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- "EF2000" redirects here. For the computer game named EF2000, see EF2000. For other uses of Eurofighter, see Eurofighter (disambiguation).
The
Eurofighter Typhoon is a
twin-engine,
canard-
delta wing,
multirole fighter.
[5][6] The Typhoon was designed and is manufactured by a
consortium of three companies;
Alenia Aermacchi,
Airbus Group and
BAE Systems, who conduct the majority of affairs dealing with the project through a joint
holding company,
Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, which was formed in 1986. The project is managed by the
NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, which also acts as the prime customer.
[7]
Development of the aircraft effectively began in 1983 with the
Future European Fighter Aircraft
programme, a multinational collaborative effort between the UK,
Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Because of disagreements over design
authority and operational requirements, France left the consortium to
develop the
Dassault Rafale independently instead. A technology demonstration aircraft, the
British Aerospace EAP,
first took flight on 6 August 1986; the first prototype of the
finalised Eurofighter made its first flight on 27 March 1994. The name
of the aircraft, Typhoon, was formally adopted in September 1998; the
first production contracts were signed that same year.
Political issues in the partner nations significantly protracted the Typhoon's development; the sudden end of the
Cold War
reduced European demand for fighter aircraft, and there was debate over
the cost and work share of the Eurofighter. The Typhoon was introduced
into operational service in 2003. Currently, the type has entered
service with the
Austrian Air Force, the
Italian Air Force, the
German Air Force, the
Royal Air Force, the
Spanish Air Force, and the
Royal Saudi Air Force. The
Royal Air Force of Oman has also been confirmed as an export customer, bringing the procurement total to 571 aircraft as of 2013.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a highly agile aircraft, designed to be an effective
dogfighter
when in combat with other aircraft; later production aircraft have been
increasingly better equipped to undertake air-to-surface strike
missions and to be compatible with a likewise increasing number of
different armaments and equipment. The Typhoon saw its combat debut
during the
2011 military intervention in Libya with the Royal Air Force and the Italian Air Force, performing
aerial reconnaissance and
ground strike missions. The type has also taken primary responsibility for air-defence duties for the majority of customer nations.
Development
Origins
Official Eurofighter logo
The UK had identified a requirement for a new fighter as early as 1971. The AST 403 specification, issued by the
Air staff
in 1972, resulted in the P.96 conventional "tailed" design, which was
presented in the late 1970s. While the design would have met the Air
Staff's requirements, the UK air industry had reservations as it
appeared to be very similar to the
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet,
which was then well advanced in its development. The P.96 design had
little potential for future growth, and when it entered production it
would secure few exports in a market in which the Hornet would be well
established.
[8] However, the simultaneous West German requirement for a new fighter had led by 1979 to the development of the TKF-90 concept.
[9][10] This was a
cranked delta wing design with forward close-coupled-
canard controls and artificial stability. Although the British Aerospace designers rejected some of its advanced features such as engine
vectoring nozzles and vented
trailing edge controls,
[11] a form of
boundary layer control, they agreed with the overall configuration.
In 1979,
Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) and
British Aerospace (BAe) presented a formal proposal to their respective governments for the ECF, the European Collaborative Fighter
[12] or
European Combat Fighter.
[10] In October 1979
Dassault joined the ECF team for a tri-national study, which became known as the
European Combat Aircraft.
[12] It was at this stage of development that the Eurofighter name was first attached to the aircraft.
[13] The development of different national prototypes continued. France produced the ACX. The UK produced two designs; the P.106
[N 1] was a single-engined
"lightweight" fighter, superficially resembling the
JAS 39 Gripen,
the P.110 was a twin-engined fighter. The P.106 concept was rejected by
the RAF, on the grounds that it had "half the effectiveness of the
two-engined aircraft at two-thirds of the cost".
[8] West Germany continued to refine the TKF-90 concept.
[10]
The ECA project collapsed in 1981 for several reasons including
differing requirements, Dassault's insistence on "design leadership" and
the British preference for a new version of the
RB199 to power the aircraft versus the French preference for the new
Snecma M88.
[13]
Consequently the
Panavia partners (MBB, BAe and
Aeritalia) launched the
Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) programme in April 1982.
[15]
The ACA was very similar to the BAe P.110, having a cranked delta wing,
canards and a twin tail. One major external difference was the
replacement of the side-mounted engine intakes with a chin intake. The
ACA was to be powered by a modified version of the RB199. The German and
Italian governments withdrew funding, and the UK
Ministry of Defence
agreed to fund 50% of the cost with the remaining 50% to be provided by
industry. MBB and Aeritalia signed up with the aim of producing two
aircraft, one at
Warton and one by MBB. In May 1983, BAe announced a contract with the
MoD for the development and production of an ACA demonstrator, the
Experimental Aircraft Programme.
[15][16]
In 1983, Italy, Germany, France, the UK and Spain launched the
"Future European Fighter Aircraft" (FEFA) programme. The aircraft was to
have
short take off and landing (STOL) and beyond visual range (BVR) capabilities. In 1984 France reiterated its requirement for a
carrier-capable version and demanded a leading role. Italy, West Germany and the UK opted out and established a new EFA programme.
[10] In
Turin
on 2 August 1985, West Germany, the UK and Italy agreed to go ahead
with the Eurofighter; and confirmed that France, along with Spain, had
chosen not to proceed as a member of the project.
[17] Despite pressure from France, Spain rejoined the Eurofighter project in early September 1985.
[18] France officially withdrew from the project to pursue its own ACX project, which was to become the
Dassault Rafale.
By 1986 the cost of the programme had reached
£180 million.
[19]
When the EAP programme had started, the cost was supposed to be equally
shared by both government and industry, but the West German and Italian
governments wavered on the agreement and the three main industrial
partners had to provide £100 million to keep the programme from ending.
In April 1986, the BAe EAP was rolled out at BAe Warton, by this time
also partially funded by MBB, BAe and Aeritalia.
[19] The EAP first flew on 6 August 1986.
[20]
The Eurofighter bears a strong resemblance to the EAP. Design work
continued over the next five years using data from the EAP. Initial
requirements were: UK: 250 aircraft, Germany: 250, Italy: 165 and Spain:
100. The share of the production work was divided among the countries
in proportion to their projected procurement –
DASA (33%),
British Aerospace (33%),
Aeritalia (21%), and
Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) (13%).
The Munich-based
Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH was established in 1986 to manage development of the project
[21] and
EuroJet Turbo GmbH, the alliance of
Rolls-Royce,
MTU Aero Engines, FiatAvio (now
Avio) and
ITP for development of the
EJ200. The aircraft was known as Eurofighter EFA from the late 1980s until it was renamed EF 2000 in 1992.
[22]
By 1990, the selection of the aircraft's radar had become a major stumbling-block. The UK, Italy and Spain supported the
Ferranti Defence Systems-led
ECR-90, while Germany preferred the
APG-65 based MSD2000 (a collaboration between
Hughes,
AEG and
GEC-Marconi). An agreement was reached after UK Defence Secretary
Tom King assured his West German counterpart
Gerhard Stoltenberg that the British government would approve the project and allow the GEC subsidiary
Marconi Electronic Systems to acquire Ferranti Defence Systems from its parent, the
Ferranti Group, which was in financial and legal difficulties. GEC thus withdrew its support for the MSD2000.
[23]
Testing
Close up view of an
RAF Typhoon F2, showing the deflected
canard control surface immediately below the pilot.
The
maiden flight of the Eurofighter prototype took place in
Bavaria on 27 March 1994, flown by DASA chief test pilot Peter Weger.
[1] On 9 December 2004, Eurofighter Typhoon IPA4 began three months of Cold Environmental Trials (CET) at the
Vidsel
Air Base in Sweden, the purpose of which was to verify the operational
behaviour of the aircraft and its systems in temperatures between −25
and 31 °C.
[24]
The maiden flight of Instrumented Production Aircraft 7 (IPA7), the
first fully equipped Tranche 2 aircraft, took place from EADS'
Manching airfield on 16 January 2008.
[25]
Procurement, production and costs
The first production contract was signed on 30 January 1998 between Eurofighter GmbH, Eurojet and NETMA.
[26]
The procurement totals were as follows: the UK 232, Germany 180, Italy
121, and Spain 87. Production was again allotted according to
procurement: British Aerospace (37.42%), DASA (29.03%), Aeritalia
(19.52%), and CASA (14.03%).
