UK Deploys Eurofighter Typhoons to Qatar Amid Middle East Tensions

Four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the joint UK–Qatar No. 12 Squadron have been deployed to Qatar at the request of the Qatari government.

The move comes amid rising regional tensions, according to The Aviationist.

The aircraft were deployed for “defensive purposes” and their arrival coincides with an increased U.S. military presence in the Middle East.

No. 12 Squadron regularly rotates to Qatar, where it participates in joint exercises with the Qatar Emiri Air Force as well as partners from Bahrain and Oman.

The current deployment is being carried out under the UK–Qatar Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in Doha last year. The agreement provides for closer defense cooperation and joint planning to counter potential threats, including those posed by Iran.

The United Kingdom and Qatar have a long history of defense partnership. In 2018, the two countries established the joint No. 12 Squadron operating Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, and in 2021 they formed No. 11 Squadron equipped with Hawk 167 jets.

These units were responsible for training Qatari pilots to operate their own Typhoon fighters.