Eurofighter Typhoon | |
---|---|
![]() A Royal Air Force twin-seater Eurofighter Typhoon | |
General information | |
Type | Multirole fighter |
National origin | United Kingdom Italy Germany Spain |
Manufacturer | Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH |
Status | In service |
Primary users | Royal Air Force |
Number built | 558 (as of January 2019) |
History | |
Manufactured | 1994–present |
Introduction date | 4 August 2003 |
First flight | 27 March 1994 |
Developed from | British Aerospace EAP |
The Eurofighter Typhoon is in service with nine nations: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Austria, with orders for all nine customers still pending as of September 2017. The aircraft has, as of 2016, been provided in a basic air-defense form and has been upgraded to newer production standards which include internal IRST, air-to-ground precision strike capability (with Royal Air Force Typhoons participating in air strikes destroying tanks in Libya in 2011 as their combat debut), [1] and HMSS (helmet-mounted symbology system) helmets. Most of the major systems including the CAPTOR radar and the Defence Aids Sub-System (DASS) are expected to be improved and updated over time, with the radar being updated to an AESA, being the CAPTOR-E/CAESAR, of which the Kuwait Air Force will be the inaugural operator, with first deliveries of their 28 new-built aircraft to commence in 2019. [2]
Seven development aircraft (DA) were built with varying equipment fits and flight test roles.
The instrumented production aircraft (IPA) are five production standard aircraft fitted with telemetry instruments for dedicated flight testing and further systems development.
These are the operational and training aircraft. The model is known as Typhoon in the United Kingdom and export markets and as EF-2000 in Germany, Italy and Spain. However, all Italian aircraft carry the "Typhoon" logo on their tails. [8]
As of July 2006 the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana) had one EF-2000 wing, 4º Stormo (4th Wing), which received its first aircraft on 19 February 2004. [8] The 36º Stormo received its first Typhoon on 1 October 2007. By 2018 the Italian Air Force had three Eurofighter wings.
On 25 August 2022 three newly built Eurofighter Typhoons jets destined to the QEAF (Qatar Emiri Air Force) departed the BAE Systems factory at Warton, UK, to Qatar on their delivery flight to Tamim Airbase, near Dukhan, approximately 80 kilometres west of Doha via Athens. [20]
As of December 2006 the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire) has one squadron of aircraft. The first aircraft was delivered to Wing 11 in October 2003 at Moron airbase, Spain. [21] In Spanish service, the aircraft is designated the C.16 Typhoon. [22]
As of October 2006 Germany had two active EF-2000 fighter wings, Jagdgeschwader 73 and Jagdgeschwader 74. JG 73 began converting to the Eurofighter in April 2004. [23] JG 74 received its first aircraft on 25 June 2006. [24]
The Typhoon replaced the RAF's Tornado F3 (fighter) and Jaguar (ground attack) forces. They will equip five front-line squadrons, one front-line flight and one reserve squadron, the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).[ citation needed ]
As of June 2018, the RAF had bought 53 Tranche 1 Typhoons. [31] The UK agreed to approve production of "Tranche 2" in December 2004, this tranche will see the RAF receive a further 89 aircraft, bringing its Typhoon inventory to 144. This followed protracted negotiations regarding the early introduction of ground attack capabilities of the aircraft and hence its swing-role capability. While this was always planned it was intended to come at a much later date.
As of June 2018, the RAF has 67 Tranche 2 Typhoons and has contracted to purchase 40 Tranche 3 Typhoons. [31] 107 Tranche 2 and 3 Typhoons will be modified via "Project Centurion", allowing them to utilise Meteor missiles, Brimstone and Storm Shadow missiles. 24 Tranche 1 Typhoons will be retained for UK Quick Reaction Alert purposes, and will not be modified under Centurion. No. IX Squadron, based at RAF Lossiemouth, retains the Tranche 1 Typhoon for QRA purposes but also serves the purpose of acting as an aggressor aircraft, similar to that of the USAF Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon. These aircraft worked in conjunction with the 100 Squadron BAe Hawk T.1 aircraft based at RAF Leeming, providing air combat training and dogfight training to RAF and Royal Navy pilots. [35]
In December 2021, the Ministry of Defence stated RAF Typhoons had shot down a drone in Syria, making this their first operational air-to-air engagement and the RAF's first operational kill since 1982. [36]
Owing to the withdrawal of France from the Eurofighter 2000 project, in part due to France's desire to have a greater role in the development and marketing of the aircraft, the pursuit of a naval Typhoon has never seriously been considered. However, a navalised variant of the aircraft was first proposed in the late 1990s as a potential solution to the UK Royal Navy's need for a Future Carrier-Borne Aircraft (FCBA) for its new (Queen Elizabeth-class) aircraft carriers. [37] [38] [39]
In January 2001, the UK Ministry of Defence formally discounted the option of a navalised Eurofighter for its new aircraft carriers, in favour of the Joint Strike Fighter, which promised to be a more capable, versatile, low-cost and stealthy aircraft that would enter into service circa 2012—a date that tied in well with the in-service date for the new UK aircraft carriers as it stood at that time. The Typhoon, as well as the F/A-18E, Rafale M and an advanced variant of the Harrier were rejected by the United Kingdom on "cost effectiveness grounds", selecting the Short Take Off & Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter in 2002 as the primary option for Fleet Air Arm usage. The STOVL variant of the JSF would later be designated the F-35B Lightning II, entering service with the Fleet Air Arm in 2018. [40]
While the navalised version of the Typhoon was ruled out by the MoD by 2011, [41] [42] there has been limited interest expressed by other nations, such as India, in adapting the Typhoon for aircraft carrier operations. [43]
The proposed variant design would enable the Typhoon to operate from carriers on a Short Take-Off, Barrier Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) basis, using a 'ski jump' ramp for aircraft launch and arresting gear for conventional landing. [38]
In February 2011, BAE debuted a navalised Typhoon in response to the Indian tender. The model offered is STOBAR capable, corresponding to the Indian Navy's future aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. The changes needed to enable the Typhoon to launch by ski-jump and recover by arrestor hook added about 500 kg to the airframe, however this is now thought to be substantially more given the Typhoon's "unfriendly" design in terms of adapting the airframe to suit sustained naval operations. If the Indian Navy pursues a catapult launch carrier, the Typhoon is completely uncompetitive against tender rivals (e.g. Rafale and Super Hornet) since meeting "... catapult requirements would add too much weight to the aircraft, blunt performance and add substantially to modification costs". [44]
On 5 November 2019, Kurt Rossner, Head of Combat Aircraft Systems at Airbus, proposed an Electronic Combat Role (ECR)/Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) capability for the aircraft. The Typhoon ECR/SEAD would be configured with two Escort Jammer pods under the wings and two Emitter Location Systems built into the wingtips. Armament configuration would include four MBDA Meteor, two IRIS-T and six SPEAR-EW in addition to three drop tanks. The plane would be a two-seat variant carrying a mission specialist with access to dedicated electronic warfare and mission control screens. [45] [46]
On 14 March 2022, Christine Lambrecht, German Defense Minister announced that the German government would fund development of the Eurofighter ECR version. [47]
On 29 November 2023, what was now being referred to as Eurofighter EK (German : Elektronischer Kampf, lit. 'Electronic Combat') was approved by the budget committee of the German Bundestag. According to the German Air Force and Airbus, 15 existing Eurofighters were to be equipped with the Saab AB Arexis EW suite and Northrop Grumman AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). [48]
Related development
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