The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, beyond-visual-range, close air fighter aircraft with surface attack capability, designed and built by a consortium of four aviation companies: EADS Deutschland (formerly DaimlerChrysler), Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, BAE Systems of the UK and EADS Spain (formerly CASA); working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH. Eurofighter has 'supercruise' capability: it can fly at sustained speeds of over Mach 1 without the use of afterburner.The project is managed by the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, which also acts as the prime customer.
Eurofighter Typhoon has propelled European manufacturing, engineering and technology to the forefront of international capabilities and has ensured the continued independence of European aerospace. The consortium prides itself on the ability to effectively work along International partners, evident in the strong relationships it holds with its export customers Austria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The industrial benefits gained by each investing nation goes beyond that of initial. The Eurofighter Typhhon is used actually by Austria, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain and United Kingdom. The Eurofighter Typhoon can undertake all the following missions and roles, as air superiority and airspace policing, Air-to-Surface (including air interdiction, close air support, maritime attack, suppression and destruction of enemy Air Defences) and reconnaissance. Due to the flexibility of the design, future missions and rolescan be readily accommodated. This flexibility is based on advanced avionics, sensors and weapon integration techniques that are unique to this aircraft. Eurofighter Typhoon is a genuine swing-role aircraft, with the ability to carry out several roles during a mission, shifting between Air-to- Surface and Air-to-Air roles. One aircraft for all missions reducing costs, increasing effectiveness and enhancing interoperability with allied Air Forces.
The aircraft will remain in service until 2040.
Development
Origins
The UK had identified a requirement for a new fighter as early as 1971. The AST 403 specification, issued by the Air staff in 1972, resulted in the P.96 conventional "tailed" design, which was presented in the late 1970s. While the design would have met the Air Staff's requirements, the UK air industry had reservations as it appeared to be very similar to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, which was then well advanced in its development. The P.96 design had little potential for future growth, and when it entered production it would secure few exports in a market in which the Hornet would be well established. However, the simultaneous West German requirement for a new fighter had led by 1979 to the development of the TKF-90 concept. This was a cranked delta wing design with forward close-coupled-canard controls and artificial stability. Although the British Aerospace designers rejected some of its advanced features such as engine vectoring nozzles and vented trailing edge controls, a form of boundary layer control, they agreed with the overall configuration.
In 1979, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) and British Aerospace (BAe) presented a formal proposal to their respective governments for the ECF, the European Collaborative Fighter or European Combat Fighter. In October 1979 Dassault joined the ECF team for a tri-national study, which became known as the European Combat Aircraft. It was at this stage of development that the Eurofighter name was first attached to the aircraft. The development of different national prototypes continued. France produced the ACX. The UK produced two designs; the P.106 was a single-engined "lightweight" fighter, superficially resembling the JAS 39 Gripen, the P.110 was a twin-engined fighter. The P.106 concept was rejected by the RAF, on the grounds that it had "half the effectiveness of the two-engined aircraft at two-thirds of the cost". West Germany continued to refine the TKF-90 concept. The ECA project collapsed in 1981 for several reasons including differing requirements, Dassault's insistence on "design leadership" and the British preference for a new version of the RB199 to power the aircraft versus the French preference for the new Snecma M88.
Consequently, the Panavia partners (MBB, BAe and Aeritalia) launched the Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) programme in April 1982. The ACA was very similar to the BAe P.110, having a cranked delta wing, canards and a twin tail. One major external difference was the replacement of the side-mounted engine intakes with a chin intake. The ACA was to be powered by a modified version of the RB199. The German and Italian governments withdrew funding, and the UK Ministry of Defence agreed to fund 50% of the cost with the remaining 50% to be provided by industry. MBB and Aeritalia signed up with the aim of producing two aircraft, one at Warton and one by MBB. In May 1983, BAe announced a contract with the MoD for the development and production of an ACA demonstrator, the Experimental Aircraft Programme.
In 1983, Italy, Germany, France, the UK and Spain launched the "Future European Fighter Aircraft" (FEFA) programme. The aircraft was to have short take off and landing (STOL) and beyond visual range (BVR) capabilities. In 1984 France reiterated its requirement for a carrier-capable version and demanded a leading role. Italy, West Germany and the UK opted out and established a new EFA programme. In Turin on 2 August 1985, West Germany, the UK and Italy agreed to go ahead with the Eurofighter; and confirmed that France, along with Spain, had chosen not to proceed as a member of the project. Despite pressure from France, Spain rejoined the Eurofighter project in early September 1985. France officially withdrew from the project to pursue its own ACX project, which was to become the Dassault Rafale.
