Eurofighter Typhoon - Updates and Discussions
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Saudi Arabia signs MOI for 48 more Typhoons
Saudi Arabia has firmed-up its long-awaited procurement of an additional 48 Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, with a memorandum of intent (MOI) being signed on 9 March.
The MOI for the BAE Systems-built aircraft was announced by the company in a notification to the London Stock Exchange. It is understood to have been signed by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, and UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson during a meeting at Royal Air Force (RAF) Northolt in north London.
An announcement pertaining to the additional Typhoons had been expected for some time, but controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in Yemen in general and the role of its UK-supplied Typhoons in that war in particular meant that it was uncertain if it would take place during the crown prince’s state visit to the UK.
No contract value or delivery timeline was disclosed.
Saudi Arabia ordered 72 Tranche 2 Typhoon aircraft in 2007, and at an estimated GBP20 billion (USD41 billion at the time) it was one of the largest defence procurement contracts ever signed. Under that agreement, the first 24 aircraft were to be built by BAE Systems at its Warton production facility, with the remaining 48 to be built in Saudi Arabia itself by the Alsalam Aircraft Company. This plan did not come to fruition, however, and all 72 aircraft were built in the UK with Saudi Arabia focusing its attentions on delivering in-country through-life support to the fleet instead.
Saudi Arabia has firmed-up its long-awaited procurement of an additional 48 Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, with a memorandum of intent (MOI) being signed on 9 March.
The MOI for the BAE Systems-built aircraft was announced by the company in a notification to the London Stock Exchange. It is understood to have been signed by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, and UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson during a meeting at Royal Air Force (RAF) Northolt in north London.
An announcement pertaining to the additional Typhoons had been expected for some time, but controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in Yemen in general and the role of its UK-supplied Typhoons in that war in particular meant that it was uncertain if it would take place during the crown prince’s state visit to the UK.
No contract value or delivery timeline was disclosed.
Saudi Arabia ordered 72 Tranche 2 Typhoon aircraft in 2007, and at an estimated GBP20 billion (USD41 billion at the time) it was one of the largest defence procurement contracts ever signed. Under that agreement, the first 24 aircraft were to be built by BAE Systems at its Warton production facility, with the remaining 48 to be built in Saudi Arabia itself by the Alsalam Aircraft Company. This plan did not come to fruition, however, and all 72 aircraft were built in the UK with Saudi Arabia focusing its attentions on delivering in-country through-life support to the fleet instead.
You say they win very often, but what the French say about the Rafale and reality are two very different things.
Tornado jets are to be AXED from the RAF even though the fighter-bombers are still on the front line against ISIS in Syria every day
PUBLISHED: 12:06 BST, 1 April 2018 | UPDATED: 15:47 BST, 1 April 2018
Despite still being used on the front line against ISIS in Syria every day, the iconic Tornado fighter-bomber jets are set to be axed by early next year.
All 36 Tornado GR4s will be decommissioned by the RAF because of defence budget cuts.
The bomber was set to stay until the F-35B jet was ready to replace it but budget pressures have forced the RAF's hand early.
The iconic Tornado GR4 fighter bomber jet is set to be axed by the RAF because of budget cuts
The iconic bomber is still in action against Islamic State in Syria after plans to remove it were first raised in 2015.
The Tornado was given a reprieve then to join the air war in Syria where it is supporting Special Forces.
But the RAF is now making way for 12 F-35Bs, to operate from RAF Marham, and the new Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
A senior RAF source told the Express: 'The plan after the change to the 2015 SDSR decision was to keep the Tornado fully in service until the arrival of the F-35B.
'But budget pressures has meant this has changed, and Tornado withdrawal is being accelerated.'
The move comes after the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, of 'capability gaps' caused by budget cuts.
He said that more aircraft and resources are needed to deal with the gaps.
