After years of talk, it's good to see the enhancements get real money.
--------------------------
Eurofighter upgrade gets green light
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
04/03/2007, page 06
Douglas Barrie & Robert Wall
After prolonged negotiations, the four Eurofighter countries and industrial consortium have agreed on a $1.6 billion upgrade package to introduce new capabilities to the Typhoon strike fighter.
The so-called Phase 1 Enhancements chiefly bolster the Eurofighter Typhoon's air-to-ground weapons delivery capability. The primary additions to its arsenal come through the planned integration of Raytheon Paveway IV and the EGBU-16 laser/Global Positioning System-guided bombs, as well as a laser-designator pod capability.
Eurofighter CEO Aloysius Rauen says the project, now supported by the U.K., Germany, Spain and Italy, "will mainly focus on air-to-surface capabilities and communication improvements."
U.K. Defense Minister Paul Drayson notes that "this contract marks a significant milestone for Typhoon. The multirole capability it provides is key to the Royal Air Force meeting the demands and challenges it will face in the twenty-first century."
Still negotiating
The upgrade program is supposed to be fielded around 2011-2012 on so-called Tranche 2 aircraft, according to industry officials. But the U.K. will get its laser designator pod capability early, having embarked on a fast-track program to have that feature available next year. The U.K. has opted for the Rafael Litening III pod.
Other weapons capabilities also will be provided for, such as accommodating newer versions of the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile). Also, full-digital integration of the MBDA IRIS-T dogfight missile being used by Germany, Italy and Spain is planned.
Industry and government officials still are negotiating the terms for integration on the fighter of the MBDA Meteor ramjet-powered beyond visual range air-to-air missile.
Also being upgraded under the enhancement program is the pilot-aircraft interface, to ease operations in the dual air-to-air and air-to-ground modes. Upgrades to the Link-16 Multifunction Information Distribution System are a central element of that change.
The Eurofighter consortium also announced that its Spanish partner has delivered the first Spanish air force Block 5 aircraft, SS011, which is the latest version of a Tranche 1 Typhoon.
- Douglas Barrie (barrie@aviationweek.com) and - Robert Wall (wall@aviationweek.com)
--------------------------
Eurofighter upgrade gets green light
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
04/03/2007, page 06
Douglas Barrie & Robert Wall
After prolonged negotiations, the four Eurofighter countries and industrial consortium have agreed on a $1.6 billion upgrade package to introduce new capabilities to the Typhoon strike fighter.
The so-called Phase 1 Enhancements chiefly bolster the Eurofighter Typhoon's air-to-ground weapons delivery capability. The primary additions to its arsenal come through the planned integration of Raytheon Paveway IV and the EGBU-16 laser/Global Positioning System-guided bombs, as well as a laser-designator pod capability.
Eurofighter CEO Aloysius Rauen says the project, now supported by the U.K., Germany, Spain and Italy, "will mainly focus on air-to-surface capabilities and communication improvements."
U.K. Defense Minister Paul Drayson notes that "this contract marks a significant milestone for Typhoon. The multirole capability it provides is key to the Royal Air Force meeting the demands and challenges it will face in the twenty-first century."
Still negotiating
The upgrade program is supposed to be fielded around 2011-2012 on so-called Tranche 2 aircraft, according to industry officials. But the U.K. will get its laser designator pod capability early, having embarked on a fast-track program to have that feature available next year. The U.K. has opted for the Rafael Litening III pod.
Other weapons capabilities also will be provided for, such as accommodating newer versions of the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile). Also, full-digital integration of the MBDA IRIS-T dogfight missile being used by Germany, Italy and Spain is planned.
Industry and government officials still are negotiating the terms for integration on the fighter of the MBDA Meteor ramjet-powered beyond visual range air-to-air missile.
Also being upgraded under the enhancement program is the pilot-aircraft interface, to ease operations in the dual air-to-air and air-to-ground modes. Upgrades to the Link-16 Multifunction Information Distribution System are a central element of that change.
The Eurofighter consortium also announced that its Spanish partner has delivered the first Spanish air force Block 5 aircraft, SS011, which is the latest version of a Tranche 1 Typhoon.
- Douglas Barrie (barrie@aviationweek.com) and - Robert Wall (wall@aviationweek.com)
--------------------
"The Americans will always do the right thing... After they've exhausted all the alternatives."
- Winston Churchill
"The Americans will always do the right thing... After they've exhausted all the alternatives."
- Winston Churchill
