issue 1 - 2006 eurofighter review

Performance is Key

Programme Advances Through 2006

� DA1 Lands for the Last Time

� 2005 Programme Review

� Eurofighter Typhoon Moves to the Front Line

Eurofighter Typhoon Enters Final Stages of Flight Test

In February, the Eurofighter Flight TestTeam put Instrumented Production AircraftThree (IPA3) through several underwingheavy load tests, with four Paveway IIbombs, three external fuel tanks, and acomplement of air-to-air missiles.

These tests come as Eurofighter Typhoonopens the final chapter of the Main Develop-ment Contract. The testing of the air-to-aircarefree handling Flight Control Software(FCS) is almost finished, while the

remaining clearances for the Phase 4 FCSwill be finalised over the Summer. The finalstage of testing will be the validation of thePhase 5 air-to-ground FCS. The software,written by a Joint Team headed by EADSMilitary Air Systems in Germany, will

undergo rigorous testing in all four PartnerNations and will involve six aircraft fromthe Flight Test fleet.

On conclusion, the final clearances forthe Full Operational Capability will be ex-pected in 2007, followed by the availabilityof the Phase 5 software to Block 5 aircraft.The first Block 5 Eurofighter Typhoon is already in final assembly in Germany, withdeliveries of this standard of aircraft to begin in early 2007.

Eurofighter Typhoon IPA3 in under wing load tests as

aircraft development enters the final stages

p r o g r a m m e n e w s a n d f e a t u r e s

ed

it

or

ia

l

Following the commencement of operationsin its Air Surveillance role with the ItalianAir Force on 16 December 2005, theEurofighter Typhoon new generation combataircraft was tasked with providing airspaceair defence coverage above Turin throughoutthe duration of the Winter Olympic Games.

Already in operation as part of the Italianintegrated air defence system from the mainbase of Grosseto, 4° Stormo of the Aeronau-tica Militare became the first Air Force inthe world to operate the Eurofighter Typhoonaircraft in a real operational scenario.

The Eurofighter Typhoon was deployedover Turin together with an Italian AirForce F-16 as well as MB-339CD and HH-3Fhelicopters.

The air defence structure, in which Eurofighter Typhoon has an integral role,has already been tested during events suchas the Genoa G8 summit, Pratica di MareNATO-Russia summit, the burial ceremonyfor Pope John Paul II and the coming intoseat of Pope Benedictus XVI.

Dear Friends of Eurofighter Typhoon,

Welcome to Eurofighter Review – the newquarterly publication from Eurofighter. With somuch happening in and around the programme,we took the decision of increasing our commu-nication across the Eurofighter Typhooncommunity with a platform dedicated to thisformidable aircraft.

Our programme is advancing very successfullywith a significant amount of good news emanat-ing from our Partners and Stakeholders. Thedeliveries to the Customer are progressing andmore units within our Partner Air Forces are tobe equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon duringthe course of the year. Indeed, the Italian AirForce emphasised customer confidence in theaircraft by placing Eurofighter Typhoon on thefront line, assigned to protecting the airspaceover the Turin Winter Olympic Games.Additionally, discussions are underway for thefuture capabilities to be integrated into theweapon system.

With the finishing line in sight, the Flight Testteam has entered the final straight, in terms ofdevelopment activities, for the Final OperationalCapabilities outlined in the Main DevelopmentContract. Testing is underway across the four-Nation project teams.

The launch of the new magazine heralds a newopportunity for programme-wide two-waycommunication. While I invite you to enjoyreading the Eurofighter Review magazine, I would also encourage you to provide us withyour feedback and opinions.

Inputs are welcome and we would inviteeverybody to make comments and suggestionsfor new topics that would attract the interestof the readership.

Yours sincerely

Aloysius Rauen

Aloysius Rauen

CEO Eurofighter GmbH

Air Dominance

Eurofighter Typhoon protects the 2006Winter Olympics

Eurofighter Typhoons

of 4° Stormo - Olympic

Guardians for 2006

03 editorial

Welcome note from Aloysius Rauen, Chief Executive Officer

04 News

Latest developments

06 Performance is Key

Eurofighter Typhoon Programme advances through 2006

08 Final Flight of the Number One

DA1 lands for the last time

10 2005 Programme Review

The highs and highs during a key year for Eurofighter Typhoon

16 Export Update

Report on Campaign progress

18 Supplier

INDRA

20 EJ200 – Programme Update

The power behind Eurofighter Typhoon

22 Armed and Dangerous

Eurofighter Typhoon moves to the front line

Eurofighter Review is published by

Eurofighter GmbH, Communications/PRAm Söldnermoos 17, 85399 HallbergmoosTel: +49 (0) 811-80 1587

Editorial representative

Wolfdietrich HoevelerVP Communications/PR

Editor

Phillip Lee

Photography

Eurofighter GmbH, Eurofighter Partner Companies,Geoffrey Lee, Planefocus

Design & Production

images.art.design.Andreas Westphalwww.iad-design.de

Printed by

ESTA Druck GmbHwww.esta-druck.de

Eurofighter Review on the Internet

www.eurofighter.com

If you would like to request additional copies ofEurofighter Review, please contact the Communications& PR department at Eurofighter GmbH

04Eurofighter

Typhoon´s

Royal Visitor

102005 Review,

a year in

the programme

Contents

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In February flight trials, EurofighterTyphoon Instrumented ProductionAircraft Three (IPA3) took off fromManching carrying four Paveway II,three external fuel tanks, and an air-to-air fit of four AMRAAM and twoIRIS-T missiles. Take-off weight forthis configuration is almost 24 metric tons.

make us the envy of all the world’s AirForces. Our Spanish friends have alreadysigned the procurement contract for Taurus.Our common objective is the planned inte-gration of Taurus with Eurofighter.”

The German Air Force are set to receive600 Taurus missiles between 2005 and2009, in a procurement deal worth in theregion of 600 million Euro. The Spanishcontract for the procurement of 43 opera-tional missiles includes mission planningand support to aircraft integration.

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A Piece of ARTAnniversary Exhibition of Austrian Air Forces

To celebrate 50 years of the Austrian AirForce, Eurofighter Typhoon took centrestage in an art exhibition based on the genius of Japanese aviation photographer,Katsuhiko Tokunaga.

Developmentand TestingCrosswinds, fatigue and electromag-netic forces

Test and certification is an ongoing task. On 13 January, test pilot Mark Bowman suc-cessfully landed Instrumented ProductionAircraft Five (IPA5) with an underwing fueltank configuration in a 20 knots crosswind.This achievement for the Flight Test teamwill ensure that the cleared in-Service levels for this configuration will be doubledwhile remaining well inside the aircraft’sdesign limit.

On Spanish soil, overseen by EADSCASA, Eurofighter Typhoon IPA4 underwenton-ground testing in a series of electromag-netic compatibility (EMC) and Pit-Drop trials. Loaded with four GBU-16 weapons,the aircraft was tested for the successful jettison of the bombs, while maintainingcomplete functionality of all of the aircraft’scritical systems, under electromagnetic conditions. Further tests are planned incor-porating a variety of weapon configurations.

The testing was carried out in advance of future in-flight bomb jettison trials, withthe recorded data to be added to previouslyconducted EMC tests, to achieve furtherweapons release clearances.