The aircraft was due to be removed in 2015 but was reprieved so Tornado squadrons could join the fight against ISIS
The disbandment parade for the first Tornado unit to be axed, 12 Squadron, has already taken place two weeks ago at RAF Marham.
Wing Commander Nikki Thomas said: 'It was very poignant for us to deliver the Squadron's final flight as an operational mission because 12 Squadron has been at the very forefront of UK operations to defeat [IS].'
No jobs will be lost in the change, with pilots transferred to other units.
However, because of the budget issues, there are only enough F35s for one unit at the moment.
The RAF could gain another 48 F-35Bs but the National Audit Office has said the Armed Forces equipment plan is unaffordable.
Although they will be axed in the next few months, Tornado G34 bombers are used on the frontline in Syria every day
Air Commodore Andrew Lambert of the UK National Defence Association said that they fought hard to save the Tornados because of the important role they play.
He also said that they do not know when they will get the promised 48 F-35Bs.
'It means we are facing the loss of our three Tornado squadrons for just one F-35B squadron of 12 aircraft.'
Air Chief Marshal Hillier, said: 'Our control of the air is now being challenged, as we have seen with the Russians in Syria and through other state-based threats.'
He also stressed that because of funding issues, the RAF will not be able to protect British interests oversea.
Tornado jets are to be axed from the RAF | Daily Mail Online
- Budget pressures mean that the iconic Tornado fighter-bombers will be axed
- The jets will be replaced by 12 F-35B aircraft, although it is just one squadron
- The Tornado GR4s currently are in Syria, where they are on frontline everyday
PUBLISHED: 12:06 BST, 1 April 2018 | UPDATED: 15:47 BST, 1 April 2018
Despite still being used on the front line against ISIS in Syria every day, the iconic Tornado fighter-bomber jets are set to be axed by early next year.
All 36 Tornado GR4s will be decommissioned by the RAF because of defence budget cuts.
The bomber was set to stay until the F-35B jet was ready to replace it but budget pressures have forced the RAF's hand early.
The iconic Tornado GR4 fighter bomber jet is set to be axed by the RAF because of budget cuts
The iconic bomber is still in action against Islamic State in Syria after plans to remove it were first raised in 2015.
The Tornado was given a reprieve then to join the air war in Syria where it is supporting Special Forces.
But the RAF is now making way for 12 F-35Bs, to operate from RAF Marham, and the new Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
A senior RAF source told the Express: 'The plan after the change to the 2015 SDSR decision was to keep the Tornado fully in service until the arrival of the F-35B.
'But budget pressures has meant this has changed, and Tornado withdrawal is being accelerated.'
The move comes after the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, of 'capability gaps' caused by budget cuts.
He said that more aircraft and resources are needed to deal with the gaps.
The aircraft was due to be removed in 2015 but was reprieved so Tornado squadrons could join the fight against ISIS
The disbandment parade for the first Tornado unit to be axed, 12 Squadron, has already taken place two weeks ago at RAF Marham.
Wing Commander Nikki Thomas said: 'It was very poignant for us to deliver the Squadron's final flight as an operational mission because 12 Squadron has been at the very forefront of UK operations to defeat [IS].'
No jobs will be lost in the change, with pilots transferred to other units.
However, because of the budget issues, there are only enough F35s for one unit at the moment.
The RAF could gain another 48 F-35Bs but the National Audit Office has said the Armed Forces equipment plan is unaffordable.
Although they will be axed in the next few months, Tornado G34 bombers are used on the frontline in Syria every day
Air Commodore Andrew Lambert of the UK National Defence Association said that they fought hard to save the Tornados because of the important role they play.
He also said that they do not know when they will get the promised 48 F-35Bs.
'It means we are facing the loss of our three Tornado squadrons for just one F-35B squadron of 12 aircraft.'
Air Chief Marshal Hillier, said: 'Our control of the air is now being challenged, as we have seen with the Russians in Syria and through other state-based threats.'
