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Typhoon Development Aircraft IPA6
Currently in service with the Royal Air Force and air forces of Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria, Typhoon's unrivalled combat capability coupled with improved situation awareness, high survivability and the most advanced array of integrated sensors makes Typhoon a total solution for the modern airforce.
To date (June 08) 146 aircraft (including 7 Instrumented Production Aircraft) have been delivered including 7 aircraft to Austria.
The Aircraft
Typhoon is an excellent example of leading edge technology that delivers real air power capability and will be the cornerstone of NATO's defence capability for the next four decades; it will replace 11 different aircraft types currently in operation in European air forces.
Typhoon's swing-role capability provides the widest possible range of Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface mission profiles and will deliver unparalleled operational capability balanced by credible and defined low cost support and cost of ownership.
Typhoon's flexibility and adaptability gives air forces the capability to deliver rapid and precise campaign effects deployable across the full spectrum of air operations, from air policing, to peace support, through to high intensity conflict.
Capability
Initial production aircraft will be deployed primarily as air-superiority fighters. UK aircraft will be equipped with the long-range Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), the UK-developed Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) and various air-to-ground weapons. Later variants will be equipped with a potent precision ground-attack capability which will have the capacity to be upgraded to deliver further enhanced ground-attack capability and the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM).
Technical Data/Performance
- Engines: 2 Eurojet EJ200 turbojets
- Thrust: 20,000lbs
- Max speed: 2 Mach
- Length: 15.96m
- Max altitude: 65,000ft
- Span: 11.09m
- Aircrew: 1
Industrial Partnership
The Eurofighter Typhoon has been developed by four of the world's leading aerospace companies; BAE Systems, EADS-Military Aircraft (Germany), Alenia Aerospazio of Italy and EADS-CASA (Spain) The overall production contract includes over 400 industrial partners and 100,000 dedicated employees Each of the European Partner Companies (EPCs) has responsibility for different elements of the aircraft build with production work-shares corresponding to the number of aircraft ordered by each nation:
| No required | Work share | Company |
| 232 for the UK | 37% | BAE Systems |
| 180 for Germany | 30% | EADS-Military Aircraft |
| 121 for Italy | 19% | Alenia |
| 87 for Spain | 14% | EADS-CASA |
BAE Systems employs around 3,000 personnel on the Typhoon programme across 3 main sites.
BAE Systems site at Samlesbury, Lancashire has responsibility for:
- Manufacture of components including: centre fuse frames, wing-to fuselage brackets and fore planes
- Assembly of fully equipped front fuselages including windscreen and canopy
- Assembly of Stage 1 rear fuselage (shipped to Alenia (Italy) for completion)
- Assembly of fin and rudder
- Assembly of centre fuse spine fuel tank
- Electrical assemblies
- Carbon Fibre composite components and skins
Through-Life Support
A key element of BAE Systems role is to work in partnership with the Royal Air Force to provide through-life support for Typhoon aircraft in-service.
Its Military Air Solutions business seeks to meet their military partner's needs to create new military capabilities, to deliver effective systems into service and then to support and keep the systems current throughout their service lives.
Future Contracts
Austria is Typhoon's first export customer with an order for 15 aircraft.
In August 2006, the Governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced that they had agreed the required commercial principles which will effectively initiate the purchase of Typhoon aircraft and the associated commitment to the industrial plan to be launched.
BAE Systems will be in the lead in this plan however, the details of these arrangements are confidential between the two Governments.
Typhoon is currently actively being promoted in a number of other markets including Greece, Switzerland, India, Turkey and Japan.
