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Air Power |
Eurofighter is a single-seat, twin-engine, agile combat aircraft which will be used in the air-to-air, air-to-ground and tactical reconnaissance roles. The design of Eurofighter Typhoon is optimised for air dominance performance with high instantaneous and sustained turn rates, and specific excess power. Special emphasis has been placed on low wing loading, high thrust to weight ratio, excellent all round vision and carefree handling. The use of Stealth technology is incorporated throughout the aircraft’s basic design.
In September 1998 the Eurofighter was also designated the Typhoon, though this nomenclature is intended only for use in export markets outside Europe. Eurofighter remains the offical name in Europe, and Typhoon will not automatically be the EF2000s name with the four partner air forces when it enters service.
Eurofighter's air dominance supremacy and versatility as a multi-role combat aircraft is marked by its highly potent and comprehensive air-to-surface attack capability:
- Air Interdiction - capable of delivering a large payload over long distances, by day or night. Multiple, flexible sensors coupled with passive modes of delivery, and the retention of a full air-to-air fit ensure a formidable weapon system
- Close Air Support - ability to remain on task for long periods. Its sophisticated sensor suite allows close co-ordination with ground commanders, and the identification of individual targets
- Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) - the combination of pinpoint navigational accuracy, highly sophisticated onboard sensors and dedicated 'fire and forget' weapons, ensure effective targeting of enemy air defences
- Maritime Attack - dedicated radar modes and datalink enable Eurofighter Typhoon to operate autonomously, or as part of an offensive force
- Eurofighter’s high performance is matched by excellent all round vision and by sophisticated attack, identification and defence systems which include the ECR 90 long range radar and Infra Red Search and Track (IRST) system, advanced medium and short range air-to-air missiles and a comprehensive electronic warfare suite to enhance weapon system effectiveness and survivability. Eurofighter Typhoon is intentionally aerodynamically unstable to provide extremely high levels of agility, reduced drag and enhanced lift. The unstable design cannot be flown by conventional means and the pilot controls the aircraft via a computerised ‘fly by wire’ system.
The Eurojet EJ200 military turbofan was designed specifically to match Eurofighter Typhoon’s mission requirements. The overall design ensures a small lightweight engine with the thrust and strength to match the typically on demand reheat temperatures generated during combat. The EJ200 engine combines high thrust with low fuel consumption. To reduce ownership cost over Eurofighter Typhoon’s in-service life of 25 years or 6,000 flying hours, and to ensure maximum availability, the important areas of Reliability, Maintainability and Testability have been given equal priority to performance and flight safety.
Since Eurofighter first flew in Germany on 27 March 1994 all seven development aircraft have flown. Aircraft in the flight test program have completed over 790 sorties (658 hours). Full carefree handling and a speed of Mach 2.0 have been achieved as have air to air refuelling and weapons firings of Sidewinder and AMRAAM. Pilots have described the aircraft as 'exhilarating' to fly.
Eurofighter production will make use of several innovations in production engineering. These include the use of a modern integrated design, manufacturing and management systems and the introduction of automated processes for the production of a number of aircraft components.
Production contract for the first batch of 148 aircraft were placed by the Eurofighter management agency NETMA (NATO Eurofighter 2000 and Tornado Management Agency) on behalf of the partner nations. Fixed prices were agreed prior to the commitment of each contract. The contracts were signed by NETMA, Eurofighter GmbH and Eurojet GmbH.
Germany plans to assemble 180 Eurofighters of the 620 that consortium members are to buy. Britain is to take 232, Italy 121 and Spain 87. British Eurofighter aircraft will be assembled at British Aerospace sites in Lancashire from components manufactured by companies in the four partner nations. Rolls Royce will manufacture the engines, mainly in Bristol and Derby. In the other nations the respective partner companies will have their own assembly lines in Munich, Turin and Madrid. Some 200 UK companies, including GEC Marconi, Dowty, Lucas, Martin Baker, Normalair Garrett, Pilkington Thorn Optics, Smiths Industries, Computing Devices and Ultra Electronics, are involved in the development of a range of equipments for Eurofighter, including the radar and defensive aids subsystem. In the UK, over 6000 jobs depend on the Eurofighter development phase and this is expected to rise to some 14000 at the peak of production.