On 2 September 1998, a naming ceremony was held at
Farnborough,
United Kingdom. This saw the Typhoon name formally adopted, initially
for export aircraft only. This was reportedly resisted by Germany,
perhaps because the
Hawker Typhoon was a fighter-bomber aircraft used by the RAF during the
Second World War to attack German targets.
[27] The name "Spitfire II" (after the famous British Second World War fighter, the
Supermarine Spitfire)
had also been considered and rejected for the same reason early in the
development programme. In September 1998 contracts were signed for
production of 148 Tranche 1 aircraft and procurement of long lead-time
items for Tranche 2 aircraft.
[28]
In March 2008 the final aircraft out of Tranche 1 was delivered to the
German Air Force, with all successive deliveries being at the Tranche 2
standard.
[29] On 21 October 2008, the first two of 91 Tranche 2 aircraft, ordered four years before, were delivered to RAF Coningsby.
[30]
In October 2008, the Eurofighter nations were considering splitting the 236-fighter Tranche 3 into two parts.
[31] In June 2009, RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir
Glenn Torpy suggested that the RAF fleet might only be 123 jets, instead of the 232 previously planned.
[32]
In spite of this reduction in the number of required aircraft, on 14
May 2009 the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown confirmed that the UK
would move ahead with the third batch purchase. A contract for the first
part, Tranche 3A, was signed at the end of July 2009 for 112 aircraft
split across the four partner nations, including 40 aircraft for the UK,
31 for Germany, 21 for Italy and 20 for Spain.
[33][34]
These 40 aircraft were said to have fully covered the UK's obligations
in the project by Air Commodore Chris Bushell, because of cost overruns
in the project.
[35]
The Eurofighter Typhoon is unique in modern combat aircraft in that
there are four separate assembly-lines. Each partner company assembles
its own national aircraft, but builds the same parts for all 683
aircraft (including exports);
Premium AEROTEC (main centre fuselage
[36]),
EADS CASA (right wing, leading edge slats),
BAE Systems (front fuselage (including foreplanes), canopy, dorsal spine, tail fin, inboard flaperons, rear fuselage section) and
Alenia Aermacchi (left wing, outboard
flaperons, rear fuselage sections).
Production is divided into three tranches (see table below). Tranches
are a production/funding distinction, and do not necessarily imply an
incremental increase in capability with each tranche. Tranche 3 will
most likely be based on late Tranche 2 aircraft with improvements added.
Tranche 3 has been split into A and B parts.
[34]
Tranches are further divided up into production standard/capability
blocks and funding/procurement batches, though these do not coincide,
and are not the same thing; e.g., the Eurofighter designated
FGR4
by the RAF is a Tranche 1, block 5. Batch 1 covered block 1, but batch 2
covered blocks 2, 2B and 5. On 25 May 2011 the 100th production
aircraft, ZK315, rolled off the production line at Warton.
[37]
In 1988, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed
Forces told the UK House of Commons that the European Fighter Aircraft
would "be a major project, costing the United Kingdom about £7 billion".
[40] It was soon apparent that a more realistic estimate was £13 billion,
[41] made up of £3.3 billion development costs
[42] plus £30 million per aircraft.
[43]
By 1997 the estimated cost was £17 billion; by 2003, £20 billion, and
the in-service date (2003, defined as the date of delivery of the first
aircraft to the RAF) was 54 months late.
[44][45] After 2003 the Ministry of Defence refused to release updated cost-estimates on the grounds of 'commercial sensitivity'.
[46] However, in 2011, the National Audit Office estimated the UK's "total programme cost eventually hit £37 billion".
[47]
By 2007, Germany estimated the system cost (aircraft and training, plus spare parts) at 120 million euros
[clarification needed] and said it was in perpetual increase.
[48]
On 17 June 2009, Germany ordered 31 aircraft of Tranche 3A for 2,800
million euros, leading to a system cost of 90 million euros per
aircraft.
[3] The
UK's Committee of Public Accounts reported that the mismanagement of the project had helped increase the cost of each aircraft by 75 percent.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox
responded that "I am determined that in the future such projects are
properly run from the outset, and I have announced reforms to reduce
equipment delays and cost overruns."
[49]
The Spanish MoD put the cost of their Typhoon project up to December
2010 at 11.718 billion euros, up from an original 9.255 billion euros
and implying a system cost for their 73 aircraft of 160 million euros.
[50]
Delays
The financial burdens placed on Germany by
reunification caused
Helmut Kohl to make an
election promise to cancel the Eurofighter. In early to mid-1991 German Defence Minister
Volker Rühe
sought to withdraw Germany from the project in favour of using
Eurofighter technology in a cheaper, lighter plane. Because of the
amount of money already spent on development, the number of jobs
dependent on the project, and the binding commitments on each partner
government,
Helmut Kohl
was unable to withdraw; "Rühe's predecessors had locked themselves into
the project by a punitive penalty system of their own devising."
[51]
In 1995 concerns over workshare appeared. Since the formation of
Eurofighter the workshare split had been agreed at 33/33/21/13 (United
Kingdom/Germany/Italy/Spain) based on the number of units being ordered
by each contributing nation, all the nations then reduced their orders.
The UK cut its orders from 250 to 232, Germany from 250 to 140, Italy
from 165 to 121 and Spain from 100 to 87.
[51]
According to these order levels the workshare split should have been
39/24/22/15 UK/Germany/Italy/Spain, Germany was unwilling to give up
such a large amount of work.
[51]
In January 1996, after much negotiation between German and UK partners,
a compromise was reached whereby Germany would purchase another 40
aircraft.
[51] The workshare split was 43% for EADS MAS in Germany and Spain; 37.5% BAE Systems in the UK; and 19.5% for Alenia in Italy.
[52]
The next major milestone came at the
Farnborough Airshow in September 1996.
[citation needed]
The UK announced the funding for the construction phase of the project.
In November 1996 Spain confirmed its order but Germany delayed its
decision. After much diplomatic activity between Germany and the UK, an
interim funding arrangement of
DM100 million
(€51 million) was contributed by the German government in July 1997 to
continue flight trials. Further negotiations finally resulted in
Germany's approval to purchase the Eurofighter in October 1997.
[citation needed]
Upgrades
In 2000, the UK selected the
MBDA Meteor as the long range air-to-air missile armament for her Typhoons with an in-service date (ISD) of December 2011.
[53]
In December 2002, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden joined the British
in a $1.9bn contract for Meteor on Typhoon, the Dassault
Rafale and the Saab
Gripen.
[53] The protracted contract negotiations pushed the ISD to August 2012,
[53] and it was further put back by Eurofighter's failure to make trials aircraft available to the Meteor partners.
[54] Meteor is now in production and first deliveries to the RAF are scheduled for Q4 2012
[55] but full clearance on Typhoon is not planned until mid-2016.
[56]
Eurojet is attempting to find funding to test a thrust vectoring nozzle (TVN) on a flight demonstrator.
[57] Additionally, the RAF has sought to develop
conformal fuel tanks (CFT) for their Typhoons to free up underwing space for weapons, and all Tranche 3 aircraft are fitted to accept these tanks.
[58][59][N 4]
Funding for recent upgrades have come from export customers. However,
the four original partner nations have been reluctant to invest further
in the program.
[60]
None of the partner nations have confirmed an order for Tranche 3Bs,
which would have been "optimized for future higher-tempo air-to-air and
strike operations", and Germany has cut its own orders short to avoid
the model.
[61] If no orders are placed by mid-2014, the production-lines will need to shut down.
[62]
In 2014 the "second element of the Phase 1 Enhancements package known
as 'P1Eb'" was announced, allowing "Typhoon to realise both its
air-to-air and air-to-ground capability to full effect".
[63]
Tranche 3 aircraft ESM/ECM enhancements have been focused on
improving radiating jamming power with antenna modifications, while
EuroDASS is reported to offer a range of new capabilities, including the
addition of a digital receiver, extending band coverage to low
frequencies (
VHF/
UHF)
and introducing an interferometric receiver with extremely precise
geolocation functionalities. On the jamming side, EuroDASS is looking to
low-band
[64] (
VHF/
UHF)
jamming, more capable antennae, new ECM techniques, while protection
against missile, is to be enhanced through a new passive MWS in addition
to the active devices already on board the aircraft. The latest support
for self-protection will however originate from the new aesa radar
which is to replace the Captor system, providing in a spiralled
programme with passive, active and cyberwarfare RF capabilities.