A further significant achievement is the1,000 test hours attained on the StructuralTest Facility (STF), based at Brough, UK.The Single-Seat Front / Centre Fuselage Fatigue Test, designated as SIFT, is thestructural fatigue qualification of the non-common components of the single-seat Eurofighter Typhoon airframe. Havingachieved the milestone 1,000 test hoursahead of schedule, the team cited the successful implementation of periodicallyrunning the test unmanned as a key factorin reaching the benchmark ahead of schedule.

Germany and Spain will be the first nationsto integrate the Taurus KEPD 350 Standoffweapon with the Eurofighter Typhoon.Spain, having signed a procurement contractin Summer 2005 for 43 Taurus guided missiles, joined their German counterpartsat the roll-out of the first Taurus for the German Air Force at Büchel, in December.

Speaking at the ceremony, German Na-tional Armament Director, Dr. Jörg Kaempf,stated “The substantial improvements to ourweapon systems of Tornado, and later Eurofighter, that Taurus represents, will

4

ing the division of workshare and the ship-ping of the major components from thethree other Eurofighter Partner Companiesto the final assembly facility at Warton. He also viewed simulated missions on theCockpit demonstrator during his four-hourvisit, and met senior management at BAESystems.

The vast majority of the 190 staff andtechnicians who work on the aircraft joinedHis Royal Highness for a cup of tea duringhis tour. Production Supervisor Ian Walker,said he remembered the last time the Princeof Wales visited the plant in the 1970s.

Mr Walker commented: "They were making the Tornado line then. They werenowhere near as advanced as these".

To get a seat in a Royal Air Force EurofighterTyphoon cockpit you must be either a quali-fied pilot or the most important of VIPs. Thelatter got their chance early in Februarywhen His Royal Highness Prince Charles,The Prince of Wales, made an official visitto BAE Systems’ Warton facility, UK.

Taking his seat in the cockpit, PrinceCharles commented on its comfort, beforebeing briefed on the functionality by Flt LtJames Jody McMeeking, an RAF fighter pilotinstructor.

"I told the Prince how fantastic the Eurofighter is. It's an awesome aircraft tofly," he said.

The Prince was given details on the production and assembly processes, includ-

The Prince of Wales’ RoyalTyphoon VisitPrince Charles tours Warton

TAURUS for Eurofighter TyphoonRoll-out of the advanced stand-off weapon

aircrews’ neck and back following ejectionfrom the aircraft.

“At the end you have a product that youcan put your name to – for me it was thefirst new Eurofighter helmet on its firstmaiden flight.”

While in flight, the helmet visor presentsthe pilot with key mission data including fuel levels and weapon status, but on ejec-tion it must protect the head from G-forcesup to nine-times that of gravity.

“When you eject you have to make surethe wind blast does not take your head off!”she said.

To make the helmet more aerodynamic,the team designed something that “lookslike a normal helmet that a wasp hasstung”.

Sara joined BAE Systems as an appren-tice, and in 2001 moved into the GroundSupport Equipment Team as a flight sys-tems engineer. In 2004, she graduated witha BEng (Hons) Degree in Mechanical andProduction Engineering, and is currentlyapplying to study for an MSc in SystemSafety.

Young Woman Engineer of the YearBAE Systems ` prize winner

Using Tokunaga’s photography and thequestion ‘what does art say to 50 years ofAir Forces?’ as a reference point, sevenartists worked to provide an answer andcreate an experience of design, photogra-phy, video, sound, sculpture and installation,referring to such aspects as speed, power,command structures and the desire to fly.

The exhibition was held in Hangar VII(Red Bull Hangar) at Salzburg airfield, andran from 13 – 30 January.

Sara Pullen, Crew Systems Engi-neer, BAE Systems,has received the2005 Young WomanEngineer of the Yearaward. The presti-gious title, sponsoredby The Institution ofIncorporated Engi-neers and The Caro-line Haslett Memori-al Trust and support-

ed by BT and Ford Motor Company, waspresented to Sara by Sir Digby Jones, Director-General of the CBI, at a ceremonyin London.

Working with the Head Equipment Assembly (HEA) Team, Sara Pullen, 25, andher colleagues are responsible for the con-cept, design, development and qualificationof the various components of the helmet forEurofighter Typhoon. Sara, liaising withrepresentatives from the four Nations, hasoverseen a number of trials aimed at assess-ing the effects the HEA helmet has on

Top: The Prince of Wales gets a feel for the Typhoon cockpit

Bottom: Taking a tour through the Warton facility

Winners: Sara and

the HEA Helmet

Left: Taurus is to be integrated with Eurofighter Typhoon

Below: IPA4 during EMC testing in Spain

Left: The Eurofighter Typhoon Full Scale Replica

at the ART Exhibition

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The recent deliveries of Block 2 aircraftprovide the customer with the Initial Opera-tional Capability (IOC) providing primarilyair defence capabilities, encompassing fullcarefree handling qualities with external fuel tanks, gun and missile firing clearances,the capability for air-to-air refuelling, andthe ability to operate chaff & flares for self-protection as part of the initial DASS Defen-sive Aids Subsystems package. With theirMulti-functional Information DistributionSystem (MIDS), Eurofighter Typhoons pro-vide network centric capabilities to the AirForces - a feature high on the list of in-ser-vice requirements. Initial Direct Voice Input(DVI), and sensor fusion, including MIDS,are the main features of the Block 2 HumanMachine Interface of the cockpit.

The first Block 2B aircraft have beenhanded over to the Spanish Air Force andthe Royal Air Force. The Type Acceptancedocument signature was achieved in Decem-ber 2005, on time and on schedule. TheBlock 2B standard introduces the Phase 4Flight Control System software for signifi-cantly more agility.

The Final Operating Capability (FOC)standard aircraft is Block 5, on order for thecustomer for deliveries in 2007. It will havethe full air-to-air and air-to-ground capabili-ties specified in the Main Development Contract, as required by the air forces, withthe first Block 5 aircraft already in final assembly at EADS Military Air SystemsManching facility.

Recent proposals also cover an initialclearance for use of a laser designator pod

Six Nations have now selected the Euro-fighter Typhoon, with Saudi Arabia in December agreeing with the United King-dom Government that Eurofighter Typhoonwill replace Tornado ADV and other aircraftin their Air Force’s inventory. With a con-firmed order book of 638 aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon programme currentlyhas a stronger order book than any othercompeting new generation aircraft pro-gramme. According to media sources, the

current scheduled delivery figures of thecompetition programmes are: 120 Rafaleaircraft to be reduced to 111, 183 LockheedMartin F-22 fighters and 232 Gripens. Eurofighter Typhoon is still by far the best-selling combat aircraft in the world todayand will maintain that position for the fore-seeable future.

One of the main principles in the programme is the stepped approach in per-formance release, so called Blocks, whichare aligned to the production Tranches. Eachnew developed Block of Eurofighter Typhoonheralds an advance in the capabilities at thedisposal of the Partner Air Forces.

and precision guided weapons on the firstTranche of aircraft. All such clearances areprogressively retroapplied to aircraft alreadydelivered, so that progressively all Tranche1 aircraft will be brought up to final Block 5standard.

Production of the first aircraft Block 5for Austria is well advanced, with the majorcomponents such as the front and centrefuselage already in build. Final assembly ofAS001 is scheduled for Spring 2006, withaircraft deliveries due to begin in 2007.

By early 2006, 75 series production air-craft had been delivered to the customer, 69of which are operated by the four PartnerAir Forces. The remaining five so called Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA) arebeing used for test and evaluation purposesby industry. The combined Air Force and industry fleets had surpassed the 10,000flying hours mark early in 2006, with over6,000 hours logged by the in-service air-craft since the first handover in 2003, andthe industrial Flight Test aircraft amassingwell over 4,000 hours.

