Two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, one piloted by the Alenia Aeronautica test pilot Matteo Maurizio, landed in the Central European country of Slovakia for the first time last Friday 28 May, to participate in the Piestany Air Show.
The event was held over the weekend in the renowned Slovakian spa town, also home to the country’s historical aeronautical museum.
The twice daily Eurofighter display was admired by more than 50,000 people who attended the show. Alongside the Italian Typhoon aircraft which carried out a six minute, full aerobatic display showing off the full capabilities of the European plane was an Austrian Air Force Eurofighter which shared the air display responsibilities. The Austrian Eurofighter made several high speed passes over the short runway of Piestany airport before climbing vertically to high altitude and returning to its home base in Zeltweg.
In Slovakia, the Eurofighter is acknowledged as being the ideal solution for the replacement of the Slovak Air Force’s MiG-29 fleet which in the medium term have to be replaced with a more modern defence system. The Mig-29 is still a capable defence system, superior in tems of performance as a twin engined aircraft when compared with other twin and single engined platforms currently in service with some of the neighbouring countries.
The European solution offered by the Eurofighter could also help to sustain and develop the capabilities of the Slovakian defence industry and its skilled workforce, allowing the nation’s air force to keep up to date with the latest technological standards
Eurofighter Typhoon is the world’s most advanced new generation real multi-role/swing-role combat aircraft available on the market and has been ordered by six nations (Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). With 707 aircraft under contract, it is Europe’s largest military collaborative programme and delivers leading-edge technology, strengthening Europe’s aerospace industry in the global competition.
More than 100,000 jobs in 400 companies are secured by the programme. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH manages the programme on behalf of the Eurofighter Partner Companies: Alenia Aeronautica/Finmeccanica, BAE Systems, EADS CASA and EADS Deutschland, Europe’s foremost aerospace companies with a total turnover of approx. EUR 88 billion (2008).