Selex ES has developed a self-contained expendable Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM)
jammer for fast jet aircraft known as the
BriteCloud,
which was expected to be available on the market by mid-2014. It will
provide an off-board capability to decoy RF guided missile seekers and
fire control radars, producing large miss distance and angle break lock,
thanks to self-contained coherent technique generation processing and
high-power batteries that allow at least ten seconds of life after
firing activation, in addition to rapid-response capabilities. Dispensed
in the initial format from standard 55 mm flare cartridge to equip at
least three main platforms (Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen and Panavia
Tornado).
[65][66]
Design
Airframe and avionics
Typhoon flight demonstration
The Typhoon is a highly agile aircraft at both supersonic and low speeds, achieved through having an intentionally
relaxed stability design. It has a quadruplex digital
fly-by-wire
control system providing artificial stability, manual operation alone
could not compensate for the inherent instability. The fly-by-wire
system is described as "carefree", and prevents the pilot from exceeding
the permitted manoeuvre envelope. Roll control is primarily achieved by
use of the wing
flaperons. Pitch control is by operation of the foreplanes and flaperons, the yaw control is by rudder.
[67]
Control surfaces are moved through two independent hydraulic systems,
which also supply various other items, such as the canopy, brakes and
undercarriage; powered by a 4,000 psi engine-driven gearbox.
[68] Engines are fed by a chin double
intake ramp situated below a
splitter plate.
Navigation is via both
GPS and an
inertial navigation system. The Typhoon can use
Instrument Landing System (ILS) for landing in poor weather. The aircraft also features an
enhanced ground proximity warning system (GPWS) based on the
TERPROM Terrain Referenced Navigation (TRN) system used by the
Panavia Tornado.
[69] The Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) provides a
Link 16 data link.
[70]
The aircraft employs a sophisticated and highly integrated
Defensive Aids Sub-System named Praetorian
[71] (formerly called EuroDASS).
[72]
Praetorian monitors and responds automatically to air and surface
threats, provides an all-round prioritised assessment, and can respond
to multiple threats simultaneously. Threat detection methods include a
Radar warning receiver (RWR), a
Missile Warning System (MWS) and a
laser warning receiver (LWR, only on UK Typhoons). Protective countermeasures consist of
chaff, jaff and
flares, an
electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite and a towed radar decoy (TRD).
[73] The ESM-ECM and MWS consists of 16
AESA antenna array assemblies and 10 radomes.
[74][75]
The Typhoon features lightweight construction (82% composites consisting of 70%
carbon fibre composite materials and 12%
glass fibre reinforced composites)
[76] with an estimated lifespan of 6,000 flying hours.
[77]
The permitted lifespan, as opposed to the estimated lifespan, was 3,000
hours; then the discovery in October 2014 of a construction flaw in the
aft fuselage assembly reduced the permitted lifespan to 1,500 hours.
[78]
The Selex ES jammer known as
BriteCloud is expected to provide an off-board capability to decoy
radar guided missiles and
fire-control radars,
producing large miss distance and angle break lock. Such capability is
provided by self-contained coherent technique generation processing and
high-power batteries that allow at least ten seconds of life after
firing activation, in addition to rapid response capabilities. Dispensed
in the initial format from standard 55 mm flare cartridge, BriteCloud
is to equip at least three main platforms – Eurofighter Typhoon,
Saab Gripen and
Panavia Tornado[65]
Cockpit
MHDDs and pedestal panel with centre stick in the Typhoon cockpit
The Eurofighter Typhoon features a
glass cockpit
without any conventional instruments. It incorporates three full colour
multi-function head-down displays (MHDDs) (the formats on which are
manipulated by means of softkeys, XY cursor, and voice (
Direct Voice Input or DVI) command), a wide angle
head-up display (HUD) with forward-looking infrared (
FLIR), a voice and hands-on throttle and stick (Voice+
HOTAS), a Helmet Mounted Symbology System (
HMSS), a
Multifunctional Information Distribution System
(MIDS), a manual data-entry facility (MDEF) located on the left
glareshield and a fully integrated aircraft warning system with a
dedicated warnings panel (DWP). Reversionary flying instruments, lit by
LEDs, are located under a hinged right glareshield.
[79]
Needs of the user were given very high priority in the design of the
cockpit: the layout and functionality was created through feedback and
assessments from military pilots and a specialist testing facility.
[80] The pilot controls the aircraft by means of a
centre stick (or control stick) and left hand
throttles, designed on a Hand on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) principle to lower pilot workloads.
[81] Emergency escape is provided by a
Martin-Baker Mk.16A
ejection seat, with the canopy being jettisoned by two rocket motors.
[82] The HMSS has been delayed for many years but should be operational by the end of 2011.
[83] The aircraft's standard
g-force protection is provided by the
full-cover anti-g
trousers (FCAGTs).
[84] This specially developed
g suit provides sustained protection up to 9
g. The Typhoon pilots of the
German Air Force and Austrian Air Force wear a hydrostatic
g-suit called
Libelle (
dragonfly) Multi G Plus instead,
[85][86][87] which also provides protection to the arms, theoretically allowing for more complete
g tolerance.
In the event of pilot
disorientation, the
Flight Control System
allows for rapid and automatic recovery by the simple press of a
button. On selection of this cockpit control the FCS takes full control
of the engines and flying controls, and automatically stabilises the
aircraft in a wings level, gentle climbing attitude at 300 knots, until
the pilot is ready to retake control.
[88]
The aircraft also has an Automatic Low-Speed Recovery system (ALSR)
which prevents it from departing from controlled flight at very low
speeds and high
angle of attack.
The FCS system is able to detect a developing low-speed situation and
to raise an audible and visual low-speed cockpit warning. This gives the
pilot sufficient time to react and to recover the aircraft manually. If
the pilot does not react, however, or if the warning is ignored, the
ALSR takes control of the aircraft, selects maximum dry power for the
engines and returns the aircraft to a safe flight condition. Depending
on the attitude, the FCS employs an ALSR "push", "pull" or "knife-over"
manoeuvre.
[89]
The Typhoon Direct Voice Input (DVI) system uses a speech recognition module (SRM), developed by
Smiths Aerospace (now
GE Aviation Systems) and Computing Devices (now
General Dynamics
UK). It was the first production DVI system used in a military cockpit.
DVI provides the pilot with an additional natural mode of command and
control over approximately 26 non-critical cockpit functions, to reduce
pilot workload, improve aircraft safety, and expand mission
capabilities. An important step in the development of the DVI occurred
in 1987 when
Texas Instruments
completed the TMS-320-C30, a digital signal-processor, enabling
reductions in the size and system complexity required. The project was
given the go-ahead in July 1997, with development and pilot assessment
carried out on the Eurofighter Active Cockpit Simulator at BAE Systems
Warton.
[90]
The DVI system is speaker-dependent; i.e., requires each pilot to
create a template. It is not used for any safety-critical or
weapon-critical tasks, such as weapon release or lowering of the
undercarriage, but is used for a wide range of other cockpit functions.
[91][92]
Voice commands are confirmed by visual or aural feedback. The system is
seen as a major design feature in the reduction of pilot
workload.
All functions are also achievable by means of a conventional
button-press or soft-key selections. The functions include display
management, communications, and management of various systems.
[93] EADS Defence and Security
in Spain has worked on a new non-template DVI module to allow for
continuous speech recognition, speaker voice recognition with common
databases (e.g.
British English,
American English, etc.) and other improvements.
[93]
Access to the cockpit is normally via either a telescopic integral
ladder or an external version. The integral ladder is stowed in the port
side of the fuselage, below the cockpit.
[94]
Sensors
CAPTOR radar
The Eurofighter operates automatic Emission Controls (EMCON) to
reduce the Electro-Magnetic emissions of the current CAPTOR mechanically
scanned Radar.
[95]
The Captor-M was the first NATO-Radar with three rather than two
working channels, one intended for classification of jammer and for
jamming suppression.
[96]
A succession of radar software upgrades have enhanced the air-to-air capability of the Captor-M radar.
[56] These upgrades have included the R2P programme (initially UK only, and known as T2P when 'ported' to the Tranche 2 aircraft)
[97] which is being followed by R2Q/T2Q. R2P was applied to eight German Typhoons deployed on Red Flag Alaska in 2012.