While the Air Forces are now trainingtheir pilots, the Flight Test programme focuses on development and testing of theFOC Avionic System and the Phase 4 (air-to-air) and Phase 5 (air-to-ground) Flight Con-trol Software, with the Phase 4 standard allowing the aircraft to achieve its maxi-mum agility. Testing is to be finalised inSpring 2006, following the conclusion lastyear of testing at full 9g loads. Phase 5 soft-ware will enable Eurofighter Typhoon to notonly carry, but to also operate, air-to-ground

weapons like Paveway and Guided BombUnits (GBU), and while initial flights withfour Paveways took place in 2005, moreflights are scheduled for 2006.

By the end of 2005, Eurofighter GmbHand NETMA had agreed on the way forwardin order to conclude the main developmentphase. An indicator that this phase is draw-ing to a close was the last flight of DA1 inDecember 2005 at EADS Manching. DA1was the first Development Aircraft to fly in1994. The remaining five Development Aircraft will soon follow suit as they fulfiltheir respective development roles andreach the end of their design life. This factgoes a long way in demonstrating the matu-rity of the programme, but it must also behighlighted that the retirement of the DAfleet does not indicate that Eurofighter Typhoon has achieved its final performancestandard.

The proposals for new capabilities to beintroduced with Tranche 2 aircraft weresubmitted to NETMA in the fourth quarterof 2005, and these proposals included theintegration of the advanced Meteor BVRAAM(Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile)that flew on Eurofighter Typhoon for thefirst time in December last year. The enablerfor the introduction of these and other newcapabilities was the signature of the Tranche 2production contract, signed in 2004.

New capabilities will accumulate overtime as the Air Forces themselves furtherdevelop the outstanding qualities and potential of the aircraft. The world class per-formance of Eurofighter Typhoon has been

consistently proven in independent assess-ments where the aircraft, and other West-ern fighters, were benchmarked against upgraded versions of the Sukhoi Flanker inair-to-air combat. The results are stunningand well recognised by Air Forces and thecompetition. The F-22 and Eurofighter Typhoon clearly dominate in the win ratewith both scoring well in excess of 80 percent,and leaving the rest of the field trailing intheir wake quite drastically. The DassaultRafale managed 50 percent, while otherweapon systems, such as Gripen and thelegacy fighters, fell well below the 50 percentmark. Eurofighter Typhoon’s superior per-formance puts it in a class with the F-22.Nothing else comes close.

The results from these assessments ensure that interest in Eurofighter Typhoonfrom other Nations is high. The EurofighterPartner Companies are actively pursuingmarket opportunities in potential Export Nations such as Greece, Turkey and Nor-way, with Eurofighter GmbH playing a keyrole in identifying the Nations where Eurofighter Typhoon’s capability matchesthe national requirement.

For 2006, the challenges facing the Eurofighter Typhoon programme have notchanged and, although intense political debate is still to be expected, the main focusremains clear: Deliver world class perfor-mance to the customer.

Aloysius Rauen, CEO

Top: IPA4 on testing over the Spanish coastline

Bottom: IPA2 operating from Caselle, Italy

Far left: German Air Force Eurofighter with air-to-air

configuration including IRIS-T

The programme will reach new

heights in 2006

6

Performance is Key

The ProgrammeAdvances Through 2006The Eurofighter Typhoon programme is in a very exciting and challenging

phase. The main development activity will continue until the end of 2007;

series production is running smoothly with aircraft deliveries to the customer

becoming routine; and the Air Force groundcrews are building up the neces-

sary experience for ‘on the ground’ operations including maintenance, logis-

tic processes, and training. But the most exciting prospect for the programme

is that Italy has taken the next step and put Eurofighter Typhoon into an

armed quick reaction alert role to safeguard Italian air space, with their lead

to be followed by the remaining Partner Air Forces later this year.

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DA1 also made regular appearances during the exhibition calendar, and was astar performer at Europe’s major airshows.In 2000, and with “smokewinder” pods attached, DA1 turned in breath-taking dailydisplays at both ILA Berlin and Farnbor-ough International, as well as other exhibi-tions in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The aircraft’s place in airshowlegend was sealed when it flew as part ofthe historic four-ship fly past, with DA2,DA4 and IPA1 (Instrumented ProductionAircraft) at Farnborough 2002.

As the Eurofighter programme hasreached a high maturity level and is reach-ing the end of the main development phase,the Development Aircraft have almost fulfilled their tasks. DA1 now goes into awell-earned retirement, with the otherssoon to follow.

Phillip Lee

On 21 December 2005, eleven years, eightmonths, and 24 days after making the historic first flight for the Eurofighter pro-gramme, Development Aircraft One came into land for the last time at EADS’ Manchingfacility.

Piloted by test pilot Chris Worning, DA1was greeted by the EADS Groundcrew, andthe technicians who have endeavoured toenable the aircraft to play an integral role atthe forefront of the Flight Test programme.

In terms of achievements, DA1’s contri-bution to Flight Test has been immense.Right from the off, the certification and datagathering conducted by DA1 has helpedshape the performance and capability onwhat is today the most advanced combataircraft in the world. Primarily involvedwith initial, and ongoing, airframe and FCSdevelopment, DA1 later moved into aircrafthandling, envelope expansion and enginedevelopment.

8

Final flight of the number one

DA1Lands for the Last Time

DA1 takes off with

reheat for Farnborough

airshow aerial display

DA1 was a key player in

Flight Test, amassing

almost 500 flight hours

Final Flight preparations

for DA1 at Manching

Over the course of its 578 flights and

just short of 500 flying hours, some of

the milestones achieved by DA1 include:

� First ever flight of a Eurofighter Typhoon

� In-flight icing trials behind a Do 228 Tanker

� First formation take-off and landing

� First in-flight refuelling from a Tornado with Buddy-Buddy pod

� First in-flight refuelling with 3 (wet) external tanks

� Completion of supersonic carefree handling manoeuvres

� Autopilot testing completed

Following its final flight, DA1 lines up with EADS

Test Pilot Chris Worning and the Groundcrew at

Manching who have serviced the aircraft during

its Flight Test career

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January

Turning defenceinto attackEven with Tranche 2 confirmed and deliver-ies of single-seat Eurofighter Typhoons underway, the programme began 2005 having to explain and reiterate the processof planned capability insertion to the publicfollowing fierce criticism from the Germanweekly publication “Der Spiegel”.

To further emphasise this chosen trackof ongoing development and qualification,the Flight Test team achieved the first flightwith six advanced-medium-range-air-to-air-missiles (AMRAAMs), fully integrated witha successful simulated firing, as well as thecompletion of Autopilot Official AssessmentFlights.

February

Missiles, firstflights, and anAustrian in thecockpitFebruary was dominated with a variety of flying achievements. In Flight Test, BAESystems-operated DA4 carried out a success-ful guided-firing of the AMRAAM missile,scoring a direct hit against its target, whilethe first single-seat Typhoon bound for theItalian Air Force made its maiden flight outof Alenia’s test facility at Caselle.

In support of ongoing Export efforts, the Chief of the Austrian Air Force, MajorGeneral Erich Wolf, and a delegation fromthe Turkish Air Force, both gained first-hand experience of the manoeuvrability ofEurofighter Typhoon. After his flight, General Wolf commented: “This was themost impressive aircraft I've ever flown andI've flown many aircraft including the F-16,

F-18, MiG-29 and the Gripen. An outstand-ing aeroplane with outstanding performancethat meets our expectations and require-ments. The man-machine interface is superband pilot orientated.” Austria as the first Export customer signed the procurementcontract for the delivery of 18 aircraft in2003.

