DUBAI: Eurofighter tests six appeal with Marte ER missile fit

Flightglobal.com ^ | November 09, 2015 | CRAIG HOYLE

[sukhoi-30mki]

Eurofighter has responded to demand from potential customers to add an anti-ship missile capability to the multi-role Typhoon, by conducting a fit test of a configuration with six of the weapons.

An image released by the Eurofighter consortium during the Dubai air show shows an Italian example of the twin-engined combat aircraft loaded with six MBDA Marte ER missiles.

Eurofighter

Weighing 260kg (572lb), the weapons would be carried and fired with the Typhoon maintaining a subsonic flight envelope, with the fighter also capable of carrying air-to-air missiles at the same time.

Eurofighter partner company BAE Systems has previously conducted sub-scale windtunnel tests on the Typhoon carrying three Boeing AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Other potential candidate weapons could include the RBS 15 weapon produced by Saab.

More than 450 Eurofighters have been delivered so far to the air forces of partner nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, plus export operators Austria and Saudi Arabia. The type is also on order for Oman, and was recently selected for a 28-aircraft deal yet to be finalised with Kuwait.

[DesertRhino]

There are moments when I think the defense industry creates half the strife on earth. All these pissant nations should find it impossible to buy fighter jets, tanks, warships, missiles, artillery, etc. Nobody but us, Russia, China, Australia, France and England should really have a military beyond a border patrol and coast guard.

They generally don’t have the ability to make their own weapons. The world would be a nicer place if all moslem nations were disarmed.

Flame away.

[Noumenon]

The world would be a nicer place if all moslem nations were dissolved in a bath of nuclear fire.

[butlerweave]

Dubai will stop you entering the country if they think you’re involved in Black Magic and Spells. I watched “Ultimate Airport Dubai”.

[spetznaz]

I get your point, but if only the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Australia had real fighting capability, what would stop China from rolling into Taiwan, Russia from smiting the other half of the Ukraine, or Australian from invading New Zealand (actually, the Aussies invading the Kiwis would be like a pretty young lass scarring her face).