UK to retire final four Tranche 1 Typhoons after Falklands rotation

Luke Pollard, the Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, has confirmed that the four Tranche 1 Eurofighter Typhoons stationed at the Falkland Islands’ RAF Mount Pleasant will be withdrawn and decommissioned in 2027.

Pollard was responding to a question by MP Ben Obese-Jecty about what steps are being taken regarding the fighter jets in the Falklands. He explained the four Tranche 1 jets will be replaced by four Tranche 2 Typhoons from the existing RAF fleet.

📍RAF Mount Pleasant

The @RoyalAirForce (🇬🇧) Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 "Hope" seen in hangar at RAF Mount Pleasant allowing a good inside look inside QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) setup on the islands.

📸: Shield Programme pic.twitter.com/tjlg7X2STf

— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) March 10, 2026

The rotation is planned for late November to early December 2027. After the Tranche 1 fighter jets return to the UK, they will be withdrawn from the Military Aviation Authority Register and enter the disposal process. He added that the F-35 remains “available for global operational tasking in line with Defence priorities.”

The RAF/RN has now recieved all of its initially ordered 48 F-35Bs (minus one that fell off HMS Queen Elizabeth II in 2021).

All Tranche 1 jets to retire, only Tranche 2 and 3 to be upgraded

As these Tranche 1 fighter jets will be decommissioned, this adjusts earlier ADS Advance reporting somewhat. In early 2026, the MoD stated that only 40 Typhoons would be upgraded, but the Defence Investment Plan boosted the funds available to £5.4 billion and appeared to cover all remaining aircraft.

ADS Advance reported that all 107 remaining Typhoons would be upgraded with new radars and systems. But it now seems only the Tranche 2 and 3 Typhoons will be, for a total of 103 fighter jets.

The four Falklands-based Tranche 1 jets are the remaining examples of the initial 30-strong batch of Typhoons. 26 Tranche 1 jets have already been decommissioned.

Tranche 2 jets feature significantly more modern avionics. They are able to carry advanced Meteor, Brimstone 2, and Storm Shadow missiles, which Tranche 1 jets can not.

Eurofighter rotation schedule redates current flare-up in tensions

The news comes during a renewed period of intense rhetoric over the sovereignty of the islands and after Argentina has received 24 decommissioned ex-Danish F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets.

The rotation of Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 jets predates the current tensions and is not connected.

Pollard’s comment on the F-35Bs was related to a separate question also raised by MP Ben Obese-Jecty regarding “future use of the F-35B Lightning Force in the defence of the Falkland Islands.”

Seperately, in response to a question by MP Clive Jones, Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said last week that the UK is “steadfast” in its support for the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination.

She said, “Our defences in the South Atlantic are robust, consisting of air, land, and maritime forces with a strong permanent presence on the Falkland Islands.”