March

Surviving the coldand a USdetachment endsEADS Military Aircraft announced in Marchthe delivery of the 100th Centre Fuselagesection to EADS CASA. The milestone com-ponent was assigned to SS007 of the Span-ish Air Force, and was delivered to the finalassembly line at Getafe.

In the middle of March, the Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon IPA4 completed thelongest and most exceptional test campaignon foreign soil when it touched down atGetafe following Cold Environment Trials inVidsel, Sweden. During the trials, the air-

The Highs and Highs during a Key Year for Eurofighter Typhoon

2005 Programme ReviewThe signature of the Tranche 2 Supplement 3 contract for

production of a further 236 aircraft still fresh in the

memory, and with the Type Acceptance of the single-seat

variant also recently achieved, the Eurofighter programme

moved into 2005 confident that the successes of 2004,

climaxing in December with the two key contract

craft was subjected to temperatures as lowas -31° and it provided verification for sys-tem operations in extreme cold weather.

The increasing maturity and confidencein the aircraft was further demonstratedwhen BT005 / ISPA1 returned from detach-ment in the United States. The aircraft hadbeen undergoing operational testing, andthis deployment success adds to theachievements from the Singapore deploy-ment in mid-2004.

April

RAF relocation and an Export elimi-nationThe Royal Air Force took the headlines inApril with the announcement that 17 (R)Squadron had relocated to RAF Coningsby, from the BAE Systems Warton facility. Theaircraft of 17 (R) Squadron had beenbrought into service in partnership with industry under the ‘Case White’ programme,an initiative that proved to be a resoundingsuccess, highlighted by the fact that everytarget was achieved and in some cases exceeded, culminating in the on-scheduledelivery to RAF Coningsby.

Also in this month, the programme announced that all four partner Air Forceswere operating Batch 2 single-seat aircraft,following deliveries to the German AirForce and the Royal Air Force, and the deployment of IS002 to Grosseto, Italy.

signatures, would be built on and that this level of

achievement would be maintained throughout the

duration of the coming 12 months.

Here we take a retrospective look at the headline-making

events of the now confirmed best-selling next generation

fighter aircraft!

IPA4 endures the

cold in Sweden

DA4 conducts successful AMRAAM release

Thumbs up from the Chief

of the Austrian Air Force

A multi-national lineup of five Eurofighter

Typhoons preparing for takeoff at Manching

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out fighting with achievements across theboard. Initial operations out of RAF Con-ingsby had begun positively, and deliveriesto the Air Forces were progressing at asteady rate.

The testing of updates to the avionicspackage of the aircraft with FOC standard,in particular to the radar, the DASS and thesensor fusion, started and overall the pilotfeedback was positive.

June

A Summer tour and the Programme hits 50The coming of the Summer months signalledthe start of a busy exhibitions calendar.First up was the 46th International ParisAirshow at Le Bourget. A programme mile-stone was achieved in the aerial displaywhen, for the first time, Captain MatteoMaurizio, of the Italian Air Force, piloted anAir Force single-seat operational aircraft infront of the watching crowds. The event al-so provided a platform for industry andcustomer to showcase the partnership ethicrunning through the programme, and tobrief other interested nations on the advan-tages of becoming involved in the collabora-tive project.

During the show week, the NorwegianGovernment announced that it would in-crease its funding in Eurofighter Industrialparticipation, citing the benefits brought bysuch a partnership as being that the accessto the technological know-how will enhancethe capabilities of their armed forces in thelong run.

EADS CASA ensured that the productionprogramme made headlines when they delivered the 100th series production RightHand Wing, assigned to Eurofighter GS017,to the German final assembly facility atManching.

In the Export market, despite proving itscapabilities to be above and beyond those ofthe rival aircraft, Eurofighter Typhoon waseliminated from the Singapore Fighter Com-petition. Singaporean officials acknowl-edged the capability supremacy, but addedthat the core programme schedule did notmatch the time schedules of the SingaporeAir Force.

May

A positive start and testing beginson FOCWith the discussions still raging over theSingapore decision, and the Eurofighter procurement again subject to debate in theAustrian Parliament, the programme came

The Summer’s second major aerospaceevent was Airpower 2005, at Zeltweg, Austria. Eurofighter and EADS supported infull, with the German Air Force providingtwo aircraft from JG 73 “Steinhoff”, Laage.This was the first event, since the contractwith Austria was agreed, during which thepublic and Air Force personnel could famil-iarise themselves with what will be the future air defence weapon system of theBundesheer.

Also in June, the programme soaredthrough the 50 barrier in terms of aircraftdelivered to the customer. The simultaneousacceptance of aircraft by Germany andSpain took the number of aircraft owned bythe customer to 51 at the end of the firsthalf of the year. Eurojet, the consortiumoverseeing the production of the EJ200 engine, recorded a significant milestone oftheir own when they delivered the 250thengine to the nations.

12

July

A second RAF moveand IPA4 takes theheatThe busy Summer showed no sign of lettingup as the programme moved into July. Atthe beginning of the month, 29 (R)Squadron of the Royal Air Force, joined 17(R) Squadron, at RAF Coningsby as theymade the move from BAE Systems’ Wartonfacility.

In the Flight Test arena, EADS CASA com-menced heat trials with Instrumented Pro-duction Aircraft 4 in Southern Spain, anambitious programme that would look tocomplete around 40 flights with the aircraftin extreme high temperatures.

Initial 17 Sqn operations out of

RAF Coningsby were successful

The Eurofighter

mock-up, in Austrian

Air Force markings,

was a crowd-puller

at Zeltweg

Captain Matteo

Maurizio wows the

Parisian crowds at

Le Bourget

Two aircraft of JG73 “Steinhoff” provided the aerial display at Airpower 05, Zeltweg

EADS CASA deliver the 100th Right Hand Wing

RAF Typhoon Display Pilot

Sqn Ldr Matt Elliott at RIAT 05

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The exhibition circuit resumed whenaerospace manufacturers from around theworld descended on RAF Fairford, UK, forthe Royal International Air Tattoo 2005. Typhoon captured the headlines as theweekend’s star performer!

Also in July, Greece, having initialled acontract for 60 aircraft before the OlympicGames, acquired 30 F-16s as an interim solution to maintain their fleet against attri-tion. EADS, the majority shareholder in theEurofighter programme and campaignleader in Athens, strongly stated that thisprocurement is not against the Eurofighterprogramme.

And, as the month came to a close, theGerman Defence Minister, Dr. Peter Struck,paid a visit to the EADS Manching facility,to highlight the cooperation between theGerman Air Force and Industry.

August

Testing. Testing.Testing.The achievements of the Flight Test teamdrove the programme throughout August,with significant developments in key areas.First, Development Aircraft 1 carried outthe successful first flight of an upgradedsoftware package (phase 4). This successwas matched by DA3 a few days later whenthe aircraft completed a campaign of FlutterTest flights. The campaign included flightsat the extremities of the flight envelope,with external loads, and highlights the air-craft’s durability in the extremes of flight.

Towards the end of August, testing wascompleted on Autopilot flights with thetwin-seat IPA3. The flight computers tookcontrol of the aircraft and reacted to the differences in loads and handled the air-craft accordingly.