The
CAPTOR-E is an
Active electronically scanned array
derivative of the original CAPTOR radar, also known as CAESAR (from
CAPTOR Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar) being developed by the
EuroRADAR Consortium, led by
Selex ES. The German BW-Plan 2009 indicated that Germany intended to equip/retrofit their Eurofighters with the AESA Captor-E from 2012,
[98] but the contract award has been delayed until at least mid 2014.
[58]
Synthetic Aperture Radar is expected to be fielded as part of the
AESA radar upgrade which will give the Eurofighter an all-weather ground
attack capability.
[99] The conversion to AESA will also give the Eurofighter a
low probability of intercept radar with much better jam resistance.
[100][101] These include an innovative design with a gimbal to meet RAF requirements for a wider scan field than a fixed AESA.
[102] The coverage of a fixed AESA is limited to 120° in azimuth and elevation.
[103] A senior EADS radar expert has claimed that Captor-E is capable of detecting an
F-35 from roughly 59 km away.
[104]
In May 2007, Eurofighter Development Aircraft 5 made the first flight with the CAPTOR-E demonstrator system,
[105][106]
Tranche 2 aircraft use the non-AESA mechanically scanned Captor-M which
incorporates weight and space provisions for possible upgrade to CAESAR
(AESA) standard in the future.
[107][108] In June 2013, Chris Bushell of
Selex ES warned that the failure of European nations to invest in an AESA radar was putting export orders at risk.
[109] In November BAE responded that work on an AESA radar continued, to protect exports.
[110]
On 22 June 2011, it was announced that the partner nations had agreed
to fund development of the Captor-E radar, with entry into service
planned for 2015.
[111]
The British are pursuing an independent Technology Demonstrator
Programme called Bright Adder, which will give the Typhoon an Electronic
Attack mode among other things.
[112] Bright Adder is based on
Qinetiq's ARTS radar demonstrator for the
Tornado GR4 and could evolve into an alternative to the main E-Scan project should E-Scan falter.
[112]
The first flight of a Eurofighter equipped with a "mass model" of the
Captor-E occurred in late February 2014, with flight tests of the
actual radar expected later that year. Tranche 3 Typhoons have the
mechanical, electrical and cooling enhancements needed to operate the
radar.
[113] At the 2014
Farnborough Airshow
the UK MOD announced that it had awarded BAE Systems a £72 million
($124 million) contract to conduct national-specific testing on a
prototype AESA system. On 19 November 2014 the contract to upgrade to
the Captor-E was signed at the office's of
EuroRadar lead
Selex ES in Edinburgh, in a deal worth €1bn.
[114] Availability of the radar, for Tranche 2 and 3A aircraft, was anticipated by 2016-17,
[115] however there are no orders for the radar system.
[116][117]
IRST
The Passive Infra-Red Airborne Track Equipment (PIRATE) system is an
infrared search and track (IRST) system mounted on the port side of the fuselage, forward of the windscreen.
Selex ES is the lead contractor which, along with
Thales Optronics
(system technical authority) and Tecnobit of Spain, make up the
EUROFIRST consortium responsible for the system's design and
development. Eurofighters starting with Tranche 1 block 5 have the
PIRATE. The first Eurofighter Typhoon with PIRATE-IRST was delivered to
the Italian
Aeronautica Militare in August 2007.
[118] More advanced targeting capabilities can be provided with the addition of a targeting pod such as the
LITENING pod.
[119]
PIRATE operates in two IR bands, 3–5 and 8–11 micrometres. When used
with the radar in an air-to-air role, it functions as an infrared search
and track system, providing passive target detection and tracking. In
an air-to-surface role, it performs target identification and
acquisition. By supercooling the sensor even small variations in
temperature can be detected at long range. Although no definitive ranges
have been released an upper limit of 80 nm has been hinted at, a more
typical figure would be 30 to 50 nm.
[120] It also provides a navigation and landing aid. PIRATE is linked to the pilot’s
helmet-mounted display.
[121]
It allows the detection of both the hot exhaust plumes of jet engines
as well as surface heating caused by friction. By supercooling the
sensor even small variations in temperature can be detected at long
range. The use of processing techniques further enhances the output,
giving a near high resolution image of targets. The actual output from
the system can be directed to any of the Multi-function Head Down
Displays mounted within the cockpit. Additionally the image can be
overlaid on both the Helmet Mounted Sight and Head Up Display.
The IIR sensor is stabilised within its mount so that it can maintain
a target within its field of view. Up to 200 targets can be
simultaneously tracked by the system using one of several different
modes; Multiple Target Track (MTT), Single Target Track (STT), Single
Target Track Ident (STTI), Sector Acquisition and Slaved Acquisition. In
MTT mode the system will scan a designated volume space looking for
potential targets. In STT mode PIRATE will provide high precision
tracking of a single designated target. An addition to this mode, STT
Ident allows for visual identification of the target, the resolution
being superior to that provided by CAPTOR. Both Sector and Slave
Acquisition demonstrate the level of sensor fusion present in the
Typhoon. When in Sector Acquisition mode PIRATE will scan a volume of
space under direction of another Typhoon sensor such as CAPTOR. In Slave
Acquisition the use of off-board sensors is made with PIRATE being
commanded by data obtained from an AWACS for example. When a target is
found in either of these modes PIRATE will automatically designate it
and switch to STT.
Once a target has been tracked and identified PIRATE can be used to
cue an appropriately equipped short range missile, i.e. a missile with a
high off-boresight tracking capability such as ASRAAM. Additionally the
data can be used to augment that of CAPTOR or off-board sensor
information via the AIS. This should enable the Typhoon to overcome
severe ECM environments and still engage its targets.
[122] Additionally PIRATE has a passive ranging capability for BVR missile guidance.
[123]
AIS
Traditionally each sensor in an aircraft has been treated as a
discrete source of information. However this can result in conflicting
data and hence an increased pilot workload. Additionally it limits the
ability to effectively automate systems. To overcome this the Typhoon
employs what is now known as sensor fusion techniques (in a similar
fashion to the U.S. F-22 Raptor). Considering that the Typhoon's
avionics systems are still based on a typical distributed, or federated
system (i.e. individual components linked via a standard databus) rather
than a centralised architecture (which the F-22 has gone some way
towards implementing) this seems like quite an achievement.
In the Eurofighter this fusion of all data sources is achieved
through the Attack and Identification System, or AIS. The AIS combines
all data from the major on-board sensors along with any information
obtained from off-board platforms such as AWACS, ASTOR, JSTARS or even
other Eurofighter's via the Multi-function Information Distribution
System, or MIDS link. Additionally the AIS integrates all the other
major offensive and defensive systems such as the; DASS, Navigation, ACS
and Communications.
The physical design of the AIS comprises essentially two separate
units; the Avionic Computer (AC) and Navigation Computer (NC). These are
linked via the STANAG-3910 databus to the other major systems such as
the ACS, ECR-90/CAPTOR, PIRATE, etc. Both the NC and AC are identical in
design and comprise a modular system based on Motorola 68020 CPU's with
68882 Maths co-processors. In addition several custom RISC based
processors are utilised to accelerate floating point and matrix
operations.
By having such a single source of information pilot workload should
be reduced by removing the possibility of conflicting data and the need
for cross-checking, improving situational awareness and increasing
systems automation. In practice the AIS should allow the Eurofighter to
identify targets at distances in excess of 150 nm and acquire and
auto-prioritise them at over 100 nm. In addition the AIS offers the
ability to automatically control emissions from the aircraft, so called
EMCON (from EMissions CONtrol). This should aid in limiting the
detectability of the Typhoon by opposing aircraft further reducing pilot
workload.
[122]
Performance
The Typhoon's combat performance, compared to the
F-22 Raptor and the upcoming
F-35 Lightning II fighters and the French
Dassault Rafale, has been the subject of much discussion.
[124] In March 2005,
United States Air Force Chief of Staff General
John P. Jumper,
then the only person to have flown both the Eurofighter Typhoon and the
Raptor, talked to Air Force Print News about these two aircraft. He
said,
The Eurofighter is both agile and sophisticated, but is still difficult to compare to the F/A-22 Raptor. They are different kinds of airplanes to start with; it's like asking us to compare a NASCAR car with a Formula One
car. They are both exciting in different ways, but they are designed
for different levels of performance. …The Eurofighter is certainly, as
far as smoothness of controls and the ability to pull (and sustain high g
forces), very impressive. That is what it was designed to do,
especially the version I flew, with the avionics, the color moving map
displays, etc. – all absolutely top notch. The maneuverability of the
airplane in close-in combat was also very impressive.
