter jets in $2.2bn deal
​

• Payments to be made in instalments over 10 fiscal years​
• The J-10C, also known as the 'Vigorous Dragon', is a fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft​

Image of J-10C. Photo: Collected

Publish : 07 Oct 2025, 11:06 AMUpdate : 07 Oct 2025, 11:06 AM

Bangladesh is preparing to purchase 20 Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets by 2027 to modernize the Bangladesh Air Force and strengthen national air defence.

The deal, valued at approximately $2.20 billion (around Tk27,060 crore), will also cover training, maintenance, and other related expenses, according to government documents reviewed by The Business Standard.

Officials said the procurement is likely to be completed under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement during the 2025–26 and 2026–27 fiscal years, with payments to be made in instalments over 10 fiscal years, until 2035–36.

According to China’s Global Times and defence website The War Zone, the J-10C—also known as the “Vigorous Dragon”—is a fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft capable of conducting a wide range of missions. The jet has a top speed of Mach 2.2 (around 2,415 km/h) and a combat radius of 1,850 km. It can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes, engage targets up to 200 km away, and operate in coordination with other aircraft and drones for surveillance and attack missions.

Cost breakdown

The Chief Adviser's Office has set the base price of each aircraft at $60 million, bringing the total fleet cost to about $1.2 billion (Tk14,760 crore).

Another $820 million (Tk10,086 crore) will be spent on training, equipment, and transportation. Including insurance, VAT, agency commission, infrastructure, and ancillary expenses, the total cost amounts to roughly $2.20 billion. The finance ministry will allocate funds through FY 2035–36 to cover payments.

Talks and committee formation

During a four-day official visit to China on March 26, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus discussed the potential purchase of multirole fighter jets. His press wing later confirmed that China responded positively to the proposal.

In April, the government formed an 11-member inter-ministerial committee, headed by Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, to negotiate and finalize the deal.

The committee includes representatives from the Chief Adviser's Office, Ministry of Defence, Finance Division, Economic Relations Division, and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

The committee will review the draft agreement, assess the feasibility of purchasing the aircraft directly from the Chinese government or its nominated agency, and negotiate key terms covering maintenance, training, spare parts, and payment conditions.

Expert opinion

Retired Major General ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, said the Air Force has long planned to acquire new fighter jets but the proposal remains under evaluation.

He cautioned that global geopolitical dynamics—especially tensions between the United States and China—should be carefully considered before finalising the purchase. “However,” he added, “the need for modern combat aircraft in Bangladesh cannot be denied.”

Bangladesh Air Force’s current fleet

According to WarPowerBangladesh.com, the Bangladesh Air Force currently operates 212 aircraft, including 44 fighter jets—36 of which are Chinese-made F-7s.

The fleet also includes eight Russian MiG-29B multirole fighters and Yak-130 light attack aircraft, along with a mix of older and newer helicopters.​