The month closed with successes in thecarefree handling flight testing, in whichthe Eurofighter Typhoon was subjected toGross Manoeuvring Levels i.e. the pilotjerked the stick to elicit aircraft responsesinstead of easing the aircraft into flight manoeuvres, and Eurofighter again provedits handling capabilities in coming throughthese tests with ease.

September

A Turkish delightAn extremely busy September in Flight

Test is highlighted with the completion ofseveral key tasks, including various air-to-air refuelling tests, carefree handling ma-noeuvres, and AIM-9L missile firings.

The exhibition circuit moved up a gearwith two airshows linked closely with cam-paign efforts. The first stop was Tanagra AirBase, Greece, for the Archangel 2005 air-show, with campaign leader EADS, support-ed by Eurofighter, putting on a considerableexhibition presence.

The export focus then shifted to Ankara,Turkey, where Eurofighter made its first-ever appearance in Turkey as part of theIDEF 2005 International Defence Fair. TheItalian Air Force had sent two aircraft andCaptain Maurizio again flew a breath takingdisplay. This provided opportunity for theEurofighter Partner Nations to highlight thestrength of the industrial and governmentalcooperation in the programme, and a visitplus a joint declaration from the DefenceMinistries of Germany, Italy, Spain and theUnited Kingdom, emphasised the potentialbenefits of Turkey’s participation in the project.

October

Italy top 1,000 andEurofighter makes aVienna fly-pastFollowing the lead of JG73 at Laage, the second proposed Eurofighter unit in theLuftwaffe took the first steps towards conversion following the handover of theASTA training building in Neuburg. Fromthis year, all JG74 pilots will undergo Eurofighter Typhoon training on the simula-tors installed at Neuburg.

As part of the celebrations marking the50th Anniversary of the Austrian ArmedForces, a four-ship Eurofighter Typhoonformation made a fly-past over Heldenplatz,

Vienna, highlighting the four Nation part-nership while giving the Austrian publicthe opportunity to see, what will be theirnewest air defence system, in action.

In Flight Test, the team enjoyed furthersuccesses in missile firings, in addition tothe first flight of upgraded avionics software.

As October drew to a close, the ItalianAir Force marked their first 1,000 opera-tional flying hours with a small ceremonyin Grosseto, and a VIP flight for DefenceMinister, Antonio Martino who, on landing,declared: “Flying this aircraft is like a drug!”

November

Danish and Middle-EasternprospectsAs the end of the year approached, severalimportant numerical milestones wereachieved by the programme. The Italian AirForce surpassed the 1,000 in-flight hours,while the combined flying hours for the entire in-service fleet surged past the 5,000hour mark.

14

In terms of Flight Test, the Royal AirForce conducted the firing of the AdvancedShort-Range Air-Air Missile (ASRAAM) aswell as various AMRAAM flights.

The VIP flight of the month belonged toEADS when Test Pilot Chris Worning flewMajor General Klaus L. Axelsen, Chief of theRoyal Danish Air Force Air Material Com-mand. After the flight, which lasted littleover an hour, Major General Axelsenshowed his enthusiasm and claimed “you should be proud of this very capableaircraft.”

The final major event of 2005 took theEurofighter team to the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai 2005 Airshow. Although there was no Eurofighter Typhoonin the flying display, the presence wasstrong enough to attract a wealth of dele-gates and VIP visitors.

BAE Systems also announced that the assembly of the first production standardTranche 2 aircraft had commenced, andthat a further seven were to begin by theend of the year.

December

The sweet smell ofsuccessAs Advent started the countdown to Christ-mas, it was the Air Forces who made theheadlines on behalf of the programme. TheGerman Air Force, along with the Italianand Spanish Air Forces, took delivery of thefirst series production IRIS-T Air-to-Air mis-sile, with a high-profile ceremony conductedat Jagdgeschwader 73, in Rostock-Laage. Not to be outdone, the Royal Air Force conductedfirst flight trials with the MBDA Meteormissile. 17 Squadron, based at RAF Conings-by, carried out the tests with two GHTMs(ground handling training missiles) whichare representative in terms of mass,

dimension, and aerodynamics, of the opera-tional weapons. This flight demonstratedthat Eurofighter Typhoon has the ability tocarry all air-to-air weapons assigned to it inthe Air Defence role.

The celebrations from the missileachievements had barely died down whenthe United Kingdom Government announcedthe sale of Eurofighter Typhoon to the King-dom of Saudi Arabia. Under the agreedterms, Typhoon will replace Tornado Air Defence Variant and other aircraft currentlyin service with the Saudi Arabian Air Force.

The last major technical event of the yearwas NETMA clearing the Full OperationalCapability avionics functionality, includingthe new Helmet, off the rigs into Flight Test.

The final headline of 2005 was generatedby Eurojet, and their announcement of a300 million Euro contract signature with NETMA, for in-service support up to 2009.

Eurofighter Typhoon in 2005 – Nothing Came Close!

Phillip Lee

General Klaus-Peter Stieglitz

Chief of German Air Force

METEOR flight trials for Eurofighter Typhoon

Major General Klaus L. Axelsen

Chief of Royal Danish Air Force

Antonio Martino

Italian Secretary of Defence

29 Sqn join 17 Sqn at RAF Coningsby

Defence Ministers from Italy,

Turkey, UK and Germany at

the IDEF 2005 Defence Fair,

Turkey

IPA4 undertaking heat trials in Spain

Air-to-air refuelling tests completion

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Greece

Greece’s economy had to take on the burdenof having hosted the 2004 Olympic Games,followed a year later by the decision to pro-cure 30 F-16 fighters from the United Statesas an interim solution to overcome a short-fall in the Hellenic Air Force inventory. Eurofighter Partner and Campaign Leader,EADS, made clear for the consortium thatthis procurement is definitely not againstEurofighter Typhoon as the need for a nextgeneration aircraft is still evident, and thatEurofighter Typhoon is well placed in termsof capability, and also in terms of the indus-trial and political benefits that the Eurofighterprogramme delivers. A Request for Proposal(RFP) is expected from Greece during 2006.

Analysis of the combat aircraft market,added to feedback from existing customers,confirms the belief that Eurofighter Typhoonis a highly attractive solution for Nationsworldwide who are in the market for a NextGeneration Fighter aircraft. Eurofighter Typhoon is the credible European alternative,already in service with four major EuropeanAir Forces, and contracted to deliver to afifth (Austria) from 2007. The announcementin December last year of the Government toGovernment understanding between theUnited Kingdom and Saudi Arabia for thesale of Typhoon only serves to underlinethe growing presence and authority of theweapon system in the combat aircraft arena.

AustriaThe Austrian Government decided in favourof Eurofighter Typhoon due to the aircraftmeeting their “second to none” require-ment. Contracted in August 2003, the Austria programme is well on schedule with the major components of AS001, the first aircraft for the Bundesheer, already in advanced stages of build. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2007.

Export Update

A Worldof opportunity

Japan

Saudi Arabia

TurkeyGreece

Norway

Denmark

Netherlands

UK

Belgium

Switzerland

Portugal

Spain

ItalyIndia

Oman

Market Opportunities

Contracted Customers

Germany

Austria

TurkeyThe IDEF Defence Exhibition at Ankara in2005 allowed the Eurofighter Partners toshowcase the benefits of Turkish industrialparticipation in the programme. Declaredan official Campaign in 2004, the AleniaAeronautica-led consortium is promotingthe Eurofighter Typhoon for the plannedmodernisation of the Turkish Air Force. TheRequest for Information (RFI) has alreadybeen received and responded to, with theEurofighter Export team now awaiting theRequest for Proposal from Turkey, expectedby the end of 2006.