In July 2007, Indian Air Force
Su-30MKI fighters participated in the
Indra-Dhanush exercise with Royal Air Force's Typhoon. This was the first time that the two jets had taken part in such an exercise.
[127][128] The IAF did not allow their pilots to use the MKI's radar during the exercise to protect the highly classified
N011M Bars.
[129] RAF
Tornado pilots stated the Su-30MKI had superior manoeuvrability, but the IAF pilots were also impressed by the Typhoon's agility.
[130] However, in one to one dogfights the Typhoon was found to be superior due to the fighter's 'next generation' technology.
[131][132]
The Typhoon is capable of supersonic cruise without using
afterburners (referred to as
supercruise).
Air Forces Monthly gives a maximum supercruise speed of Mach 1.1 for the RAF
FGR4 multirole version.
[133]
The Eurofighter Company states that the Typhoon can supercruise at Mach
1.5 in clean configuration and Mach 1.2 with typical air-to-air
configuration.
[citation needed] As with the F-22, the Eurofighter can launch weapons while under supercruise to extend their ranges via this "running start".
[134]
In the 2005 Singapore evaluation, the Typhoon won all three combat
tests, including one in which a single Typhoon defeated three RSAF
F-16s, and reliably completed all planned flight tests.
[135] In July 2009, Former Chief of Air Staff for the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Sir
Glenn Torpy,
said that "The Eurofighter Typhoon is an excellent aircraft. It will be
the backbone of the Royal Air Force along with the JSF".
[136]
Radar signature reduction features
Although not designated a
stealth fighter, measures were taken to reduce the Typhoon's
radar cross section (RCS), especially from the frontal aspect.
[95][137]
An example of these measures is that the Typhoon has jet inlets that
conceal the front of the jet engine (a strong radar target) from radar.
Many important potential radar targets, such as the wing, canard and fin
leading edges, are highly swept, so will reflect radar energy well away
from the front sector.
[138]
Some external weapons are mounted semi-recessed into the aircraft,
partially shielding these missiles from incoming radar waves.
[95] In addition
radar-absorbent materials (RAM), developed primarily by
EADS/
DASA,
coat many of the most significant reflectors, such as the wing leading
edges, the intake edges and interior, the rudder surrounds, and strakes.
[95][139]
The Typhoon does not use internal storage of weapons. External mounting
points are used instead, which increases its radar cross section but
allows for more and larger stores.
[140]
According to the RAF, the Eurofighter's RCS is better than RAF requirements.
[citation needed] Some sources have estimated the Rafale's radar return to be four times greater than the Eurofighter's return.
[141][verification needed]
The manufacturers have carried out tests on the early Eurofighter
prototypes to optimise the low observability characteristics of the
aircraft from the early 1990s. Testing at BAE's Warton facility on the
DA4 prototype measured the RCS of the aircraft and investigated the
effects of a variety of RAM coatings. Another measure to reduce the
likelihood of discovery is the use of passive sensors, which minimises
the radiation of treacherous electronic emissions. While canards
generally have poor stealth characteristics,
[142] the flight control system is designed to maintain the elevon trim and canards at an angle at which they have the smallest RCS.
[143][144]
Armament
A Typhoon as seen from below
The Typhoon is a multi-role fighter with maturing air-to-ground
capabilities. The initial absence of air-to-ground capability is
believed to have been a factor in the type's rejection from Singapore's
fighter competition in 2005. At the time it was claimed that Singapore
was concerned about the delivery timescale and the ability of the
Eurofighter partner nations to fund the required capability packages.
[145]
Tranche 1 aircraft could drop laser-guided bombs in conjunction with
third-party designators but the anticipated deployment of Typhoon to
Afghanistan meant that the UK required self-contained bombing
capabilities before the other partners.
[N 5] On 20 July 2006, a £73m deal was signed for Change Proposal 193 (CP193) to give an "austere" air-to-surface capability using
GBU-16 Paveway II[147] and
Rafael/
Ultra Electronics Litening III laser designator[148] for the RAF Tranche 1 Block 5 aircraft.
[149] Aircraft with this upgrade were designated Typhoon FGR4 by the RAF.
Similar capability will be added to Tranche 2 aircraft on the main
development pathway as part of the Phase 1 Enhancements. P1Ea (SRP10)
will enter service in 2013 Q1 and adds the use of Paveway IV, EGBU16 and
the cannon against surface targets.
[56] P1Eb (SRP12) adds full integration with GPS bombs such as
GBU-10 Paveway II,
GBU-16 Paveway II,
Paveway IV and a new realtime operating system that allows multiple targets to be attacked in a single run.
[56]
This new system will form the basis for future weapons integration by
individual countries under the Phase 2 Enhancements. A definite schedule
has not yet been agreed, but will likely see the
Storm Shadow and
KEPD 350 (Taurus) cruise missiles integrated in 2015, followed by
Brimstone anti-tank missiles.
[56]
An anti-shipping capability is required by 2017, and such a capability
is also important for potential export customers such as India;
[150] Eurofighter is studying integrating the
Boeing Harpoon or
MBDA Marte or
Sea Brimstone missiles onto the Typhoon for a maritime attack capability.
[151] The Typhoon can accommodate two
RBS-15 or three
Marte-ERP under each wing but neither has been integrated yet.
[150]
In addition to the missile armament options, the Typhoon also carries a specially developed variant of the
Mauser BK-27 27mm cannon armament that was developed originally for the
Panavia Tornado.
This is a single-barrel, electrically-fired, gas-operated revolver
cannon with a new linkless feed system, capable of firing up to 1700
rounds per minute. There was a proposal on cost grounds in 1999 to limit
this gun-armament fit to the first 53 batch-1 aircraft destined for the
RAF, only on the basis that the guns would be used as ballast and not
used operationally,
[152] but this decision was reversed in 2006.
[153]
The table below gives an overview of weapons, which are compatible
with the Typhoon and the hardpoints on which they can be employed. Not
all weapons are fully integrated yet and more systems might be added in
future production tranches.
Operational history
Entry into service
On 4 August 2003, Germany accepted the first series production Eurofighter (GT003).
[154] Also that year, Spain took delivery of its first series production aircraft.
[155]
On 16 December 2005, the Typhoon reached initial operational
capability (IOC) with the Italian Air Force. Its Typhoons were put into
service as air defence fighters at the
Grosseto Air Base, and immediately assigned to Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) at the same base.
[156]
On 9 August 2007, the UK's Ministry of Defence reported that
No. 11 Squadron RAF of the RAF, which stood up as a Typhoon squadron on 29 March 2007, had taken delivery of its first two multi-role Typhoons.
[157] Two of 11 Squadron's Typhoons were sent to intercept a Russian
Tupolev Tu-95 approaching British airspace on 17 August 2007.
[158] The RAF Typhoons were declared combat ready in the air-to-ground role by 1 July 2008.
[159] The RAF Typhoons were projected to be ready to deploy for operations by mid-2008.
[157]
On 11 September 2008, the combined flying time of the five customer
Air Forces and the industrial Flight Test programme saw the aircraft
pass the 50,000 flight hours milestone.
[160]
On 31 March 2009, a Eurofighter Typhoon fired an AMRAAM whilst having
its radar in passive mode for the first time; the necessary target data
for the missile was acquired by the radar of a second Eurofighter
Typhoon and transmitted using the Multi Functional Information
Distribution System (MIDS).
[161] In January 2011, the entire Typhoon fleet passed the 100,000 flying hours mark.
[162]
In September 2013, the worldwide Eurofighter fleet achieved over
200,000 flight hours. At the time, 378 aircraft had been delivered, with
571 on order.
[163]
United Kingdom
A Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon F2 from Number XI Squadron at RAF Coningsby pictured escorting a Russian
Bear-H aircraft over the North Atlantic Ocean.
British Typhoon at Farnborough 2010
Around 25 April 2008 a Typhoon from 17 Squadron at
RAF Coningsby, operating at the US
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake test centre in California, USA, suffered extensive damage during landing when its landing gear did not deploy.
[164] Although no immediate cause was determined, it was speculated that pilot error may have been to blame.
[165] In July 2014, the Ministry of Defence revealed, under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act, that the remains of aircraft ZJ943 were held in storage at RAF Coningsby, although some parts had been loaned to the
Bloodhound SSC project.
