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Germany’s Air Force chief “will likely be fired” if he “says ‘F-35’ again,” a local defense expert reports as debate about the Luftwaffe’s next-generation fighter jet grows in German military circles. The news comes amid reports that the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe) is mulling replacement options for its aging Panavia Tornado jets. The Tornado, designed and brought to service during the Cold War, fails to meet the requirements of modern warfare. Finding suitable options has, however, proved difficult. (Please see link for full article)

Belgium said on Thursday it had chosen Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth jets over the Eurofighter Typhoon to replace its aging F-16s in a 4 billion euro ($4.55 billion) deal, saying the decision came down to price. ... Belgium joins a list of other European NATO allies, including Britain, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey, to take the American-made plane, which is also set to be the U.S. military’s main fighter aircraft for decades to come. “We have landed! This government is investing heavily in defense. With the purchase of F-35A fighter planes ... we ensure your safety and that of our...

PARIS --- Just days after France and Germany signed a treaty in which they agree “to develop a common approach to arms exports with regard to joint projects,” the German government has blocked the sale of Meteor air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia. The Meteor, developed and produced by Paris-based MBDA but with German components, is not the target of a specific German veto, but rather its export to Saudi Arabia is being blocked by the German government’s embargo on all arms sales to the desert kingdom, decided in late November. An MBDA spokesman this morning would neither confirm nor deny...

BERLIN: Germany will pick either the Eurofighter or Boeing's F/A-18 fighter jet to replace its Tornado warplanes, knocking Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter out of a tender worth billions of euros, Defence Ministry sources said on Thursday (Jan 31). The ministry will make a final decision after receiving detailed information from Boeing and Airbus about the aircraft, which must be able to carry US nuclear weapons to fulfill Germany's obligations to NATO, the sources said. No timetable for a decision was given, but the process could take time since the US government will have to certify both jets to carry...

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s hardline halt to arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi may jeopardize a big UK-led Eurofighter order from Riyadh and could hit jobs at a shipyard in struggling northeastern Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been more outspoken than fellow major arms exporters the United States, Britain and France about stopping sales to Saudi Arabia until Khashoggi’s case is cleared up, a stance that a senior conservative ally said could also affect previously approved orders. Berlin is now reviewing all Saudi sales, including contracts approved in September for more patrol...

At Farnborough 2018, the Spice 250 is being displayed as an option for both the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen. Rafael’s Spice 250 electro-optical/infrared-guided glide bomb is on course to achieve initial operational capability with the Israel Air and Space Force next year, following a third test campaign earlier this year that saw the 100-km (62-mile) range weapon successfully engage moving, maritime, and time-critical targets. A few more qualification tests are due to be undertaken, with low-rate production just getting under way. At Farnborough 2018, the weapon is being displayed as an option for both the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab...

Britain could team up with Sweden to build a new fighter jet after being snubbed by France and Germany. British officials have held preliminary talks with the Swedes and the Ministry of Defence is next week expected to outline plans to start developing a warplane to replace the Typhoon. Sweden, which is in the EU, has shown interest in collaborating and would be a natural partner through its defence manufacturer Saab, according to the Financial Times. Sources stressed that the UK has spoken to several countries about the project. Japan and South Korea are also potential partners. France and Germany...

German officials have reportedly asked their American counterparts about whether it would be possible to turn the Eurofighter Typhoon into a nuclear strike aircraft. The answer to this question could have serious ramifications on Germany’s effort to replace its aging Panavia Tornado combat jets, which are certified to carry U.S. B61 nuclear bombs during a crisis as part of an inter-NATO agreement, and reinforces previous reports that the European fighter jet is the German Air Force’s preferred option. In April 2018, the German Federal Ministry of Defense sent a formal letter to U.S. officials asking about whether it would be...

BERLIN (Reuters) - The head of Eurofighter on Wednesday said he did not expect the United States to slow certification of the European fighter’s ability to carry nuclear weapons as a way to influence a competition to replace Germany’s aging 90 Tornado jets. The Eurofighter is a joint project between British defense group BAE, European airplane maker Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo. Airbus and Eurofighter on Tuesday submitted six binders of information to the German defense ministry, which has said it will prioritize a European fighter, but has also asked for information about the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet and Boeing...

Typhoons from the original Saudi batch have seen action over Yemen. (Photo: Jamie Hunter/Eurofighter) On March 9 the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) with the UK government to purchase 48 Eurofighter Typhoon swing-role fighters. Leading the sale on behalf of the Eurofighter partner companies, BAE Systems—along with the UK government—had been pursuing a follow-on Saudi buy for several years, having earlier sold 72 Typhoons to the Kingdom. For the partner companies and their suppliers throughout Europe the deal, if finalized, represents a major boost, coming on top of a Qatari order for 24 Typhoons signed...

