Eurofighter Typhoon

Summary

Category	Combat aircraft
Origin country	🇩🇪 Germany 🇪🇸 Spain 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇮🇹 Italy
First flight	27 March 1994
Year of introduction	2003
Number produced	589 units
Average unit price	$90 million

Description

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter developed through a joint venture among the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The project began in 1983 as the European Fighter Aircraft (EFA) program to replace various types of aging fighter aircraft in the air forces of these nations. The aircraft was developed by a consortium of aerospace companies, including BAE Systems, Airbus, and Leonardo. It took its first flight in 1994 and entered into service in 2003.

The origins of the Eurofighter Typhoon program can be traced back to the early 1980s, when several European countries recognized the need for a new advanced fighter to replace their aging fleets of combat aircraft. Initial discussions involved the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The project was initially called the European Fighter Aircraft (EFA) program.

However, differing requirements led to France's withdrawal from the consortium in 1985. France pursued its own project, which eventually resulted in the Dassault Rafale. After France's exit, the remaining countries—UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain—continued with the program and formed a consortium of companies to develop the aircraft. This consortium comprised BAE Systems from the UK, DASA (now part of Airbus) from Germany, Aeritalia (now Leonardo) from Italy, and CASA (also now part of Airbus) from Spain.

The Eurofighter Typhoon features a canard-delta wing design, which offers a good blend of agility, speed, and payload capacity. It is equipped with two Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines, providing it with a high thrust-to-weight ratio for enhanced performance.

One of the key aspects of its design is its focus on multirole capabilities, allowing it to perform air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance missions. It has a large weapons loadout and can carry a variety of munitions, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, and precision-guided bombs.

The aircraft's avionics suite is highly advanced, featuring a glass cockpit, voice-command system, and hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls. It is equipped with the CAPTOR radar, which is a mechanically scanned array radar, though there are plans to upgrade it to an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar for better performance.

Armament

The Eurofighter Typhoon is equipped with a versatile weapons suite that enables it to perform a wide range of missions. It has 13 hardpoints: five under each wing and three under the fuselage. This allows it to carry a combination of air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface munitions, and fuel tanks.

For air-to-air combat, it can be armed with AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-132 ASRAAM, and IRIS-T missiles. It also has a 27mm Mauser BK-27 cannon for close-in combat.

In the air-to-ground role, the Typhoon can carry a variety of precision-guided munitions including Paveway IV laser-guided bombs, Brimstone anti-armor missiles, and Storm Shadow cruise missiles for long-range strike missions. It can also carry unguided bombs and rocket pods for more conventional ground attack missions.

The aircraft is capable of carrying external fuel tanks for extended range and endurance, as well as electronic countermeasures pods and targeting pods to enhance its capabilities in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

Future upgrades are expected to further expand the Typhoon's weapons capabilities, including the integration of the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile and the SPEAR 3 air-to-ground missile, among other advanced munitions.

Operational history

The Eurofighter Typhoon entered operational service in 2003 and has since been deployed by several European air forces, including those of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The aircraft has participated in a range of missions and operations, both in training exercises and in combat.

In 2011, during the Libyan Civil War, the UK and Italy deployed Typhoons as part of the NATO-led intervention. They performed air-to-ground attacks, reconnaissance missions, and also enforced the no-fly zone, showcasing their multirole capabilities.

Germany has used Typhoons for Baltic Air Policing missions under NATO, intercepting aircraft that approach or enter NATO airspace without authorization. The UK has similarly deployed them for Quick Reaction Alert duties, both within the UK and in the Falkland Islands.

The Typhoon has also been used in Operation Shader, the UK's contribution to the fight against ISIS, where it has engaged in air-to-ground missions.

Though the Typhoon was initially optimized for air-to-air combat, over time, its ground-attack capabilities have been significantly enhanced, making it a truly multirole fighter. This has increased its utility in a variety of operational contexts, including peacekeeping missions and active combat.

It's also been exported and is operational with air forces of countries like Saudi Arabia, Austria, Oman, and Qatar. Saudi Arabia has reportedly used the Typhoon in the Yemen conflict.

Variants

The Eurofighter Typhoon has multiple variants, primarily distinguished by their Tranche and Block numbers, which indicate different stages of development and capability enhancements. Here's a breakdown:

Tranche 1: The initial version, featuring basic air-to-air and limited air-to-ground capabilities. Divided into Blocks 1, 2, and 5, with incremental improvements.
Tranche 2: Features enhanced avionics and the ability to deploy a broader range of air-to-ground munitions. Divided into Blocks 8 and 10.
Tranche 3: Further improved avionics, fuel capacity, and the potential to carry even more advanced weaponry. This is divided into Blocks 15 and 20.
Typhoon T: The twin-seat trainer variant, which maintains full combat capability.
Typhoon ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance): A proposed variant focused on Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and electronic warfare, though it has not been officially adopted.

Technical specifications

Version: Typhoon FGR.4
Crew	1 pilot
Maximum speed	2495 km/h (1550 mph)
Wing area	51.2 m² (551.1 sqft)
Wingspan	11.0 m (35.9 ft)
Height	5.3 m (17.3 ft)
Length	16.0 m (52.4 ft)
Service ceiling	19810 m (64993 ft)
Empty weight	11000 kg (24251 lbs)
Max. takeoff weight	23500 kg (51809 lbs)
Climb rate	315.0 m/s (1033.5 ft/s)
Powerplant	2 × turbojets Eurojet EJ-200 delivering 6116 kgp, up to 9174 kgp with afterburner
Ejection seat	Martin-Baker Mk 16A