[166]
The
National Audit Office observed in 2011 that the distribution of the Eurofighter's parts supply and repairs over several countries has led to
parts shortages, long timescales for repairs and the
cannibalisation of some aircraft to keep others flying.
[167]
In September 2009, four RAF Typhoons were deployed to
RAF Mount Pleasant replacing the
Tornado F3s defending the
Falkland Islands. The government of
Argentina "is understood to have made a formal protest".
[citation needed]
On 18 March 2011, British Prime Minister
David Cameron announced that the UK would deploy Typhoons, alongside
Panavia Tornados, to enforce a
no-fly zone in Libya.
[168] On 20 March 10 Typhoons from RAF Coningsby and RAF Leuchars arrived at the
Gioia del Colle airbase in southern Italy.
[169] On 21 March RAF Typhoons flew their first ever combat mission while patrolling the no-fly Zone.
[170]
On 29 March, it was revealed that the RAF were short of pilots to fly
the required number of sorties over Libya and were having to divert
personnel from Typhoon training to meet the shortfall.
[171]
On 12 April 2011, a mixed pair of RAF Typhoon and Tornado GR4
[172] dropped
precision-guided bombs on ground vehicles operated by Gaddafi forces that were parked in an abandoned tank park.
[173] Chief of the Air Staff,
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, revealed during the
Royal Aeronautical Society's Aerospace 2011 conference in London, that each aircraft dropped one
GBU-16 Paveway II
454 kg (1,000 lb) laser-guided bomb which struck "very successfully and
very accurately". The event represented "a significant milestone in the
delivery of multi-role Typhoon."
[174] Target designation was provided by the Tornados with their
Litening III targeting pods due to the lack of Typhoon pilots trained in air-to-ground missions.
[175]
The UK's then Defence Secretary Liam Fox admitted on 14 April 2011
that Britain's Eurofighter Typhoon jets were grounded in 2010 due to
shortage of spare parts. The RAF has been "cannibalising" aircraft for
spare parts in a bid to keep the maximum number of Typhoons operational
on any given day. The Ministry of Defence had warned the problems were
likely to continue until 2015.
[176]
In July 2012, UK Defence Secretary
Philip Hammond
suggested that a follow-on buy of F-35A aircraft would be determined by
the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in 2015, with the aim
of replacing the UK's Typhoons around 2030.
[177] The UK is to decide what mix of manned and unmanned aircraft to replace its Eurofighters with sometime between 2015 and 2020.
[178]
It was announced in December 2013 that
No. 2 Squadron will be the fifth Typhoon Squadron and will convert from the
Panavia Tornado and reform at RAF Lossiemouth from 1 April 2015.
[179]
By July 2014, a dozen RAF Tranche 2 Typhoons had been upgraded with
Phase 1 Enhancement (P1E) capability to enable them to use the
Paveway IV guided bomb; the Tranche 1 version had used the
GBU-12 Paveway II
in combat over Libya, but the Paveway IV can be set to explode above or
beneath a target and to hit at a set angle. The British are aiming to
upgrade their Typhoons to be able to carry the
Storm Shadow cruise missile and
Brimstone air-to-ground missile
by 2018 to ensure they have manned aircraft configured with strike
capabilities with trained crews by the time the Tornado GR4 is retired
the following year; the Defence Ministry is also funding research for a
common launcher system that could also drop the Selective Precision
Effects at Range (Spear) III networked precision-guided weapon from the
Typhoon, which is already planned for the F-35. RAF Tranche 1 Typhoons
are too structurally and technically different from later models, so the
British have decided that beginning in 2015 or 2016, the older models
will be switched out for Tranche 2 and 3 versions, a process which will
remove the Tranche 1 aircraft from service around 2020 to be stripped
for parts to support newer versions to lower costs. Typhoon aircraft are
expected to be the mainstay of RAF combat aircraft until 2030 and
possibly later.
[180]
Due to the limited ground attack capabilities of the RAF Typhoons in
the campaign against ISIL, the UK has delayed the retirement of one
squadron of Tornados and is attempting to bring forward the deployment
of Brimstone missiles on the Eurofighters to 2017.
[181]
Italy
On 17 July 2009, Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons were deployed to protect
Albania's airspace.
[182]
On 29 March 2011, Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons began flying
combat air patrol missions in support of NATO's Operation Unified
Protector in Libya.
[183]
Exports
The partner companies have divided the world into regions with BAE
selling Typhoons to the Middle East, Alenia Aermacchi pitching to
Turkey, and EADS offering to Latin America, India and South Korea.
[184][185][186][187]
Senior vice-president of Eurofighter sales Peter Maute has said that
the Eurofighter could provide a complementary capability to stealth
fighters.
[188]
Austria
On 2 July 2002, the Austrian government announced the decision to buy
the Typhoon as its new air defence aircraft, the Typhoon having beaten
the
General Dynamics F-16 and the
Saab JAS 39 Gripen in competition.
[189]
The purchase of 18 Typhoons was agreed on 1 July 2003, and included
training, logistics, maintenance, and a simulator. On 26 June 2007,
Austrian Minister for Defense Norbert Darabos announced a reduction to 15 aircraft.
[190] The first aircraft was delivered on 12 July 2007 and formally entered service in the Austrian Air Force.
[191] A 2008 report by the Austrian Government oversight office, the
Rechnungshof,
calculated that instead of getting 18 Tranche 2 jets at a price of €109
million each, as stipulated by the original contract, the revised deal
agreed by Minister Darabos meant that Austria was paying an increased
unit price of €114 million for 15 partially used, Tranche 1 jets.
[192]
Austrian prosecutors are investigating allegations that up to 100
million Euros were made available to lobbyists to influence the purchase
decision in favour of the Eurofighter.
[193]
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Typhoon, 2009
On 18 August 2006 it was announced that
Saudi Arabia had agreed to purchase 72 Typhoons.
[194] In December 2006 it was reported in the
Guardian newspaper that Saudi Arabia had threatened to buy French Rafales because of a UK
Serious Fraud Office investigation into the
Al Yamamah ("the dove") defence deals which commenced in the 1980s.
[195]
On 14 December 2006, Britain's attorney general,
Lord Goldsmith,
ordered that the Serious Fraud Office discontinue its investigation in
the BAE Systems' alleged bribery to senior Saudi officials in the
al-Yamamah contracts, citing "the need to safeguard national and
international security".
[196] The Times
has raised the possibility that RAF production aircraft will be
diverted as early Saudi Arabian aircraft, with the service forced to
wait for its full complement of aircraft.
[197] This arrangement would mirror the diversion of
RAF Tornados to the RSAF.
The Times has also reported that such an arrangement will make the UK purchase of its Tranche 3 commitments more likely.
[197] On 17 September 2007,
Saudi Arabia confirmed it had signed a GB£4.43 billion contract for 72 aircraft.
[198]
24 aircraft will be at the Tranche 2 build standard, previously
destined for the UK RAF, the first being delivered in 2008. The
remaining 48 aircraft were to be assembled in Saudi Arabia and delivered
from 2011,
[199]
but following contract renegotiations in 2011 it was agreed that all 72
aircraft would be assembled by BAE Systems in the UK with the last 24
aircraft being built to Tranche 3 capability.
[200] Saudi Arabia is considering an order of 24 additional jets in the future.
[201] More recent reports suggest that number may be as high as 60
[202] or 72,
[203] but this may have been superseded by Saudi Arabia's decision in August 2010 to purchase 84 new F-15SAs.
[204]
On 29 September 2008 the United States
Department of State approved the sale, required because of a certain technology governed by the
ITAR process which was incorporated into the
MIDS of the Eurofighter.
[205][206][207][208]
On 22 October 2008, the first Typhoon in the colours of the Royal
Saudi Air Force flew for the first time at BAE Systems' Warton
Aerodrome, marking the start of the test flight programme for RSAF
aircraft.
[209]
Following the official handover of the first Eurofighter Typhoon to the
Royal Saudi Air Force on 11 June 2009, the delivery ferry flight took
place on 23 June 2009. Since 2010, BAE Systems has been training Saudi
Arabian personnel at their factory in Warton, in preparation for setting
up an assembly plant in Saudi Arabia.
[210]
By 2011, 24 Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoons had been delivered to
Saudi Arabia, consisting of 18 single-seat and 6 two-seat aircraft.