By 1986 the cost of the programme had reached £180 million. When the EAP programme had started, the cost was supposed to be equally shared by both government and industry, but the West German and Italian governments wavered on the agreement and the three main industrial partners had to provide £100 million to keep the programme from ending. In April 1986, the BAe EAP was rolled out at BAe Warton, by this time also partially funded by MBB, BAe and Aeritalia. The EAP first flew on 6 August 1986. The Eurofighter bears a strong resemblance to the EAP. Design work continued over the next five years using data from the EAP. Initial requirements were: UK: 250 aircraft, Germany: 250, Italy: 165 and Spain: 100. The share of the production work was divided among the countries in proportion to their projected procurement – DASA (33%), British Aerospace (33%), Aeritalia (21%), and Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) (13%).
The Munich-based Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH was established in 1986 to manage development of the project[24] and EuroJet Turbo GmbH, the alliance of Rolls-Royce, MTU Aero Engines, FiatAvio (now Avio) and ITP for development of the EJ200. The aircraft was known as Eurofighter EFA from the late 1980s until it was renamed EF 2000 in 1992.
By 1990, the selection of the aircraft's radar had become a major stumbling-block. The UK, Italy and Spain supported the Ferranti Defence Systems-led ECR-90, while Germany preferred the APG-65 based MSD2000 (a collaboration between Hughes, AEG and GEC-Marconi). An agreement was reached after UK Defence Secretary Tom King assured his West German counterpart Gerhard Stoltenberg that the British government would approve the project and allow the GEC subsidiary Marconi Electronic Systems to acquire Ferranti Defence Systems from its parent, the Ferranti Group, which was in financial and legal difficulties. GEC thus withdrew its support for the MSD2000.
Testing
The maiden flight of the Eurofighter prototype took place in Bavaria on 27 March 1994, flown by DASA chief test pilot Peter Weger. On 9 December 2004, Eurofighter Typhoon IPA4 began three months of Cold Environmental Trials (CET) at the Vidsel Air Base in Sweden, the purpose of which was to verify the operational behaviour of the aircraft and its systems in temperatures between −25 and 31 °C. The maiden flight of Instrumented Production Aircraft 7 (IPA7), the first fully equipped Tranche 2 aircraft, took place from EADS' Manching airfield on 16 January 2008.
Tranche 2 Eurofighter production
The four participating nations signed the contract for tranche 2 production in December 2004 for €14m. Tranche 2 comprises 236 aircraft – Germany 75, Italy 48, Spain 35 and UK 93, increased from 236 to 251 as 15 tranche 1 aircraft were designated for Austria. First flight of the tranche 2 aircraft was in January 2008. Type acceptance for tranche 2 was received in September 2008 and deliveries began to the UK in October, Italy in November, and Spain in December 2008.
The contract for tranche 2 phase 1 enhancement (P1E) was placed in March 2007. This includes the integration of Raytheon Paveway IV 500lb and Enhanced Paveway EGBU-16 1,000lb guided bombs and a new laser designator pod.
Greece also selected the Eurofighter but a change of government led to a cancellation of the procurement of 60 aircraft.
Austria signed a contract for 18 Eurofighter aircraft in August 2003. The order was reduced to 15 aircraft in June 2007. The first two aircraft were delivered in 2007 with the total deliveries under tranche 1 concluding in September 2009.
In December 2005, it was announced that the Eurofighter Typhoon has been selected by Saudi Arabia. In September 2007, the government of Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with the UK Ministry of Defence for the purchase of 72 aircraft, under a defence cooperation programme called Project Salaam. 24 aircraft will be tranche 2 Typhoons previously destined for the UK RAF. The first of these was delivered in June 2009. The remaining 48 aircraft will be assembled in Saudi Arabia and delivered from 2011.
In July 2006, a contract was signed for the software integration of the Lightening targeting pod and Enhanced Paveway II bombs for RAF Typhoons.
