The Watcher
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RAF jets 'unacceptable crash risks'
Defects with the RAF's new £43 million Eurofighter mean it has an "unacceptable" risk of crashing, a leaked report says.
The problems are said to mean the jet cannot fly in clouds or perform "dynamic" combat manoeuvres without a second pilot on board.
The project, now renamed Typhoon by defence chiefs, has already been hit by delays and cost overruns. But officials said hitches highlighted in the leaked report would not "necessarily" mean the plane would not be in operational service in around 2007-08 as expected.
Experts who spent eight months researching the Eurofighter said the plane could be released to service but only once safety issues are investigated.
One key system, that alerts the pilot when the aircraft is going too slowly, is inadequate.
That means an unacceptable risk of "departure" - complete and irrevocable loss of control which would destroy the aircraft.
Defects with the RAF's new £43 million Eurofighter mean it has an "unacceptable" risk of crashing, a leaked report says.
The problems are said to mean the jet cannot fly in clouds or perform "dynamic" combat manoeuvres without a second pilot on board.
The project, now renamed Typhoon by defence chiefs, has already been hit by delays and cost overruns. But officials said hitches highlighted in the leaked report would not "necessarily" mean the plane would not be in operational service in around 2007-08 as expected.
The problems were raised in a report produced by QinetiQ, a private company working as the MoD's evaluation arm, on April 20, the Evening Standard said.
Experts who spent eight months researching the Eurofighter said the plane could be released to service but only once safety issues are investigated.
One key system, that alerts the pilot when the aircraft is going too slowly, is inadequate.
That means an unacceptable risk of "departure" - complete and irrevocable loss of control which would destroy the aircraft.
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