Posted on 07/26/2013 2:10:19 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Middle East Customers Funding Eurofighter Upgrades
A briefing on the Eurofighter Typhoon organized by BAE Systems at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford last week provided a further indication that some key upgrades to the combat jet are being funded by Saudi Arabia and possibly Oman. The four original partner nations have proved reluctant to collectively fund in the near term enhancements that extend the aircraft’s air-to-ground capability, such as integration of the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile. The four partners have also so far failed to approve full development of the Captor-E AESA radar by the Euroradar consortium.
“Storm Shadow will be on the Typhoon sooner than you think,” said Air Vice Marshal Ed Stringer, assistant chief of the air staff, UK Royal Air Force, in response to a query from AIN. “Other Typhoon customers are involved [in providing] funding profiles,” he added. An article in the latest Eurofighter World magazine notes that Saudi Arabia joined the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (Netma) last year to enjoy “increased power in deciding development priorities.”
During a briefing at the IDEX show in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, a BAE Systems official said that the Storm Shadow would enter flight-test on the Typhoon this year because this is a requirement of the Royal Saudi Air Force. At last week’s briefing, BAE Systems business development director Peter Anstiss said, “We now have a firmly embedded partnership model.” Stringer added, “Multirole Typhoon is beginning to be taken seriously by air forces around the world.”
Bob Smith, combat air engineering director at BAE Systems, told AIN that the latest batch of Typhoon software enhancements–known as P1E Phase B or Service Release Proposal (SRP) 12–would be completed by the Eurofighter industrial consortium by year-end. They allow Tranche 2 jets to fully employ the Paveway IV and EGBU-16 “smart” bombs, by improving the man-machine interface and adding air-to-ground capability to the helmet-mounted sight and the multifunction information distribution system. P1E Phase B also includes digital Iris-T AAM capability; IFF Mode 5; upgrades to the defensive aids subsystem; and redundancy improvements in the nav/attack system. The earlier P1E Phase A enhancements (also known as SRP 10) are now in operational flight-test by the customer, he added.
Storm Shadow integration forms part of a further round of enhancements that are designated P2E, and not yet fully defined. But these do include integration of the MBDA Meteor BVRAAM, a contract for which was signed by the consortium with Netma at the recent Paris Air Show.
Paris Air Show shows a notional configuration of air-ground weapons that have yet to be integrated on the Eurofighter Typhoon, namely the Storm Shadow or Taurus cruise missiles; the Brimstone; and the UK’s future series of weapons known as Spear. (Photo: Chris Pocock)
Seems to me the U. S. aircraft industry, could come up with a bargain basement aircraft with decent characteristics to compete with the aircraft of other nations.
It would match what the other aircraft are able to do, at good enough prices to be competitive.
We don’t want to see the F-22 to anyone. It’s too costly, and I believe the F-35 will work out to be also.
This leaves a void in affordable, marketable aircraft. To remain healthy, our aircraft industry needs to be able to compete in all markets.
Is there something I’m missing in this?
The only ones, probably, who could have solved the problems with the F22, and probably with the F35, are the Israelis. They are the very people the US and its islamic allies do not want within a thousand miles of the stuff.
That industry is dead, having backed the wrong horse. It’ll just take some time falling over.
I hope you’re wrong, but I’ll admit to being concerned over it.
Hey .. Lockheed, Boeing, etc. Have seen the sky writing .. diversify in the services you offer and pursue.. LIfe ain’t all about blowin’ da crap out of somebody, no matter how high a quality a ‘kill’ or bang it can deliver, we oughtnseekmnobler ways to hoohaw the public and stay above the profit line. And then some.
Adapt .. or die.
? - If a driver less car hits a deer, who gets the meat? :-)
It's been tried before, most notably the F-20 Tigershark. However, the feeling among potential customers was if the USAF didn't fly it, why should they?
If a country want's a "value" US built fighter, they have the F-16. If they want a larger aircraft, they have the F/A-18E or the F-15E. If they want cutting edge avionics with a little stealth, they have the F-35.
For non-US "value" aircraft, there's the Saab Gripen or the MiG-29. For something larger, there's the SU-27. For the latest and greatest in avionics, it's the Eurofighter and Rafale.
The Jaguar
I’m afraid we’re going to be out of the fighter business in five to ten years.
There is a *piloted* US built figher in your future.
I like that new convert..
Good to know. Will it be in the F-22 class?
What am I look at there?
:^)
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