NorwayAlthough a member of the JSF developmentprogramme, with funding levels of 35 millionEuro for their industrial participation in theEurofighter programme, the NorwegianGovernment are recognising the advantagesthat a Eurofighter partnership brings. AnRFI has been issued by Norway, and the Eurofighter Typhoon marketing and saleseffort is being led by EADS, who are work-ing closely with the Norwegian officials inorder to respond to the RFI before the endof March. A replacement decision is fore-casted for 2009, with an in-service date expected to be around 2016.

Denmark

Very similar to Norway in its procurementstrategy, coupled with the fact that they also hold membership to the JSF programme,the approach from Eurofighter Export inthis Campaign mirrors the Norwegian strat-egy. EADS are the lead Partner, cooperatingclosely with the Danish Officials, and all thesignificant competition checkpoints areforecasted to be similar to those of Norway.The RFI was issued at the end of 2005, witha decision expected 2009, and in-service requirements for 2016.

Further Market OpportunitiesRunning parallel to official Campaigns, Eurofighter Export are continually analysingthe market for future fighter replacementcompetitions and opportunities. The Euro-pean Nations of Switzerland, the Nether-lands, Belgium and Portugal, have beenidentified as future prospects, and in theFar East, delegates from Eurofighter havebeen received by Japanese Officials in order to better understand the national aircraft requirement.

Eurofighter Typhoon, through its Swing-Role capability, and its Industrial Participa-tion packages, is well placed to serve the requirements of the most demanding AirForces, today and well into the 21st Century.

638 aircraft under contract makes

Eurofighter Typhoon the best-selling

next generation combat aircraft in

the world

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The company's business is divided intothree main areas: Information Technologies(IT), Simulation and Automatic Test Systems(SIM/ATS) and Defence Electronics Equip-ment (DEE). Specifically, Indra is the Spanishmarket leader in the supply and integrationof sophisticated defence electronics equip-ments for the Armed Forces in Spain and themost prominent Spanish supplier of AvionicsSystems for the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Indra has been participating in the Eurofighter Project since the initial definitionstudies for the different equipments,through the subsequent development andindustrialisation phases, while achieving areliable delivery performance during thecurrent ongoing production programme.

The company is currently implicated inmore than fifteen different Avionic Systemsand, at the same time, in the relevant groundsystems that guarantee the optimal operationof the aircraft. Indra is, through the variousSystems, involved with all functional aspectsof the aircraft.

In particular, Indra is one of the membersof the EuroDASS and EuroRadar Consortiathat are responsible for the DASS (DefensiveAids Sub-System) and the Captor Radar.

Now the reference Spanish company inInformation Technologies, Indra’s historydates back as far as 1921, when the first ofthe companies that would eventually giverise to the configuration of what is now Indra, were constituted. More recently, theperiod from 1986 to 1992 saw a process ofbusiness restructuring and concentration,which culminated in December 1992 withthe merger between CESEL, S.A. and INISELGroups.

By 1993, Indra encompassed the busi-nesses of an important group of companiesfrom both the public and the private sector,and it was at this time that the definition ofthe current business project began. Morerestructuring followed during the mid-1990s,with a focus on consolidation and growth asthe millennium drew to a close. Since 2000,Indra has experienced strong, above sectoraverage growth, thanks largely to a differen-tial business model and a greater presenceon international markets, with the creationof subsidiaries in the United States, China,Portugal and Brazil, among others. Indrahas completed projects in more than 40countries spread over five continents, withthese international activities generatingover one third of the company's revenues.

COMPANY INDUSTRIESToday, Indra is the leading Spanish informa-tion technologies company recording revenues of more than 1 billion Euro, andholding an order book of over 1.3 billion Euro.The company’s principal asset is intellectualcapital, with a workforce comprising morethan 6,600 professionals with over 80% ofIndra's total personnel made up of gradu-ates and highly specialised technicians withthorough knowledge of client’s businessesand of the latest technologies. The corporateheadquarters is located in Madrid.

The DASS is designed to ensure the air-craft will survive the full range of threats toenable mission success. It is an integralpart of the aircraft’s fighting equipmentthat provides comprehensive protectionthrough the Electronic Support Measures(ESM) together with the Missile ApproachWarner (MAW) which work in harmonywith other on-board sensing systems to givetimely warning and identification of threats.The Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) System automatically activates the mostsuitable on-board or off-board countermea-sures (inc. towed decoys) to the threat.

The system ensures maximum effective-ness in all scenarios by allowing total pro-grammability of mission data.

Indra participates in all the key stages ofthe DASS programme. In development, pre-liminary qualification has been completedallowing for the delivery of the first systemsto the customer.

Significant investment has been made inthe development of production facilities, andthe manufacturing of 121 ESM-ECM andMAW systems for the DASS for the fourPartner Nations has begun. Indra partici-pates in the supply of equipments whichamounts to approximately 16.5% of the total.

To cater for ever-changing threat profiles,the DASS system is designed to allow easymodification for future growth thus ensuringprotection for Eurofighter Typhoon throughthe 21st Century. Indra is at the forefront offuture DASS capabilities.

Indra play a key role in both developmentand production of the RADAR, and responsi-ble for desgn and development of the

antenna platform (Scanner) and the produc-tion and integration of the TAU SRI (Trans-mitter Auxiliary Unit).

The CAPTOR RADAR is a third generationcoherent multimode radar for high perfor-mance combat aircraft, and is the primarysensor of the Eurofighter Typhoon. Theradar detects, identifies, prioritises and en-gages targets beyond the effective range ofthe enemy weapon systems whilst remainingresistant to severe electronic jamming.

Indra is leading two fundamental areasrelated to on-ground systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Aircrew SyntheticTraining Aids (ASTA) and the General Pur-pose Automatic Test Equipment (GPATE).

ASTA is an integrated system comprisingdifferent training elements ensuring a com-prehensive simulation and training capabil-ity to the four Eurofighter Nations. Eurofighter Simulation Systems (ESS), ledby Indra, are responsible for the delivery ofall the ASTA equipment to the Eurofighterprogramme in Spain. The packs developed by

Towed Decoy

Front Missile Warners

Rear Missile Warner

Laser Warners

Wing Tip ESM/ECM Pods

Top Spanish Supplier

INDRA

INDRA is a member of the consortium responsible for the DASS

1:1 scale model of DASS pods, showing internally-housed towed decoy

One company stands out when looking at Spanish suppliers to the

Eurofighter Typhoon programme. That company is INDRA.

Items supplied by Indra

� 2 Full Mission Simulators (FMS)� 2 Cockpipt Trainers/Interactive Pilot Stations � Enhanced (CT/IPS-E)� 8 Instruction Equipments (IS)� 8 Instruction Assets (IOS)� 13 Crash Survivable Memory Units (CSMU)� 1 Database Generator (DBGS)

INDRA´s avionics involvement:

On-board Communications� MIDS Interface Unit (MIU)� Communication Audio Management Unit

(CAMU)� VHF / UHF Transceiver (RADIO)

Utilities System� Front Computer (FC)� Secondary Power Supply (SPS)

Data Register and Presentation� Maintenance Data Panel (MDP)

Weapons Control System� Wing Pylon Station Unit (WPSU)� Fuselage Station Unit (FSU)� Integrated Tip Station Unit (ITSU)� New Enhanced Safety Critical Armament

Control (NESCAC)

Flight Control System� Laser Inertial Navigation System (LINS)� Flight Control Computer (FCC)� Global Positioning System (GPS)

Engines Control� Digital Engine Control and Monitoring

Unit (DECMU)

Sensors� Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS)� RADAR (Captor)

Future Enhancements� Laser Designating Pod (LDP)

Indra, specifically for the ASTA programme,include the Instruction Systems (IOS-IS),Database Generation System (DBGS) andthe Crash Survivable Memory Unit (CSMU).

