German airforce grounds Eurofighters over glitch

Reuters ^ | Sep 16, 2010

[sukhoi-30mki]

German airforce grounds Eurofighters over glitch

(Reuters) - Germany's air force has grounded all its Eurofighter combat aircraft due to problems with their ejector seats, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Experts from the air force, or Luftwaffe, were working with manufacturers to sort out the issue after it was discovered that the seats' operation could not be guaranteed under certain conditions, the spokesman added.

The Luftwaffe has 55 Eurofighters, built by European aerospace group EADS. The ministry said it was not clear when they would return to active service.

U.S.-built Phantom jets had been mobilised to ensure monitoring of Germany's airspace while the Eurofighters are grounded, the spokesman added.

Fighter jets are dispatched in Germany in under 15 minutes

[sukhoi-30mki]

[Secret Agent Man]

Interesting that US Phantom jets are their backups. Those things aren’t new birds.

[omega4179]

I saw some F4F and met pilots at a show like 12 years ago. It was dripping kerosene then!

[norton]

Heck, they've only been in service for fifty years...

Kinda makes you proud don't it!

[Secret Agent Man]

It is cool. But I wonder what their capabilities are if they have to go up against more modern jets. I wouldn’t just want to be in one to essentially be target practice for another guy I never even have a chance against.

[Moonman62]

Interesting that US Phantom jets are their backups. Those things aren’t new birds.

Other than chasing a Cessna 152 on a training flight out of restricted airspace, they don't have much to do.

[smokingfrog]

[TheBattman]

Kind of gives some perspective into how great those birds (F-4 Phantoms) were!

[norton]

They'd be toast against most any currently operational fighter but the article suggests that they're on terrorist/hijacking alert rather than combat with another fighter.

I imagine they'd put the Euros up if there was a real threat.

What I'd worry most about is whether or not that "glitch" is common to any seats we are using on current AC. (Not like there are a lot of sources for ejection seats.)

[omega4179]

I still like em. They can do everything.

[norton]

You’re both right

[TheBattman]

IN their later form, those F-4’s were (and by in some way still are) some impressive fighting machines. There still are not that many modern roles that plane cannot handle, even today -given an avionics update and a competent pilot.

[OA5599]

They'd be toast against most any currently operational fighter but the article suggests that they're on terrorist/hijacking alert rather than combat with another fighter.

I imagine they'd put the Euros up if there was a real threat.

Those F-4F Phantoms have the same AN/APG-63 radar that F/A-18 A through D Hornets have, and are capable of firing the AIM-120 AMRAAM. And unlike the Hornet, they are mach 2+ capable--which is advantageous for interceptors.

The real problem with those planes is that they do not have an IFF interrogator, so without AWACS, the F-4F can't take advantage of the AMRAAM's BVR capability.

Still, I wouldn't call those Phantoms toast.

[norton]

Thanks for correction.
Last I've seen around here were drones or static display.
I see that the German AC are in their last year or two of service - I'd still venture that the Eurofighters would be put up if a real threat was anticipated.