He also stressed that because of funding issues, the RAF will not be able to protect British interests oversea.
Tornado jets are to be axed from the RAF | Daily Mail Online
how is the range of a Tornado GR and of a EF in the same air to ground config?Tornado jets are to be AXED from the RAF even though the fighter-bombers are still on the front line against ISIS in Syria every day
By Danyal Hussain For Mailonline
- Budget pressures mean that the iconic Tornado fighter-bombers will be axed
- The jets will be replaced by 12 F-35B aircraft, although it is just one squadron
- The Tornado GR4s currently are in Syria, where they are on frontline everyday
PUBLISHED: 12:06 BST, 1 April 2018 | UPDATED: 15:47 BST, 1 April 2018
Despite still being used on the front line against ISIS in Syria every day, the iconic Tornado fighter-bomber jets are set to be axed by early next year.
All 36 Tornado GR4s will be decommissioned by the RAF because of defence budget cuts.
The bomber was set to stay until the F-35B jet was ready to replace it but budget pressures have forced the RAF's hand early.
The iconic Tornado GR4 fighter bomber jet is set to be axed by the RAF because of budget cuts
The iconic bomber is still in action against Islamic State in Syria after plans to remove it were first raised in 2015.
The Tornado was given a reprieve then to join the air war in Syria where it is supporting Special Forces.
But the RAF is now making way for 12 F-35Bs, to operate from RAF Marham, and the new Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
A senior RAF source told theExpress: 'The plan after the change to the 2015 SDSR decision was to keep the Tornado fully in service until the arrival of the F-35B.
'But budget pressures has meant this has changed, and Tornado withdrawal is being accelerated.'
The move comes after the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, of 'capability gaps' caused by budget cuts.
He said that more aircraft and resources are needed to deal with the gaps.
The aircraft was due to be removed in 2015 but was reprieved so Tornado squadrons could join the fight against ISIS
The disbandment parade for the first Tornado unit to be axed, 12 Squadron, has already taken place two weeks ago at RAF Marham.
Wing Commander Nikki Thomas said: 'It was very poignant for us to deliver the Squadron's final flight as an operational mission because 12 Squadron has been at the very forefront of UK operations to defeat [IS].'
No jobs will be lost in the change, with pilots transferred to other units.
However, because of the budget issues, there are only enough F35s for one unit at the moment.
The RAF could gain another 48 F-35Bs but the National Audit Office has said the Armed Forces equipment plan is unaffordable.
Although they will be axed in the next few months, Tornado G34 bombers are used on the frontline in Syria every day
Air Commodore Andrew Lambert of the UK National Defence Association said that they fought hard to save the Tornados because of the important role they play.
He also said that they do not know when they will get the promised 48 F-35Bs.
'It means we are facing the loss of our three Tornado squadrons for just one F-35B squadron of 12 aircraft.'
Air Chief Marshal Hillier, said: 'Our control of the air is now being challenged, as we have seen with the Russians in Syria and through other state-based threats.'
He also stressed that because of funding issues, the RAF will not be able to protect British interests oversea.
Tornado jets are to be axed from the RAF | Daily Mail Online
Eurofighter’s AESA Radar at “Very High Risk” of Missing Delivery Deadline
The development of the Captor-E electronically scanned radar for the Eurofighter combat aircraft is running 13 months late, and there is a “very high risk” that it will miss the initial delivery date of late 2018, according to a German Ministry of Defence report released in late March.
In addition, Germany’s share of the cost of radar development has increased by €585 million compared to the initial estimate, the report states.
“The acceptance and delivery of Block 25 aircraft will continue to be delayed due to weaknesses in the demonstration of the new front-end computer revealed in 2017,” the report says.
The delays are due to unforeseen difficulties in software development, to a continuing divergence between Germany and the UK on the radar’s principal function, and to the late approval of a new front computer. Furthermore, the “limited availability of [radar] components for production can additionally delay the delivery,” the report says.