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German Defence Ministry said on Monday that the European fighter jet was the leading candidate to replace its Tornado jets, which it wants to start phasing out in 2025. The ministry’s position appears to contradict that of the German air force, whose chief indicated last month that he preferred Lockheed Martin’s F-35, which meets the military’s requirements of stealth and long-distance operational capabilities. In a letter to a Greens lawmaker who had inquired about the deliberations, the ministry said the F-35 and Boeing’s F-15 and F-18 fighters were secondary options. “The indicated view of the inspector...

Defence group BAE Systems’ shares jumped in early trading as investors reacted to a long-awaited export sale of the company’s Typhoon jet fighters. BAE shares rose almost 3pc after a £5bn sale of 24 of jets along with a training and support package to Gulf nation Qatar was announced on Sunday afternoon. BAE, Airbus and Italy's Leonardo each have a one-third share in the Typhoon programme. The deal also threw a lifeline to BAE’s programme building the Hawk training jet - the aircraft flown by the Red Arrows - whose production line is running out of orders. Qatar’s purchase also...

BERLIN • Germany has asked the U.S. military for classified data on two Boeing fighter jets as it looks to replace its aging Tornado warplanes, giving a potential boost to the U.S. company locked in a trade dispute with Canada and Britain. A letter sent by the German defense ministry's planning division, reviewed by Reuters, said it had identified Boeing's F-15 and F/A-18E/F fighters as potential candidates to replace the Tornado jets, which entered service in 1981. Both fighters are made in St. Louis. A classified briefing is expected to take place in mid-November, following a similar briefing provided by...

On Sunday Sept. 24, 2017, an Italian Air Force Eurofighter F-2000A Typhoon (most probably MM7278/RS-23) belonging to the Reparto Sperimentale Volo (Test Wing) has crashed into the sea at Terracina, 76 kilometres south of Rome. Based on the several videos that have already emerged on social media, the pilot Capt. Gabriele Orlandi was unable to /did not recover the aircraft at the end of a looping and didn’t attempt to eject from the jet. Here below you can find a few clips that have been posted on Youtube so far. Many more are being uploaded on Twitter and Instagram as...

DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar’s defense minister has signed a letter of intent to purchase 24 Typhoon jets from British defense group BAE Systems, in a move that could anger other Gulf countries boycotting Doha. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade links with Qatar on June 5, suspending air and shipping routes with the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, which is home to the region’s biggest U.S. military base. “The letter of intent includes the ministry’s intention to purchase 24 modern Typhoon aircraft with all their equipment,” state news agency QNA reported on Sunday....

A week before the Paris air show, the head of Airbus Defence & Space's military aircraft division has called on France to participate in the development of a new airborne weapon system proposed by Germany and Spain to succeed the Eurofighter Typhoon. "I really hope that France will be involved," says Fernando Alonso, speaking to reporters on 9 June at Airbus media day. "We have to do this in Europe. There's no place to do two or three different systems." The objective of a single European fighter programme first arose 25 years ago, but Germany and France pursued different paths:...

Delays in adapting the Eurofighter jet for air-to-ground operations could make it impossible for Germany to fulfill its promise to contribute to NATO's rapid reaction force in 2018, a German government report seen by Reuters suggests. Originally developed for air-to-air combat, Airbus's Eurofighter was only later adapted for bombing, the role in which Germany had planned to use it next year in its contribution to the NATO Response Force. Any delay would be a blow to the German armed forces, which are in the middle of an investment program designed to strengthen their ability to play a larger role in...

Four RAF Typhoon pilots using the world's most advanced fighter helmet set off for Eastern Europe today as tensions with Russia mounted. Theresa May sanctioned the sending of British RAF resources to patrol the skies over the Black Sea alongside local jets to reassure Eastern European countries in the face of increased aggression from Vladimir Putin. The four Typhoons, from 3 (Fighter) Squadron will lead the deployment, which is part of the Nato southern air policing mission. Pilots are using the new £250,000 Striker II helmet, which boasts in-built digital night vision that identifies enemy targets by red and yellow...

Without new orders, EurofighterÂ’s Spanish and German Final Assembly Lines will be the first to close, in 2018, after the delivery of the final aircraft to their national customers; the British line will follow in 2019. (EF Spain) PARIS --- The four Eurofighter partners face major decisions over the next couple of years, as two of their four final assembly lines begin running out of work in 2018, and production of major components faces a two-year suspension until it resumes in 2018 for the aircraft ordered by Kuwait earlier this year. Coping with the end of production will create complex...

After twenty years in service, the Eurofighter aircraft may be temporarily or permanently withdrawn from the German market, German newspaper Die Welt wrote. The final assembly of Eurofighter jets that once were considered a prestige project is likely to be suspended in Germany at least until 2018. The main problem is the lack of contracts and the complexity of the production process. The components of the aircraft are manufactured at four plants in Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, which makes the production very complicated and expensive. "It resembles a huge puzzle: all right wings are produced in Spain, the left...