After that, BAE and Riyadh entered into discussions over configurations
and price of the rest of the 72-plane order. Deliveries resumed in early
2013, with the discussions still going on, with four trainers and two
more single-seat Typhoons. Another two single-seat models were delivered
in October 2013. By 25 October 2013, Saudi Arabia had received 32
Eurofighter Typhoons. Two more aircraft are to be delivered to Saudi
Arabia by the end of 2013.
[211]
On 19 February 2014, BAE announced that the Saudis had agreed to a price increase over the existing contract.
[212]
In February 2015, Saudi Typhoons attacked ISIS targets over Syria using Paveway IV bombs for the first time.
[213]
Oman
During the 2008
Farnborough Airshow it was announced that Oman was in an "advanced stage" of discussions towards purchasing Typhoons as a replacement for its
SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft.
[214][215] Through 2010 Oman remained interested in ordering Typhoons
[216] though the Saab JAS 39 Gripen was also being considered.
[217] In the interim Oman ordered 12 additional F-16s in December 2011.
[218]
On 21 December 2012, the
Royal Air Force of Oman became the Typhoon's seventh customer when BAE Systems and Oman announced a deal for 12 Typhoons to enter service in 2017.
[219]
Potential exports
A Typhoon F2 fighter jet from 29 Squadron RAF ignites its afterburners whilst taking off from RAF Coningsby.
Bahrain
On 8 August 2013, BAE officials commented that the
Royal Bahraini Air Force was considering buying the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Eurofighter Typhoon is being considered along with the
JAS 39 Gripen,
Dassault Rafale, and
F-35 Lightning II for Bahrain's future fighter needs.
[220]
Belgium
In July 2014, the Eurofighter Typhoon was noted to be one of the
contenders to replace Belgium's fleet of ageing F-16A/B MLU's by 2023 as
part of the "air combat capability successor program". The requirement
stands for 40 aircraft. Other contenders include the SAAB Gripen-E/F,
Dassault Rafale, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the F-35A Lightning II. A
decision is expected by 2016 and contracts signed by 2018.
source
Bulgaria
In January 2015, it was revealed that the Eurofighter Typhoon is one
of the contenders for Bulgaria's MiG-29 replacement program. This would
consist of 8 second hand Eurofighters from ex-Italian service and is in
competition with offers for 16 surplus F-16s from the United States, an
unknown number of surplus F-16s from Belgium or 16 surplus Saab Gripen
C/Ds from Sweden.
[221][222]
Canada
In December 2012, the Canadian government decided that F-35 costs
were much higher than earlier anticipated and hence are looking at the
Eurofighter as well as four other fighters to replace their ageing
CF-18s.
[223] As of January 2014 it seems unlikely that a decision on a replacement would be taken before the next
federal election in October 2015.
[224]
Denmark
The
Royal Danish Air Force needs to replace its ageing
F-16AMs. Besides Eurofighter Typhoon there are two other contestants:
Boeing's Super Hornet
and F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter). Denmark is a level-3
partner in the JSF project, and has already invested US$200 million. The
final selection will be made in mid-2015 where 24 to 30 fighters are
expected.
[225]
Finland
In October 2014 the Finnish broadcaster
Yle announced that the
Finnish Air Force was considering the replacement of its
Hornet jets (which entered service in 1995), thus raising the issue of whether the Eurofighter could be a potential successor.
[226]
Indonesia
In November 2014 Europe’s Eurofighter is taking the battle for a $1bn
aircraft deal in Indonesia. Eurofighter and other fighter builders
responded to a request for information issued by the Indonesian
government in January 2015 for a fighter to replace the
F-5s currently in service with the Air Force.
[227]
Malaysia
In December 2009, BAE Systems announced plans to market the Typhoon to the
Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) to replace its
Mikoyan MiG-29Ns.
According to the Regional Director-Business Development Dave Potter,
the Typhoon's multi-role capabilities allow it to replace the MiG-29N.
[228] Other contenders include Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale and JAS 39 Gripen NG.
[229]
Peru
On 4 February 2013 Spain announced a proposed sale of 18 Tranche 1 aircraft to the
Peruvian Air Force,
at a reported value of €45 million ($61 million) each. The intention
was to transfer aircraft currently in Spanish service within a year of
contract signature. Talks had been ongoing since November 2012 but the
Eurofighter Typhoon is still in contention with the Saab Gripen NG and
Sukhoi Su-30/35.
[230]
Poland
Poland is planning to purchase 64 multirole combat aircraft from 2021
in an update to the country's modernisation plans, it has been
revealed. The new fighters will replace the
Polish Air Force's fleet of
Sukhoi Su-22M4 'Fitter-K' ground attack aircraft and
Mikoyan MiG-29 'Fulcrum-A' fighter aircraft. Planned open tender procedure could include
F-35 Lightning II,
JAS 39 Gripen E/F, the newest variants of Eurofighter Typhoon and
Dassault Rafale, and
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
[231][232][233][234]
Qatar
From January 2011 the
Qatar Emiri Air Force evaluated the Typhoon, alongside the
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the
Boeing F-15E, the
Dassault Rafale, and the
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, to replace its then inventory of
Dassault Mirage 2000-5s.By June 2014, Dassault claimed it was close to signing a contract with Qatar for 72 Rafales.
[235] On 30 April 2015,
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced to
President François Hollande that Qatar will order 24 Rafale with an option to buy additional 12 more aircraft, in a deal worth €6.3bn (£5bn).
[236] The contract is due to be signed on 4 May 2015.
[237][238]
Serbia
In 2010, the government of
Serbia displayed open interest in the Eurofighter and competing products.
[239] In June 2013, defence minister
Aleksandar Vučić suggested that Serbia might purchase six
MiG-29M/M2 instead.
[240]
Failed bids
Greece
In 1999, the Greek government agreed to acquire 20 Typhoons to replace its existing second-generation combat aircraft.
[241]
The purchase was put on hold due to budget constraints, largely driven
by other development programmes and the need to cover the cost of the
2004 Summer Olympics.
In June 2006 the government announced a €22 billion multi-year
acquisition plan intended to provide the necessary budgetary framework
to enable the purchase of a next-generation fighter over the next 10
years and the Typhoon was under consideration to fill this requirement.
[242]
In December 2011 it was announced that the Eurofighter consortium
office in Greece was to close because Greece would not be in a position
to order any new aircraft before 2018 or 2020.
[243]
India
Eurofighter was one of the six aircraft competing for the
Indian MRCA competition for 126 multi-role fighters. In April 2011, the
Indian Air Force (IAF) shortlisted the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon for the US$10.4 billion contract.
[244] On 31 January 2012, the IAF announced the Rafale as the preferred bidder in the competition.
[245][246]
In February 2014, it was reported that contract are expected to be
signed in the next fiscal year, not before six months after the new
government takes charge after the elections.
[247]
Japan
In March 2007,
Jane's Information Group reported that the Typhoon was the favourite to win the contest for Japan's next-generation fighter requirement.
[248] The other competitors then were the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.
[248] On 17 October 2007, Japanese Defence Minister
Shigeru Ishiba confirmed that Japan may buy the Typhoon. Although the
F-22 Raptor was in his words "exceptional", it was not "absolutely necessary for Japan", and the Typhoon was the best alternative.
[249] The F-22 is currently
unavailable for export
per US law. During a visit to Japan in June 2009, Andy Latham of BAE
pointed out that while F-22 exports were restricted to keep advanced
military technology from falling into the wrong hands, selling the
Typhoon would take a "no black box approach", that is that even licensed
production and integration with Japanese equipment would not carry the
risk of leakage of restricted military technology.
[250] In July 2010, it was reported that the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
favoured acquiring the F-35 ahead of the Typhoon and the F/A-18E/F to
fulfill its F-X requirement due to its stealth characteristics, but the
Defense Ministry was delaying its budget request to evaluate when the
F-35 would be produced and delivered.
[251]
David Howell of the UK Foreign Office has suggested that Japan could
partner with Britain in the continuing development of the Eurofighter.
[252]
On 20 December 2011, the Japanese Government announced its intention to
purchase 42 F-35s. The purchase decision was influenced by the F-35's
stealth characteristics, with the Defence Minister
Yasuo Ichikawa
saying, "There are changes in the security environment and the actions
of various nations and we want to have a fighter that has the capacity
to cope".
