Eurofighter Typhoon - Nothing stands in its way.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is believed to be the world's most advanced multirole fighter, with the possible exception of the F-22 Raptor.

It is entering in service these days , with ceremonies at Farnborough International Air Show (UK) 22nd – 28th July 2002

The four-nation Eurofighter Typhoon is a foreplane delta-wing, beyond-visual-range, close air fighter aircraft with surface attack capability. Eurofighter has 'supercruise' capability: it can fly at sustained speeds of over Mach 1 without the use of afterburner.

Development of the aircraft has been carried out by Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, based in Munich and wholly owned by BAE Systems of the UK, Alenia Aerospazio of Italy and the EADS Deutschland (formerly DaimlerChrysler) and EADS Spain (formerly CASA). The EJ200 engine has been developed by Eurojet GmbH, in Munich which is owned by Rolls Royce, MTU Aero Engines, Fiat Aviazione and ITP.

An overall production contract for 620 aircraft was signed in January 1998, with 232 for the UK, 180 for Germany, 121 for Italy and 87 for Spain. Initial orders have been placed for 148 aircraft: Germany (44), Italy (29), Spain (20) and the UK (55). Prime customer is the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), representing the four governments. Series production of the aircraft is underway at EADS Military Aircraft (Germany), BAE Systems, Alenia Aerospazio and EADS CASA (Spain). The first of these aircraft are planned to enter service with the four participating nations by the 2002. Final deliveries are scheduled for 2015.

Greece has also chosen to join the Eurofighter programme but has decided to delay its acquisition of 60 aircraft until after 2004.

The aircraft is constructed of carbon fire composites, glass-reinforced plastic, aluminium lithium, titanium and aluminium casting. Stealth technology features includelow frontal radar cross-section, passive sensors and supercruise ability.

The foreplane/delta configuration is intentionally aerodynamically unstable which provides a high level of agility (particularly at supersonic speeds), low drag and enhanced lift. The pilot controls the aircraft through a computerised digital fly-by-wire system which provides artificial stabilisation and gust elevation to give good control characteristics throughout the flight envelope

The pilot's control system is a voice-throttle-and-stick system (VTAS). The stick and throttle tops house 24 fingertip controls for sensor and weapon control, defence aids management, and inflight handling. The direct voice input allows the pilot to carry out mode selection and data entry procedures using voice command.

The BAE SYSTEMS helmet-mounted symbology system (HMS) and head-up display show the flight reference data, weapon aiming and cueing, and the FLIR imagery. BAE Systems TERPROM ground proximity warning system is being fitted. The cockpit has three multifunction, colour, head-down displays (MHDDs), which show the tactical situation, systems status and map displays. An international consortium EuroMIDS, which includes Data Link Solutions of the US, supplies the MIDS Low Volume Terminal provides Link 16 capability for secure transfer of data.

As well as an internally mounted 27mm Mauser gun, the EurofighterTyphoon has 13 hard points for weapon carriage: four under each wing and five under the fuselage. An armament control system (ACS) manages weapons selection and firing, and monitors weapon status.

For air-to-air combat, the standard weapon configuration is four beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAM) on semi-recessed fuselage stations, and two ASRAAM short-range air-to-air missiles on the outer pylons. A mix of up to ten medium- and short-range missiles can be carried. The UK RAF has selected MBDA (formerly Matra BAe Dynamics) Meteor for the BVRAAM requirement and Raytheon AMRAAM until Meteor enters service. AMRAAM will be fitted from 2002 and Meteor around 2010. German and Italian Eurofighters will carry the imaging infrared IRIS-T air-to-air missile being developed by BGT of Germany. RAF Eurofighters will carry the MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp EG stand-off cruise missile due to enter service by the end of 2002.

Eurofighter can carry a range of air-to-surface weapons, including Brimstone and DWS 37 anti-armour weapons (three under each wing and one under the centre fuselage) and laser-guided bombs. Avionics pods can be mounted under

The aircraft's defensive aids sub-system (DASS) is accommodated within the aircraft structure and integrated with the avionics system. DASS has been developed by the EuroDASS consortium - BAE Systems Avionics of the UK (prime contractor), Elettronica of Italy and Indra of Spain. The consortium was rejoined in October 2001 by EADS, after the German Federal Ministry of Defence contracted to re-enter the programmme. DASS provides an all-round prioritised assessment of threats with fully automatic response to single or multiple threats. DASS includes an electronic countermeasures/support measures system (ECM/ESM), front and rear missile approach warners, supersonically capable towed decoy systems, laser warning receivers and SaabTech Electronics BOL chaff and flare dispensing system. The avionics system is based on a NATO standard databus with fibre optic highways.

The aircraft is equipped with a CAPTOR (ECR 90) multi-mode X-band pulse Doppler radar, developed by the Euroradar consortium. The multi-mode radar has three processing channels. The third channel is used for jammer classification, interference blanking and sidelobe nulling. Euroradar is led by BAE SYSTEMS, with Indra of Spain, FIAR of Italy and EADS (DaimlerChrysler Aerospace) of Germany.

A Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) is mounted on the port side of the fuselage, forward of the windscreen. The FLIR operates in both 3 - 5 and 8 - 11 micron spectral bands. When used with the radar in the air-to-air role, it functions as an Infrared Search and Track system (IRST), providing passive target detection and tracking. In the air-to-surface role, the FLIR performs target acquisition and identification, as well as providing a night flying aid.

The Eurofighter is equipped with two Eurojet EJ200 engines, each delivering thrust of 90kN in full reheat and 60kN in dry power mode. Single-stage turbines drive the three-stage fan and five-stage HP compressor. The engine features: digital control; wide chord aerofoils and single crystal turbine blades; a convergent /divergent exhaust nozzle; and integrated health monitoring.