Tranche 3 Eurofighter production
A €9bn contract for tranche 3 production was signed in July 2009 at Eurofighter's Munich office. Under the tranche 3 production, 212 aircraft will be delivered between 2012 and 2017. Two export contracts from Austria (in 2003) and Saudi Arabia (in 2007) were already secured. The campaigns taken up by the Eurofighter partner companies are under progress in Switzerland, India, Japan, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria and Croatia.
In May 2009, the UK confirmed its final draft contract for participating along with the other three nations of the Eurofighter consortium for tranche 3 production.
Eurofighter Typhoon design
The aircraft is constructed of carbon-fibre composites, glass-reinforced plastic, aluminium lithium, titanium and aluminium casting. Stealth technology features include low 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 quadruplex fly-by-wire flight control system has an automatic low-speed recovery system (ALSR) which provides the pilot with visual and audio low speed warning and will, if necessary, automatically take control of the aircraft and return to safe flight.
The BAE Systems striker 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 (MHDD) which show the tactical situation, systems status and EADS digital 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.
Raytheon Systems Ltd is supplying anti-jam global positioning systems (GPS) for tranche 2.
Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract in August 2010 for inertial measurement units (IMU) to be installed in tranche 3A. The IMU will be fitted with inertial sensors and built-in redundancy. It was built as part of the aircraft's flight control system.
Airframe and avionics
The Typhoon is a highly agile aircraft at both supersonic and low speeds, achieved through having an intentionally relaxed stability design. It has a quadruplex digital fly-by-wire control system providing artificial stability, as manual operation alone could not compensate for the inherent instability. The fly-by-wire system is described as "carefree", and prevents the pilot from exceeding the permitted manoeuvre envelope. Roll control is primarily achieved by use of the wing flaperons. Pitch control is by operation of the foreplanes and flaperons, the yaw control is by rudder. Control surfaces are moved through two independent hydraulic systems, which also supply various other items, such as the canopy, brakes and undercarriage; powered by a 4,000 psi engine-driven gearbox. Engines are fed by a chin double intake ramp situated below a splitter plate.
Navigation is via both GPS and an inertial navigation system. The Typhoon can use Instrument Landing System (ILS) for landing in poor weather. The aircraft also features an enhanced ground proximity warning system (GPWS) based on the TERPROM Terrain Referenced Navigation (TRN) system used by the Panavia Tornado. The Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) provides a Link 16 data link.
The aircraft employs a sophisticated and highly integrated Defensive Aids Sub-System named Praetorian (formerly called EuroDASS). Praetorian monitors and responds automatically to air and surface threats, provides an all-round prioritised assessment, and can respond to multiple threats simultaneously. Threat detection methods include a Radar warning receiver (RWR), a Missile Warning System (MWS) and a laser warning receiver (LWR, only on UK Typhoons). Protective countermeasures consist of chaff, flares, an electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite and a towed radar decoy (TRD). The ESM-ECM and MWS consists of 16 AESA antenna array assemblies and 10 radomes.
The Typhoon features lightweight construction (82% composites consisting of 70% carbon fibre composite materials and 12% glass fibre reinforced composites)[80] with an estimated lifespan of 6,000 flying hours. The permitted lifespan, as opposed to the estimated lifespan, was 3,000 hours.
The Selex ES jammer known as BriteCloud is expected to provide an off-board capability to decoy radar guided missiles and fire-control radars, producing large miss distance and angle break lock. Such capability is provided by self-contained coherent technique generation processing and high-power batteries that allow at least ten seconds of life after firing activation, in addition to rapid response capabilities. Dispensed in the initial format from standard 55 mm flare cartridge, BriteCloud is to equip at least three main platforms – Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen and Panavia Tornado.
Sensors
The aircraft is equipped with a CAPTOR (ECR 90) multimode X-band pulse Doppler radar, developed by the Euroradar consortium. The multimode radar has three processing channels. The third channel is used for jammer classification, interference blanking and sidelobe nulling. Euroradar is led by Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems, with Indra of Spain, FIAR of Italy and EADS Defence Electronics of Germany.
In May 2007, an active electronically scanning array (AESA) version of CAPTOR, developed by Euroradar, was successfully test-flown on a Eurofighter. The radar is called CAESAR (CAPTOR AESA).