GPATE belongs to the latest generationof general-purpose test programme sets.This portable test system derives from SAMstandard and is oriented to the maintenanceof the avionic equipments of the EurofighterTyphoon. This system is modular, portableand reconfigurable with a great growth capacity for future weapon systems. Deploy-ment is ensured by the portable and lightruggerised boxes interconnected withoutany need of cabling.

FUTURE CAPABILITIESThe provision of the company's own solu-tions, which bring significant competitiveadvantages for each customer, requires amajor investment on innovation in all busi-ness areas. For that reason, Indra earmarksnearly 8% of revenues for R&D&I activities.

As result of this policy, Indra is ready toface up the future technological challengesof the Eurofighter Programme, through thegrowth of the different roles of the aircraftor through the enhancement of the differentsystems in order to maximise the equipmentperformances. The future integration of atargeting laser designating pod or the possible application of the digital receptioncapabilities for the DASS system are goodexamples.

Silvia Valdesueiro Perez

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During 2005, the Eurojet partnershipcontinued to provide support to the Eurofighter Flight Test programme in chal-lenging test areas. Engine clearance wasgiven for the full gun-firing envelope whileSpanish Partner, IPT, worked alongsideEADS CASA during the demanding coldweather trials in Vidsel, Northern Sweden.

In-Service Support procedures have beenfully implemented throughout the year,building on the experience of the first threeyears of In-Service Operation. The customerand industry organisation are working inintegrated teams in order to ensure effec-tive support of the fleet.

The EJ200 sets the standard with its excep-tional performance. Europe’s latest genera-tion, advanced military turbofan engine hasbeen designed to fulfill the most demandingrequirements set for next generation fighterand trainer aircraft. Since entry into serviceof the Eurofighter Typhoon in 2003, theEJ200 engine has been extremely successfulin demonstrating outstanding levels of han-dling and reliability while exceeding the expectations of both pilots and groundcrews, setting the trend for the future of theprogramme and for potential export.

Throughout 2005, Eurojet Turbo GmbH,the leading European military aerospace engine consortium and its shareholdersAvio (Italy), ITP (Spain), MTU Aero Engines(Germany) and Rolls-Royce (UK), haveproven the concept in operational flyingand had registered almost 15,000 EngineFlying Hours (EFH) with Series Productionand Instrumented Production Aircraft bythe end of 2005.

The In-Service contract for the first oper-ational phase was successfully completed inDecember 2005, and a new In-service con-tract worth about 300 million Euro wassigned by NETMA and EUROJET on 20 De-cember 2005, only a few days before Christ-mas. This contract will assure full scale In-service support for the engine including allIT systems (Electronic DataProcessing forservice support) across Europe. The dura-tion of the contract runs up to 2009.

In February 2006, Eurojet delivered the300th engine to the customer. The produc-tion schedule of the 363 engines under contract in Tranche 1 is progressing in linewith the overall Eurofighter programme,and is due for completion during 2006.

Pilots love the EJ200

“EJ200 engines are far more powerful thanany previous power plant of their size, andprovide the Eurofighter Typhoon with a veryhigh thrust-to-weight ratio, which in turntranslates into an unmatched agility and performance throughout the flight envelope,including for example a breathtakingly shorttake-off run, or the ability to sustain super-sonic flight in dry power.”

Tcol. José Mª Juanas García, Jefe Grupo 11, Moron, Spain

“I have flown the aircraft throughout thewhole flight envelope from minimum speedup to Mach 2 and from 0 to 55,000 feet. Thisis the most exceptional engine I have everflown, with a lot of thrust. The engine matches with the aircraft carefreehandling characteristics.”

Maurizio Cheli, Chief Test Pilot, Alenia Aeronautica, Torino, Italy

“The EJ200 has breathtaking performanceand is extremely easy to handle over the entire flight envelope. Particularly impressiveis the engine performance and handling athigh altitude and high speed where modernbeyond-visual-range combat takes place.”

Chris Worning, Eurofighter Project Pilot, EADS Military Air Systems, Manching,Germany

“With over three years testing experience onthe Eurofighter Typhoon, I am awe-struckwith the massive contribution the EJ200 engine has given to the world beating perfor-mance of this aircraft. Total carefree handlingof the engine throughout the flight envelopegenerates a confidence that some other combat aircraft can only admire from a distance. In sum, fast or slow, high level orlow level, day or night we have our trust inwhat the EJ200 can deliver now and in the future."

Mark Bowman, Typhoon Project Test Pilot, BAE Systems, Warton, UK

20

EJ200 – Programme Update

The Powerbehind Eurofighter Typhoon

For Tranche 2, a total number of 519 EJ200sare under contract, ensuring production until 2012, to be followed by another 519 engines for Tranche 3, bringing up the totalorder book to more 1400.

A new engine technology standard willbe introduced to the Tranche 2 EJ200. Theywill be equipped with a completely integrat-ed single Digital Engine Control and Moni-toring Unit (DECMU) instead of the twounits currently used. This new unit is smallerin size and offers more flexibility, and willprove to be more cost-effective than the twopredecessor systems.

Katarina Elbogen

An RAF 29 Sqn Typhoon with engines

on full reheat during an aerial display

at RAF Fairford, UK

1 - 2006 eurofighter review1 - 2006 eurofighter review - w e a p o n s - - w e a p o n s - 23

METEORUnder development by a European Partner-ship lead by MBDA, and including INMIZEand Saab Bofors Dynamics, Meteor was ordered by the United Kingdom Ministry ofDefence and five other European Nations,including Eurofighter partners Germany,Italy and Spain, to meet their future Air-to-Air requirements.

A highly flexible air-to-air weapon system,Meteor provides a comprehensive opera-tional capability in the most complex com-bat scenarios. The missile is allocated targets from the launch aircraft radar, andcan engage air targets autonomously by using its active radar seeker by day ornight, and in all weather, or in dense elec-tronic warfare environments.

Designed to defeat emerging and futurethreats, Meteor’s capabilities combine togive a high kill probability while ensuringpilot survivability. The missile’s ramjetpropulsion system guarantees a range in excess of 100 km and a speed of more thanMach 4. Even when launched from extremestand-off ranges, the missile will have theenergy to defeat fast, manoeuvring targets,with total destruction ensured through itsuse of both proximity and impact fuses, plusa fragmentation warhead that is detonated atthe optimum point to maximise lethality.

The start of 2006 heralds a new phase in the life of the Eurofighter Typhoon since,having attained firing certification for themajority of weapons required in its primaryair defence role, the aircraft progresses tofull operational service. The Italian Air Forcehave assigned two single-seat Typhoon air-craft to be held in constant operationalreadiness to “scramble” when the order isgiven. Based at Grosseto, Northern Italy, theaircraft are under the control of Surveillanceof Aerial Spazio (SSSA), the organisation responsible for monitoring and defendingItalian air space.

