Eurofighter Typhoon will continue to play a ‘key role’ as a deterrent and ‘policing capability’ for 2015 says Alberto Gutierrez, the Chief Executive Officer of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH.
Speaking from Eurofighter’s Head Offices in Munich, Germany, the CEO said: “Now, more than ever, the role that the Eurofighter is playing in protecting nations and policing behaviours across the globe is a critical capability for our customer’s armed forces.”
With 427 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft delivered to customer air forces in six nations, the multi-role fast-jet fighter is increasingly being seen protecting skies through a variety of missions – in some cases escorting civilian aircraft to safe landings where lives are believed to be in danger – and in others simply patrolling airspace and monitoring aircraft movements.
“What is important,” says Gutierrez, “is that we are able to offer a genuine and effective capability that can be deployed as needed. Exactly how and when it will be deployed is a matter for governments and their armed forces. The fact that it can be, is something that matters to us all. All of us involved in the production of the Eurofighter Typhoon know that the work the aircraft does is of vital importance to the national security of nations. Our mission is to ensure we provide the best equipment offering the highest levels of performance and safety. Eurofighter’s track record in meeting the challenges of Quick Reaction Alert duties is, I believe, second to none. It is something we can be extremely proud of.”
Over the New Year period a number of rotational Eurofighter deployments were completed as nations took turns to share policing duties across Europe and beyond.
In Estonia, the Luftwaffe, which had provided a contingent of four Eurofighters on base for NATO Baltic Policing patrols since September, handed the baton over to the Spanish Air Force which took over patrolling duties at Estonia’s Amari Air Base near Tallinn on 2nd January.
In Lithuania, four Eurofighters from the Italian Air Force joined a contingent of Polish Air Force fighters as the two nations took over duties from the Portuguese and Canadians who have been patrolling from the Lithuanian Air Force base in Siauliai.
The Baltic Patrols are just one of a number of policing duties that the Eurofighter undertakes as it protects skies around Europe, the Middle East, and even in the southern hemisphere where Eurofighters are on duty in the Falkland Islands.
Background Information
Eurofighter Typhoon is the most advanced new generation swing-role combat aircraft currently available on the world market. Seven nations (Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia and Oman) have already ordered the Eurofighter Typhoon. Eurofighter Typhoon is currently the largest military procurement programme in Europe.
Its high technology strengthens the position of European aerospace industry in the international market. The programme secures more than 100,000 jobs in 400 companies. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH manages the programme on behalf of the Eurofighter Partner Companies: Finmeccanica – Alenia Aermacchi, BAE Systems and Airbus Defence and Space in Germany and Spain, which are the most important aviation and aerospace companies in Europe.
Since delivery of the first Eurofighter Typhoon to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom at the end of 2003, a total of 427 aircraft have been delivered to six nations and over 274,000 flying hours have been achieved.