The PIRATE (passive infrared airborne track equipment) is mounted on the port side of the fuselage, forward of the windscreen. PIRATE has been developed by the EUROFIRST consortium which comprises Galileo Avionica (FIAR) of Italy (lead contractor), Thales Optronics of the UK (system technical authority) and Tecnobit of Spain.
PIRATE operates in both 3-5 and 8-11 micron spectral bands. When used with the radar in an air-to-air role, it functions as an infrared search and track system (IRST), providing passive target detection and tracking.
In an air-to-surface role, it performs multiple target acquisition and identification, as well as providing a navigation and landing aid. PIRATE provides a steerable image to the pilot's helmet-mounted display.
In September 2005, Ultra Electronics was contracted to supply the Rafael Litening EF laser targeting pod for UK RAF Typhoons. German AF aircraft are also being equipped with the Litening pod.
Attack and Identification System
Traditionally each sensor in an aircraft is treated as a discrete source of information; however this can result in conflicting data and limits the scope for the automation of systems, hence increasing pilot workload. To overcome this, the Typhoon employs what are now known as sensor fusion techniques (in a similar fashion to the U.S. F-22 Raptor).
In the Typhoon fusion of all data sources is achieved through the Attack and Identification System, or AIS. The AIS combines data from the major on-board sensors along with any information obtained from off-board platforms such as AWACS, ASTOR, and Eurofighter own Multi-function Information Distribution System (MIDS). Additionally the AIS integrates all the other major offensive and defensive systems such as the DASS, Navigation, ACS and Communications. The AIS physically comprises two essentially separate units: the Avionic Computer (AC) and the Navigation Computer (NC), linked via the STANAG-3910 databus to the other major systems such as the ACS, ECR-90/CAPTOR, PIRATE, etc. Both the AC and NC are identical in design, being a modular unit based on Motorola 68020 CPU's with 68882 Maths co-processors, as well as several custom RISC-based processors utilised to accelerate floating point and matrix operations.
By having a single source of information, pilot workload should be reduced by removing the possibility of conflicting data and the need for cross-checking, improving situational awareness and increasing systems automation. In practice the AIS should allow the Eurofighter to identify targets at distances in excess of 150 nm and acquire and auto-prioritise them at over 100 nm. In addition the AIS offers the ability to automatically control emissions from the aircraft, so called EMCON (from EMissions CONtrol). This should aid in limiting the detectability of the Typhoon by opposing aircraft further reducing pilot workload.
Armament
The Typhoon is a multi-role fighter with maturing air-to-ground capabilities. The initial absence of air-to-ground capability is believed to have been a factor in the type's rejection from Singapore's fighter competition in 2005. At the time it was claimed that Singapore was concerned about the delivery timescale and the ability of the Eurofighter partner nations to fund the required capability packages. Tranche 1 aircraft could drop laser-guided bombs in conjunction with third-party designators but the anticipated deployment of Typhoon to Afghanistan meant that the UK required self-contained bombing capabilities before the other partners. On 20 July 2006, a £73m deal was signed for Change Proposal 193 (CP193) to give an "austere" air-to-surface capability using GBU-16 Paveway II and Rafael/Ultra Electronics Litening III laser designator for the RAF Tranche 1 Block 5 aircraft. Aircraft with this upgrade were designated Typhoon FGR4 by the RAF.
Similar capability was added to Tranche 2 aircraft on the main development pathway as part of the Phase 1 Enhancements. P1Ea (SRP10) entered service in 2013 Q1 and added the use of Paveway IV, EGBU16 and the cannon against surface targets. P1Eb (SRP12) added full integration with GPS bombs such as GBU-10 Paveway II, GBU-16 Paveway II, Paveway IV and a new real-time operating system that allows multiple targets to be attacked in a single run. This new system will form the basis for future weapons integration by individual countries under the Phase 2 Enhancements. A definite schedule has not yet been agreed, but will likely see the Storm Shadow and KEPD 350 (Taurus) cruise missiles integrated in 2015, followed by Brimstone anti-tank missiles. An anti-shipping capability is required by 2017, and such a capability is also important for potential export customers such as India; Eurofighter is studying integrating the Boeing Harpoon or MBDA Marte or Sea Brimstone missiles onto the Typhoon for a maritime attack capability. The Typhoon can accommodate two RBS-15 or three Marte-ERP under each wing but neither has been integrated yet.