There is no comparison betweent the Raptor and the Eurofighter. They are two different generations of aircraft. The F-22 is designed to fight within the context of a larger information matrix. The individual aircraft are hooked up to a grid, allowing them to see beyond the range of their own sensors and to fight cooperatively. Raptors are low-observable, supersonically persistent aircraft equipped with supercomputers, able to destroy the enemy before he sees them. In this respect, a group of F-22s resembles a wolfpack of invisible, superfast and telepathic U-boats more than the traditional fighter aircraft.

Since the Europeans don't have a combat information grid, linked by control towers in space, within which to fight their air battle, they have opted for a good traditional aircraft. They have no alternative. A group of Eurofighters represents the latest version of the Dawn Patrol. Good, if that's what you want. A more serious problem with the Eurofighter is it's lack of attack capability. It is not a multi-role aircraft. When the British retire their Tornados, the strike load will have to be carried by the F-35 or Joint Strike Fighter, which the Royal Navy is purchasing from the USA.

All in all, the Eurofighter Typhoon is everything you would have wanted in a fighter twenty years ago.

This is the same fighter that even the MoD wants out of - it's a late third generation fighter that is 15 years behind schedule, way over budget, and basically just typically European. Doesn't even compare to an old MiG-29, or SAAB Griffen. Easily digested snack for an F-15, F-16, SU-27, SU-30, much less an F-22 which is fifth generation. Euro yawn. The military gap continues to widen at an alrming rate between the US and NATO.

I would not knock the Eurofighter that much. That is not to say i am not slightly critical of the Eurofighter ...however i still think it is a great aircraft and can still kick major @$$!

After all when you think of it we are rapidly reaching the performance canopy of manned fighters. Jets can only be so maneuvrable, not because of their stuctural airframes but because human pilots can only stomach so much Gs before blacking out (i think the standard maximum is 9 Gs, and even that can be too high for many). Thus the new direction has to be stealth, advanced electronics and superior weapons. In essence the aircraft (manned aircraft) will become flying platforms for 'uber' weaponry.

In that respect the Eurofighter performs its task. It is stealthy (although not a F-22 Raptor), has some of the most advanced avionics in the world, is fast, can supercruise, is highly maneuvrable (due to its aerodynamic instability) and most of all is capable of carrying a rich assortment of weapons that can strike enemy targets(the upcoming meteor and current AMRAAM) and positions (the standoff missiles) from a long distance away. That is key.

And think of it ....the British will most probably not be facing USAF F-22s. They will not be facing Russian Stealth MIG-Mapo 1.42 and stealth Berkuts (that is if the Russians manage to scrape up enough funds to take these excellent demonstration prototypes into mass production). They will not even be facing the French Rafale fighter or the Swedish (and South African now) Gripen Multi-role fighter. These are not the targets for the Typhoon Eurofighter (unless the current world setup undergoes huge upheavals in the coming decades).

Its targets are ancient Soviet era aircraft owned by countries like Iraq and other rogue nations. Or modern aircraft like the Mig-29s owned by Iraq, but lacking advanced combat suites (most of the planes sold by Russia to foreign nations, apart from India it seems, have been 'dumbed' down with lessened capabilities .....which is the same thing we do to foreign nations we sell jets to, with the exception of Israel obviously. For example the F-16s we sold to Pakistan some years ago are so 'dumbed' down they can only fire infra-red Aim-9 SideWinders and have no BVR capability). Thus the Typhoon is way advanced for any threat it should encounter under 'orthodox' circumstances.

And it is not such an easy 'snack' for 'F-15s, F-16s, SU-27s' etc. I think it would give an F-15 C a fight worth watching ...and probably even win (unless it is one of those 'souped up' Israeli F-15s). As for the Sukhoi i would also put my money on the Typhoon to win, especially if the Flanker is foreign (that is not flown by a Russian pilot but by a Chinese). The reason i say this is that the Chinese have been crashing Flankers like crazy, meaning unlike their Russian counterparts chinese pilots are best at converting advanced jet fighters (like the Flanker) into lawn darts! However if it was a RUSSIAN FLOWN Su-37 Super-Flanker/Terminator then i would bet on both sides since it would be 50/50, but again the Su-37 Terminator is not in mass production but a demonstration fighter. If it was against the Russian stealth Mig-Mapo 1.42 or the Stealth Berkut fighters i would say they would probably shoot the Eurofighter long before it knew what hit it ...but again these aircraft are not under mass production ( i think there are like 3 of each). When it comes to the USAF/USN Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) it would probably depend on pilot skill. As for the USAF F-22 i would obviously put my money on the Raptor ...it is more advanced, and i would say more advanced by a considerable margin. But that does not implicitly make the Typhoon inferior. Not by a long shot.

However if i had the powers of a genie i would pit a Eurofighter Typhoon in a pitched 3-way battle with a French Rafale and a Swedish Grippen and see which would come out on top. Obviously all three would have pilots that could maximize the performance envelops of their respective aircraft. The reason for this is that they all seem to be more or less the same (with some sporadic differences here and there).

Actually take a look at their respective pictures. The first pic is of a Eurofighter Typhoon; the second is of a Swedish Grippen; and the third is the French Rafale fighter.

Typhoon:

Grippen:

Rafale:

To me they look a little too similar (although there are several observable differences they still look very similar).

However in my book the big boys are as follows:

The USAF f-22 Raptor:

And the Russian Berkut (which sadly ..or maybe luckily ....is not in mass production):

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