Flexible, Capable, Combat Ready: Eurofighter Typhoon at Farnborough

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL: Eurofighter Typhoon flies into this year’s Farnborough International propelled by a wave of recent Air Force successes. Its Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) credentials proven, multi-role capability declared and its ready to deploy status confirmed, Eurofighter Typhoon is blazing a trail through the global defence market and cementing its position as the number one next-generation combat aircraft.

Aloysius Rauen, CEO Eurofighter GmbH, comments: “What we have witnessed over the last two months in terms of the aircraft demonstrating its operational capabilities has been groundbreaking. Eurofighter Typhoon came online in the QRA role for Southern Germany and assumed Air Surveillance responsibilities for the Austrian Armed Forces. However, its unmatched dominance in air defence is just the beginning as the Royal Air Force have declared their multi-role Eurofighter Typhoons as ready to deploy following the success of Exercise Green Flag West. Our product really is delivering for our Air Forces.”

Customer-driven achievements have become the norm in 2008, with joint exercises and foreign deployments stealing the defence headlines, including: the first four-nation Eurofighter Typhoon exercise, codenamed “Typhoon Meet”, held during two weeks in March at Morón AFB, Spain; the Italian Air Force hosting “Spring Flag” at Decimomannu AFB, Sardinia, in April with Eurofighter Typhoon taking a lead role in the NATO-organised manoeuvres; and the Royal Air Force opening up the multi-role capability of Eurofighter Typhoon during detachments to the United States.

The Commander-in-Chief Air Command of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Clive Loader, on 01 July described Eurofighter Typhoon as “the most operationally flexible aircraft it [the RAF] has ever had.”

Ten units in five Air Forces are operating the aircraft and, together, have accumulated over 42,000 in-service flying hours. This, added to the test fleet’s statistics, amounts to over 48,000 flying hours logged by Eurofighter Typhoon.

For the Eurofighter consortium, 2008 has seen a great deal of activity in export. Requests for Proposal (RFP) have been received from India and Switzerland. EADS Military Air Systems, acting as campaign lead in both countries on behalf of the consortium, have delivered full written responses to both. Further RFPs are expected from Romania and Japan before year end while a draft Request for Information (RFI) has been received from Brazil.

Aloysius Rauen continues: “The high interest from export nations is a reflection of the strength of the programme. The handover of the ninth aircraft to Austria completes Tranche 1 deliveries in total. The paperwork for Tranche 2 Type Acceptance has been submitted to NETMA and the requisite flight tests have been concluded. Some 40 aircraft are already in Final Assembly. Finally, our targets for Tranche 3 have not changed. Negotiations with the customer are underway and we aim to have a contract ready by end of 2008 or early 2009.”

The Eurofighter presence at Farnborough International features a Business Pavilion showcasing the Cockpit Demonstrator (EOC standard) and a host of technology exhibits reflecting the advanced nature of the aircraft. In the aircraft displays, the Royal Air Force will have a fully-loaded Eurofighter Typhoon on static display while also providing a jet to the daily flying programme. Finmeccanica will also be displaying a Eurofighter Typhoon of the Italian Air Force on their exhibition area.