Image credit via Airbus
Posted on 01/16/2014 9:14:23 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
On Jan. 15, Airbus Defence and Space started the testing campaign of the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat plane with Taurus air-launched stand-off precision missiles.
The first flight took place at the Manching Military Air Systems Center, north of Munich, and involved Instrumented Production Aircraft 7 (IPA7), flown by Eurofighter Project Pilot Chris Worning.
Taurus KEPD 350 is a German/Swedish missile that is manufactured by Taurus Systems GmbH, a partnership between MBDA Germany and Saab Dynamics. The missile has a range of +500 kilometres (300 mi), a speed of Mach 0.8-0.9 and stealth features.
The first flight came after the successful ground tests and taxi tests; the flying activities, taking place within the Storm Shadow integration program, will focus on flutter tests, air data system large store interference assessment and aerodynamic data gathering.
According to Airbus Defense and Space (a newly formed division of Airbus Group combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military) concurrent testing of the two similar missiles “optimises the Storm Shadow integration and facilitates the future airframe integration of Taurus.”
Image credit via Airbus
I always loved the look of those fighters, especially with the canards. So cool!
This would have come in handy in WW2.
Odd patch looking like the third ID on the tail.
Look at me! I have the RCS of a bus! Shoot me, shoot me!
No worries. It probably has the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal Threat Avoidance System. The RBBTTAS.
It would be comprised of a set of roll down shades in the cockpit.
LOL. . .good one. . .
The white/blue diamond patch signifies "Bavaria." (Google e.g. some Oktoberfest pics - that design should be ubiquitous.) Squadrons based in other states will have corresponding state patches.
“Look at me! I have the RCS of a bus! Shoot me, shoot me!”
Why do you think they put that missile on the Eurofighter? You will also see that type of missile soon on the F-35 because radar techniques are evolving faster than stealth techniques. Just read the PDF on that page.
http://elpdefensenews.blogspot.de/2014/01/a-swing-and-miss-for-cnsa-and-f-35.html
Here is a nice video about how such a missile works:
http://youtu.be/LvHlW1h_0XQ
I’ll not defend the JSF.
F-22 is excellent 5th Gen. And it only has external carry, so no worries there.
Nice missile. Know about it.
Eurofighter is no F-18/F-15, and certainly no F-22.
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