“According to current industry estimates, the development plan can continue to be adhered to, but now with very high software development risk,” it adds.
But Eurofighter’s industrial partners, as well as the Eurofighter consortium itself, say there is no delay and that the program is on schedule.
“The Captor-E (E-Scan) radar development programme for Eurofighter Typhoon remains on track, with a number of flights, with the radar both powered and unpowered, having now taken place as part of the scheduled programme of activity,” BAE Systems, Leonardo and Eurofighter GmbH said in a joint April 6 statement in response to our request for comment. Airbus concurred separately.
“The Captor-E Radar equipment and Weapons System capability will be incrementally enhanced to enable the required capability (P3E Standard) to be available for the first deliveries to the Kuwait Air Force,” the joint statement added.
Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, a German company headquartered in Hallbergmoos, near Munich, is the Eurofighter program’s prime contractor and BAE Systems is the British industrial partner as well as the radar purchaser on behalf of Eurofighter GmbH.
The aircraft division of Leonardo is the Italian industrial partner for Eurofighter, while its Airborne & Space Systems division is the lead contractor for the Euroradar consortium that is developing the Captor-E AESA radar.
Software development “at very high risk”
A 13-month delivery delay would disrupt Eurofighter deliveries to Kuwait, which is the launch customer for Eurofighter’s Captor-E electronic scanning radar. Deliveries to Kuwait were originally planned to begin in the final quarter of 2019, according to a statement by Kuwait’s ministry of defense, but have already been postponed to late 2020, according to a December 12 press release by Leonardo.
The report also reveals that a working group comprising national representatives, industry and the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), has been established to reconcile a major divergence within the program: “Whereas Germany’s priority is the improvement of the air to air/air to ground capabilities, the UK's priority is on electronic warfare,” a German defense ministry spokesman said April 4.
First radar delivery in late 2018 “at very high risk”
“However, for both capabilities a multi-channel receiver is needed,” the German MoD spokesman said, and this has still not obtained its airworthiness certificate.
“To safeguard German interests with regard to demand, costs and industrial policy consequences, in the short term a possible compromise solution is currently being prepared by a working group,” the report states.
“Because of delays in approving the new front-end computer,” the delivery of the first production radar by the end of 2018 seems unlikely.
The front computer controls the Utility Control System, and a new version has been introduced for obsolescence reasons. But “If the airworthiness certification of the computer is not granted on time, the new computer cannot be installed, further delaying the program,” the German MoD spokesman said.
“The mitigation and possible delays are currently under investigation by industry in close contact with NETMA and the Eurofighter Partner Nations,” the spokesman added, but it has been set no reporting deadline.
Despite these continuing delays, initial flight testing of the AESA radar began in March as scheduled, the spokesman said. The radar has been fitted to the program’s IPA 8 test aircraft for these tests.
German growth plans
Germany has ordered a total of 143 Eurofighter aircraft in Tranches 1, 2 and 3A and, by the end of 2017, 129 had been delivered.
“The technology of the AESA radar with multi-channel receiver will, in future, improve the Eurofighter’s operational capability by allowing simultaneous use of air-to-air and air-to-ground modes. In addition, with the AESA radar the operational added value of modern air-to-air weapons are exploited,” the report states.
The decision to fit all Eurofighter multiroles (Tranche 2 and 3a aircraft) with AESA radar, including a multi-channel receiver equipment, will also strengthen Germany's position in the four-nation Eurofighter program, the report observes.
Finally, the report notes that, since the Eurofighter program was approved by the Bundestag, it has accumulated 149 months of delay, and that its cost to Germany has increased by €6.6 billion over initial estimates.
Well we'll give it to late 2019 and see, right now it's early 2018.
From AW&ST
BERLIN—The Eurofighter consortium is proposing the integration of new weaponry, performance enhancements and additional capabilities to the Typhoon fighter as part of its offer to replace Germany’s Panavia Tornado fleet.