In addition to the missile armament options, the Typhoon also carries a specially developed variant of the Mauser BK-27 27mm cannon armament that was developed originally for the Panavia Tornado. This is a single-barrel, electrically-fired, gas-operated revolver cannon with a new linkless feed system, capable of firing up to 1700 rounds per minute. There was a proposal on cost grounds in 1999 to limit this gun-armament fit to the first 53 batch-1 aircraft destined for the RAF, only on the basis that the guns would be used as ballast and not used operationally, but this decision was reversed in 2006.
Propulsion
Eurofighter Typhoon is equipped with 2 EUROJET EJ200 engines to increase safety in peacetime and redundancy in war. The high reliability and subsequent availability ensure low operational costs and high safety.
The EJ200 has been designed with inherent growth potential up to 15%. Enhancements in the compression system and latest innovations in core engine technology could deliver up to 30% increased power. This performance improvement may also be traded for life cycle cost improvements, maintaining current thrust levels. This flexibility is enabled by the advanced digital engine control and monitoring unit (DECMU), fully exploiting the advantages of the enhanced engine in line with operational requirements.
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Specifications
Data from RAF Typhoon data, Air Forces Monthly, Superfighters, and Brassey's Modern Fighters
General characteristics
Crew: 1 (operational aircraft) or 2 (training aircraft)
Length: 15.96 m (52.4 ft)
Wingspan: 10.95 m (35.9 ft)
Height: 5.28 m (17.3 ft)
Wing area: 51.2 m² (551 sq ft)
Empty weight: 11,000 kg (24,250 lb)
Loaded weight: 16,000 kg (35,270 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 23,500 kg (51,800 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofan
Dry thrust: 60 kN (13,490 lbf) each
Thrust with afterburner: >90 kN (20,230 lbf) each
Fuel capacity: 5,000 kg (11,020 lb) internal
Performance
Maximum speed:
At altitude: Mach 2 class (2,495 km/h or 1,550 mph)
At sea level: Mach 1.25 (1,470 km/h or 910 mph)
Supercruise: Mach 1.5
Range: 2,900 km (1,800 mi)
Combat radius:
(with 3 external 1,000 l tanks)
Ground attack, lo-lo-lo: 601 km (325 nmi)
Ground attack, hi-lo-hi: 1,389 km (750 nmi)
Air defence with 3-hr combat air patrol: 185 km (100 nmi)
Air defence with 10-min. loiter: 1,389 km (750 nmi)
Ferry range: >3,790 km (2,350 mi with 3 drop tanks)
Service ceiling: 19,812 m (65,000 ft
Rate of climb: >315 m/s (62,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 312 kg/m² (63.9 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 1.15 (interceptor configuration)
Maximum g-load: +9/−3 g
Brakes-off to Take-off acceleration: <8 sec
Brakes-off to supersonic acceleration: <30 s
Brakes-off to Mach 1.6 at 11,000 m (36,000 ft): <150 s
Guns: 1 × 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 150 rounds
Hardpoints: Total of 13: 8 × under-wing; and 5 × under-fuselage pylon stations; holding up to 7,500 kg (16,500 lb) of payload
Typical multi-role configuration for a Tranche 2-P1E would be 4×AMRAAM, 2×ASRAAM/IRIS-T, 4×EGBU-16/Paveway-IV, 2×1000-litre supersonic fuel tanks and a targeting pod.
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
AIM-120 AMRAAM (AIM-120C-5/7 planned for P2E)
AIM-132 ASRAAM
AIM-9 Sidewinder
IRIS-T
MBDA Meteor
Air-to-surface missiles:
AGM-65 Maverick,
AGM-88 HARM,
Brimstone
Taurus KEPD 350
Storm Shadow/Scalp EG
SPEAR
Bombs:
Paveway II/III/Enhanced Paveway series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs)
500lb Paveway IV
Small Diameter Bomb (planned for P2E)
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), in the future
HOPE/HOSBO, in the future
Others:
Flares/infrared decoys dispenser pod
chaff pods
Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pods
Damocles (targeting pod)
LITENING III laser targeting pod
Up to 3 drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time