The UK intends to procure 232 aircraft to replace the Tornado F3 and the Jaguar. Deliveries to the Royal Air Force began in June 2002 and are scheduled to run until the year 2014. The current estimated total procurement cost of the program to the UK is £15.9Bn.
As of August 1995 delivery of the first aircraft to the Royal Air Force was scheduled for December 2000, some three years later than planned at the start of the development phase. The roots of much of the cost escalation and re-scheduling can be traced to the collaborative commercial and managerial arrangements for the program rather than to major technical difficulties. In particular, the requirement for worksharing at all levels between the partner nations has, in some cases, resulted in work being placed with specially created industrial consortia with variable levels of technical expertise. Compared to the original 1988 estimate the cost to the United Kingdom of the development phase had risen by some 23 per cent.
The commercial arrangements put in place in 1988 were seen as a step forward on previous practice for collaborative projects and were thought to deal pragmatically with the complexities of a development program stretching over 10 years. However, in practice they did not encourage efficient performance by industry and left nations exposed to a higher degree of commercial risk than expected. These shortcomings have been addressed as part of the "re-orientation" of the development program which the partner nations formally agreed at the end of July 1995. This permited the placing of revised main development contracts which will reduce nations exposure to cost increases and provide significantly greater incentive on industry to manage the project efficiently.
The managerial arrangements were modelled upon those for the tri-national Tornado program and were thought at the time to be appropriate for such a complex project. In practice they have proved somewhat cumbersome and bureaucratic. Steps are being taken to rectify this. The industrial management of the program improved, while the government management arrangements are being overhauled as part of the merger in 1996 of the international management agencies for Eurofighter 2000 and Tornado. Overall, these improvements, taken together with the revised commercial arrangements, placed the program on a much firmer footing.
Political and financial uncertainties, although difficult to quantify, have also played a part in the rescheduling of the reorientated program.
In July 2002 the Austrian government selected the European-built Eurofighter Typhoon to replace its aging fleet of jet fighters. The contract could be worth up to $1.76 billion if Austria opted for the full order of 24 planes. The order was the first confirmed export for the Eurofighter, which had 620 orders from the countries that are building it. Cutting costs after the destructive August 2002 floods in Europe, Austria lowered its Typhoon order to 18 planes instead of 24. Greece has put off till after 2004 an announced plan to buy at least 60 Typhoons.
The consortium also is trying to sell Typhoons to Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. The Netherlands and Norway have signed up as partners on the F-35 JSF and Australia is expected to do so. Unlike the F-35, the Typhoon is not a "stealth" aircraft, but the Eurofighter's radar cross-section is significantly below the F-16.
One disadvantage in the Typhoon's $58 million price. It is more expensive than the $30 million F-16, while the F-35 is expected to cost on average about $50 million when it comes into production. Eurofighter originally planned to bring the Typhoon to the market in the mid-1990s, a decade before the next-generation US fighter would be ready. But budget cuts, technical problems and disagreements among the four Eurofighter partners led to a delay of seven or eight years.
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Multi-nation comglomerates
Primary Role: Multi-role fighter/interdictor aircraft
Crew: One
Powerplant: 2 - EJ200 Turbofan Engines / 20,000 lbf (90 kN) each with Afterburner / 13,500 lbf (60 kN) each without Afterburner
Dimensions:
Length: 14.96m
Height: 5.28m
Wing Span: 10.95m
Empty Weight: 9750 kg (approx)
Internal Fuel Load: 4000 kg (approx)
External Store Load: 6500 kg (approx)
Max Takeoff Weight: 21000 kg
Performance :
Maximum Speed: 2125 km/hr
Climb rate: Time to 10670m 2.5 minutes
Runway Requirement: 700m
G Limits: +9/-3 with internal fuel and two AIM-120
Armaments:
Internally mounted 27mm Mauser gun
Total of 13 external stores stations: 5 (incl one wet) under fuselage
4 (incl one wet) under each wing
Mix of Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles (BVRAAM) and Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (SRAAM) carried externally
Four BVRAAM under fuselage in semi-conformal carriage configuration
Laser guided bombs
Advanced anti-armour weapons
Conventionally armed stand-off missiles
All photos Copyright of Global Security.Org