[253]
Norway
Norway considered purchasing the Eurofighter,
[254] but in 2012 signed the largest public procurement project in the nation's history (worth $10bn) for the F-35A.
[255]
Singapore
In 2005 the Eurofighter was a contender for Singapore's next generation fighter requirement competing with the
Boeing F-15SG and the Dassault Rafale. The Eurofighter was eliminated from the competition in June 2005
[256] and the F-15SG was selected in September 2005.
[257]
South Korea
In 2002, the
Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) chose the
F-15K Slam Eagle over the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Sukhoi Su-35 for its 40 aircraft F-X Phase I fighter competition.
In 2012–2013, the Typhoon competed with the
Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle
and the F-35 for the ROKAF's F-X Phase III fighter competition. In
August 2013 it was announced that the F-15SE was the only remaining
candidate, however the award was cancelled and in November 2013, it was
announced that the ROKAF will purchase 40 F-35A's.
[258]
Switzerland
In February 2007, it was reported that Switzerland was considering the Eurofighter, the Rafale and the
Saab JAS 39 Gripen to replace its
Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs.
[259] A one-month evaluation started in October 2008 at
Emmen Airforce Base consisting of approximately 30 evaluation flights.
[260] On 30 November 2011 the
Swiss Federal Council announced that it was planning to buy 22 Gripen NGs due to its lower acquisition and maintenance costs.
[261] A leaked
Swiss Air Force
evaluation report revealed that the Rafale won the competition on
technical grounds and Dassault offered to lower the price for 18
Rafales.
[262]
Turkey
Turkey was considering a purchase of Eurofighter, but in 2009 it
decided to purchase a larger number of F-35s and it has subsequently
stated that "Eurofighter is off Turkey's agenda".
[263][264]
United Arab Emirates
In November 2012, the UK government announced the formation of a formal defence and industrial partnership with the
United Arab Emirates, paving the way for potential Typhoon sales with BAE Systems.
[265]
On 19 December 2013 it was announced that UAE had decided not to
proceed with the deal for the supply of defence and security services,
including the supply of Typhoon aircraft.
[266]
Variants
The Eurofighter is produced in single-seat and twin-seat variants.
The twin-seat variant is not used operationally, but only for training.
The aircraft has been manufactured in three major standards; seven
Development Aircraft (DA), seven production standard Instrumented
Production Aircraft (IPA) for further system development
[267]
and a continuing number of Series Production Aircraft. The production
aircraft are now operational with the partner nation's air forces.
The Tranche 1 aircraft were produced from 2000 onwards. Aircraft
capabilities are being increased incrementally, with each software
upgrade resulting in a different standard, known as blocks.
[268]
With the introduction of the block 5 standard, the R2 retrofit
programme began to bring all Tranche 1 aircraft to that standard.
[268]
Operators
Countries operating or ordering the Eurofighter Typhoon
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon
Austria
Germany
Italy
Saudi Arabia
Spain
- Spanish Air Force – 73 ordered, of which 51 have been delivered as of November 2013.[274]
- Ala 11, Seville-Morón Air Base
- 111 Operational Squadron[275]
- 113 Squadron, OCU Tactical pilot training and evaluation[275]
- Ala 14, Albacete-Los Llanos Air Base
- 142 Operational Squadron[275]
- Ala 46, Gando Airbase
United Kingdom
Oman
Accidents
By June 2014 there had been two fatal crashes in about 240,000 flight
hours, flown by 406 aircraft, delivered to six different Air Forces.
[282]
- On 21 November 2002, the Spanish twin-seat Eurofighter prototype DA-6 crashed due to a double engine flameout
caused by surges of the two engines at 45,000 ft. The two crew members
escaped unhurt and the aircraft crashed in a military test range near Toledo, some 70 miles (110 km) from its base at Getafe.[283][284]
- On 24 August 2010, a Spanish twin-seat Eurofighter aircraft crashed at Spain's Morón Air Base
moments after take-off for a routine training flight. It was being
piloted by a Lieutenant Colonel from the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force,
who was killed, and a Spanish Air Force Major, who ejected safely.[285] Following this incident the German Air Force grounded its 55 planes on 16 September 2010,[286][287]
amidst concerns that after ejecting successfully the pilot had fallen
to his death. In response to the investigation of the crash, the RAF
temporarily grounded all Typhoon training flights on 17 September 2010. Quick Reaction Alert duties were unaffected.[288]
On 21 September, the RAF announced that the harness system had been
sufficiently modified to enable routine flying from RAF Coningsby. The
Austrian Air Force also said that all its aircraft had been cleared for
flight.[289]
On 24 August 2010, the ejection seat manufacturer Martin Baker
commented: "... under certain conditions, the quick release fitting
could be unlocked using the palm of the hands, rather than the thumb and
fingers and that this posed a risk of inadvertent release", and added
that a modification had been rapidly developed and approved "to
eliminate this risk" and was being fitted to all Typhoon seats.[290]
- On 9 June 2014, the Spanish Air Ministry
announced that a Eurofighter had crashed at Spain's Morón Air Base on
landing after a routine training flight. The sole pilot, Captain
Fernando Lluna Carrascosa of the Spanish Air Force, who had over 600
Eurofighter flying hours, died in the crash. The aircraft was one of the
46 aircraft of the Air Force's 111 and 113 squadrons. The cause of the
accident is unclear.[282][291][292][293]
- On 23 June 2014, a Eurofighter of the German Air Force suffered a mid-air collision with a Learjet 35A, which crashed near Olsberg, Germany. The severely damaged Eurofighter made a safe landing at Nörvenich Air Base.[294]
Aircraft on display
- Eurofighter DA-2 Typhoon (serial number ZH588) is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum London.
This aircraft is one of seven EF 2000 development aircraft built by the
Eurofighter Partner Companies, and was used for flight testing. The
aircraft was delivered by road on 22 January 2008. Engineers from RAF Coningsby and RAF St. Athan assembled the aircraft for display. It is hanging in the Museum's Milestones of Flight Exhibition Hall.[295]
- The first development aircraft Eurofighter DA-1 can be seen at the Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim at Oberschleißheim Airport in the north of Munich. Its first flight took place in 1994 and it was handed over to the museum in 2008.[296]
- In 2009 Eurofighter DA-4, serial number ZH590, went on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
in the UK having been given to the museum by the Ministry of Defence in
2008. It is exhibited as part of the museum's 'AirSpace' gallery, as an
example of the development of aircraft technology.[297]
Specifications
EJ200 engine (foreground)
The aircraft's turbofan engine (front)
German ground crew mount an
IRIS-T to a Eurofighter.
Data from RAF Typhoon data,
[298] Air Forces Monthly,
[133] Superfighters,
[299] and
Brassey's Modern Fighters[300]
General characteristics
Performance
- Maximum speed:
- Range: 2,900 km (1,800 mi)
- Combat radius:
- Ground attack, lo-lo-lo: 601 km (325 nmi)
- Ground attack, hi-lo-hi: 1,389 km (750 nmi)
- Air defence with 3-hr combat air patrol: 185 km (100 nmi)
- Air defence with 10-min. loiter: 1,389 km (750 nmi) [301][311]
- Ferry range: >3,790 km (2,350 mi with 3 drop tanks)
- Service ceiling: 16,765 m (55,003 ft)[312] for up to 64,000–70,000 ft[313]
- Absolute ceiling: 19,812 m[312] (65,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: >315 m/s[314] (62,000 ft/min[315])
- Wing loading: 312 kg/m²[301] (63.9 lb/ft²)
- Thrust/weight: 1.15 (interceptor configuration)[301]
- Maximum g-load: +9/−3 g[316]
- Brakes-off to Take-off acceleration: <8 sec
- Brakes-off to supersonic acceleration: <30 s
- Brakes-off to Mach 1.6 at 11,000 m (36,000 ft): <150 s[317][N 8]
Armament
- Guns: 1 × 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 150 rounds
- Hardpoints: Total of 13: 8 × under-wing; and 5 × under-fuselage pylon stations; holding up to 7,500 kg (16,500 lb) of payload[301][319]
Typical multi-role configuration for a Tranche 2-P1E would be 4×AMRAAM,
2×ASRAAM/IRIS-T, 4×EGBU-16/Paveway-IV, 2×1000-litre supersonic fuel
tanks and a targeting pod.[320]
- Missiles:
[318]
- Bombs:
- Others:
Avionics
See also
- Related development
- Related lists