Consortium partner Airbus announced it had delivered on Germany’s request for information for a Tornado replacement on April 24, the eve of the ILA Airshow here. Competitors—Lockheed Martin with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and Boeing with the F-15 Eagle and the F/A-18 Super Hornet family—are understood to have delivered their information through the U.S. government.
Eurofighter CEO Volker Paltzo told journalists on the opening day of the show April 25 that an additional Eurofighter buy from Germany would help secure Europe and Germany’s aerospace industrial base and maintain sovereignty. “There are no black boxes” in the Typhoon,” Paltzo said. Germany, he said, has “access to all data in the program,” and the software on the aircraft already meets national airworthiness requirements.
Included in the offer, according to Eurofighter officials, is the integration of additional weaponry and capability building on the Phased Enhancement program that is currently integrating the MBDA Brimstone air-to-ground missile, the Storm Shadow cruise missile, and the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile. The Airbus offer is similar to that being performed as part of Project Centurion for the UK Royal Air Force, transferring the weapons and capabilities from the Tornado over to the Typhoon.
Integration of air-to-ground weapons already has begun on German Typhoons as part of Project Odin.
Among the weapons being offered for integration as part of the Tornado replacement program are the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile for the anti-ship mission and the Taurus cruise missile. Taurus already has undergone a partial integration because of its similar size, shape and weight to the Storm Shadow. Also being offered is the MBDA Spear 3 precision-guided munition and the Brimstone, a weapon Germany wants to install on the Eurofighter as part of upcoming Typhoon upgrade packages.
Airbus also is proposing adding the ability to perform destruction and suppression of enemy air defense missions using emitter detection systems that are yet to be integrated onto the aircraft, as well as the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). That mission currently is performed by the ECR version of the Tornado in German service. The new batch also would receive the Euroradar electronically scanned array radar, currently under development but with more advanced modes.
A key element in the new radar capability would be additional computing processes allowing it to be optimized for different tasks, adjusting power outputs depending on the phase of flight or mission.
In what is likely the first major upgrade for the Eurofighter’s Eurojet EJ200 engine, the consortium is keen to make use of the engine’s growth potential to boost thrust by around 15% as well as improve fuel efficiency and range. This will be combined with a new design and enlarged 1,800-liter fuel tank. The aircraft currently is fitted with 1,000-liter fuel tanks. Other modifications will include the Aerodynamic Modification Kit, test flown in 2014, to improve maneuverability and handling, particularly with heavy weapon loads.
Eurofighter says they also are comfortable with delivering integration of the U.S. B61 nuclear weapon onto the aircraft, a process that requires U.S. certification. Paltzo said he was confident the U.S. government would not use the certification requirements of the weapon as “leverage” to force Germany towards a U.S. platform such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
A win for the Typhoon also would provide a bridge for the development of any future European combat air system being developed by France and Germany, Paltzo pointed out, as the technologies developed for the Typhoon would be edged into the new aircraft.
However, the Eurofighter faces stiff competition from the U.S. fighters particularly the F-35. The Eurofighter is said to be the favored platform of German politicians, but German air force officials have said they favor the F-35 because of its low-observability characteristics.
Paltzo said the company was looking at a potential market for as many as 300 Typhoons in Europe. The aircraft is currently being marketed in Belgium, Finland, Poland and Switzerland. The German requirement alone is for a one-for-one replacement of the country’s Tornado fleet, which currently numbers 90. This could push production of the fighter out into the 2030s. Current orders for the partner nations, as well as orders from Kuwait, and more recently Qatar, have pushed production out to 2024 at present.
BERLIN—The Eurofighter consortium is proposing the integration of new weaponry, performance enhancements and additional capabilities to the Typhoon fighter as part of its offer to replace Germany’s Panavia Tornado fleet.
Consortium partner Airbus announced it had delivered on Germany’s request for information for a Tornado replacement on April 24, the eve of the ILA Airshow here. Competitors—Lockheed Martin with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and Boeing with the F-15 Eagle and the F/A-18 Super Hornet family—are understood to have delivered their information through the U.S. government.
Eurofighter CEO Volker Paltzo told journalists on the opening day of the show April 25 that an additional Eurofighter buy from Germany would help secure Europe and Germany’s aerospace industrial base and maintain sovereignty. “There are no black boxes” in the Typhoon,” Paltzo said. Germany, he said, has “access to all data in the program,” and the software on the aircraft already meets national airworthiness requirements.
Included in the offer, according to Eurofighter officials, is the integration of additional weaponry and capability building on the Phased Enhancement program that is currently integrating the MBDA Brimstone air-to-ground missile, the Storm Shadow cruise missile, and the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile. The Airbus offer is similar to that being performed as part of Project Centurion for the UK Royal Air Force, transferring the weapons and capabilities from the Tornado over to the Typhoon.
Integration of air-to-ground weapons already has begun on German Typhoons as part of Project Odin.
Among the weapons being offered for integration as part of the Tornado replacement program are the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile for the anti-ship mission and the Taurus cruise missile. Taurus already has undergone a partial integration because of its similar size, shape and weight to the Storm Shadow. Also being offered is the MBDA Spear 3 precision-guided munition and the Brimstone, a weapon Germany wants to install on the Eurofighter as part of upcoming Typhoon upgrade packages.
Airbus also is proposing adding the ability to perform destruction and suppression of enemy air defense missions using emitter detection systems that are yet to be integrated onto the aircraft, as well as the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). That mission currently is performed by the ECR version of the Tornado in German service. The new batch also would receive the Euroradar electronically scanned array radar, currently under development but with more advanced modes.
A key element in the new radar capability would be additional computing processes allowing it to be optimized for different tasks, adjusting power outputs depending on the phase of flight or mission.
In what is likely the first major upgrade for the Eurofighter’s Eurojet EJ200 engine, the consortium is keen to make use of the engine’s growth potential to boost thrust by around 15% as well as improve fuel efficiency and range. This will be combined with a new design and enlarged 1,800-liter fuel tank. The aircraft currently is fitted with 1,000-liter fuel tanks. Other modifications will include the Aerodynamic Modification Kit, test flown in 2014, to improve maneuverability and handling, particularly with heavy weapon loads.
Eurofighter says they also are comfortable with delivering integration of the U.S. B61 nuclear weapon onto the aircraft, a process that requires U.S. certification. Paltzo said he was confident the U.S. government would not use the certification requirements of the weapon as “leverage” to force Germany towards a U.S. platform such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
A win for the Typhoon also would provide a bridge for the development of any future European combat air system being developed by France and Germany, Paltzo pointed out, as the technologies developed for the Typhoon would be edged into the new aircraft.
However, the Eurofighter faces stiff competition from the U.S. fighters particularly the F-35. The Eurofighter is said to be the favored platform of German politicians, but German air force officials have said they favor the F-35 because of its low-observability characteristics.
Paltzo said the company was looking at a potential market for as many as 300 Typhoons in Europe. The aircraft is currently being marketed in Belgium, Finland, Poland and Switzerland. The German requirement alone is for a one-for-one replacement of the country’s Tornado fleet, which currently numbers 90. This could push production of the fighter out into the 2030s. Current orders for the partner nations, as well as orders from Kuwait, and more recently Qatar, have pushed production out to 2024 at present.
New massive problems with the "Eurofighter": According to SPIEGEL information, only a handful of 128 jet fighters are ready for action. In an emergency, the Bundeswehr could not fulfill its NATO obligations.
Luftwaffe has only four combat ready "Eurofighters"
Luftwaffe has only four combat ready "Eurofighters"
Yo @ french, are you sure you want to get into bed with Germany when it comes to military matters?