Eurofighter Typhoon has demonstratedits ability to carry the full air-to-air weaponssuite following the first flights with two Meteor GHTMs (ground handling trainingmissiles). This success comes after earlieraccomplishments in AMRAAM and ASRAAMfirings, AIM-9L launches, and the clearanceto fire the IRIS-T short-range, air-to-air guidedmissile. December 2005 saw the delivery tothe German Air Force with the Italian andSpanish Air Force of the first series produc-tion IRIS-T missile, in a small ceremonyconducted at Jagdgeschwader 73, Rostock-Laage.

To mark the aircraft’s ascension to thefront line, Eurofighter Review takes a lookat the air-to-air weapons that will protectEuropean airspace for the next 40years.

A full development programme, agreed byall six nations, is in place with several signif-icant milestones already achieved. Followingthe completion of a preliminary design review in 2003, in September of that year arepresentative Meteor missile was fitted toEurofighter Typhoon, while in 2004, a sec-ond round of wind tunnel testing confirmedthe missile’s design integrity. Fully instru-mented Meteor missiles have been flown oncaptive aircraft trials, while aircrews fromthe six partner nations have been familiaris-ing themselves with the missile via a seriesof combat simulator trials at MBDA’s facilityin Stevenage, UK. December last year sawMeteor flown for the first time on EurofighterTyphoon and the other aircraft types onwhich the weapon system will be integrated,and 2006 will see the Meteor team carry outthe first air-launched demonstration firing.

Introduction into service on EurofighterTyphoon will commence following the com-pletion of missile development.

ASRAAMThe Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile(ASRAAM) is a next generation air-to-air missile developed and produced by EuropeanMissile giant MBDA, a fully integrated Euro-pean company owned by Finmeccanica, BAESystems, and EADS.

ASRAAM has been deployed by the RoyalAir Force and the Royal Australian Air Force.It is capable of engaging any airborne targetwithin the pilot's visual range of acquisition,as well as targets beyond this visual range.

ASRAAM receives the target's position coordinates via the carrier aircraft's airbornesensors or the pilot's helmet-mounted sight.All round target designation and full acquisi-tion anywhere in the forward hemisphere,plus its resistance to countermeasures, com-bined with speed, agility, and high accuracyin its thermal imaging guidance system ensure the highest kill probability againstany target.

ASRAAM provides the pilot with theability to effectively engage targets fromgun range to near Beyond Visual Range,with or without active RF emissions. The pilot can identify the threat passively andcue the missile using a Helmet MountedDisplay, Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST)or radar. The missile's imaging infraredseeker allows ASRAAM to fly out to the target passively.

AMRAAM’s Electronic Power Unit is capable of processing millions of imagesand flight computations per second whilethe inertial sensor, with its 3 axis fibre optic gyro and solid state accelerometers,give increased reliability and faster missilelaunch.

ASRAAM has been designed to be com-patible with all aircraft capable of launchingSidewinder or AMRAAM, is in service withthe Royal Air Force, and has been deployedoperationally. Eurofighter Typhoon hasachieved firing certification with ASRAAM.

AIM-9L SidewinderThe AIM-9 Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile, with a high-ex-

plosive warhead and an active infrared guid-ance system. Developed by the US Navy, andlater adapted for Air Force use, the missile'smain components are an infrared homingguidance section, which enables the missileto target engine exhausts on enemy aircraft,an active optical target detector, a high-explo-sive warhead, and a rocket motor.

The AIM-9L added a more powerful solid-propellant rocket motor as well as trackingmanoeuvring ability. Improvements in heatsensor and control systems have providedthe AIM-9L missile with an all-aspect attack

capability and improved guidance character-istics, with the L model being the firstSidewinder with the ability to attack fromall angles, including head-on.

Since the beginning of the 1960s, DiehlBGT Defence, as European prime contractorand system house, has manufactured morethan 35,000 Sidewinder for nearly all NATOcountries. Eurofighter Typhoon has achievedfiring certification with the missile and it isin service with the Partner Air Forces.

IRIS-TIRIS-T development was carried out by Ger-many, Italy, Greece, Norway, Spain and Sweden, with overall programme manage-ment under the responsibility of Diehl BGTDefence. Missile deliveries to the programmepartners started in 2005. Compared to itspredecessor generation of short-range air-to-air missiles, the IRIS-T offers thrust vectorcontrol, imaging IR-seeker with much wideracquisition range, considerably improvedresistance to countermeasures (IRCM andDIRCM), lock-on after launch and a 360 degree around engagement capability.

The infrared seeker developed by DiehlBGT Defence provides extremely high resolution, target discrimination and flaresuppression - even if confronted with thelatest countermeasures. Diameter, length,mass and centre-of-gravity position have deliberately been chosen such that theymeet the requirement for compatibility withits Sidewinder predecessor.

The missile-launcher interface, too, hasbeen designed so as to be compatible withboth the previous analogue Sidewinder interface and the digital interfaces of modernfighter aircraft. Operational service withthe Eurofighter Typhoon squadrons of theGerman, Italian and Spanish Air Forces hasnow begun.

AMRAAMWith the incorporation of the latest digitaltechnology, micro-miniaturized solid-stateelectronics, and up to date active radarguidance, the most recent versions of theRaytheon Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) packs unprecedent-ed performance with high dependability into a lightweight package.

AMRAAM provides operational flexibili-ty and multi-shot capability, and can be launched day or night, in all weather. Its autonomous guidance capability gives thepilot critical range preserving launch andleave aptitude, allowing for immediate

manoeuvre following missile launch, thusproviding faster engagement of follow-ontargets or the option to maximise separationfrom the original threat.

AMRAAM’s dual use (air and surfacelaunch) operational capabilities includequick fly-out, robust immunity to counter-measures, and better capability attackinglow-altitude targets and, to date, more than25 countries have deployed AMRAAM, en-riching interoperability, ensuring common-ality, and helping to sustain strong overalllogistic support.

Phillip Lee

22

Eurofighter Typhoon moves to the front line

Armed and Dangerous

First flight with METEOR proved Eurofighter Typhoon´s ability to carry all

designated weapons for Air Defence

ASRAAM firing certification

has been achieved by

Eurofighter Typhoon

Air Superiority configuration including

AIM-9L Sidewinder

IRIS-T was handed over to the German

Air Force in December 2005

The RAF have conducted AMRAAM firing trials

issue 1 - 2006 eurofighter review

Performance is Key

Programme Advances Through 2006

� DA1 Lands for the Last Time

� 2005 Programme Review

� Eurofighter Typhoon Moves to the Front Line

Eurofighter Typhoon Enters Final Stages of Flight Test

In February, the Eurofighter Flight TestTeam put Instrumented Production AircraftThree (IPA3) through several underwingheavy load tests, with four Paveway IIbombs, three external fuel tanks, and acomplement of air-to-air missiles.

These tests come as Eurofighter Typhoonopens the final chapter of the Main Develop-ment Contract. The testing of the air-to-aircarefree handling Flight Control Software(FCS) is almost finished, while the

remaining clearances for the Phase 4 FCSwill be finalised over the Summer. The finalstage of testing will be the validation of thePhase 5 air-to-ground FCS. The software,written by a Joint Team headed by EADSMilitary Air Systems in Germany, will

undergo rigorous testing in all four PartnerNations and will involve six aircraft fromthe Flight Test fleet.

On conclusion, the final clearances forthe Full Operational Capability will be ex-pected in 2007, followed by the availabilityof the Phase 5 software to Block 5 aircraft.The first Block 5 Eurofighter Typhoon is already in final assembly in Germany, withdeliveries of this standard of aircraft to begin in early 2007.

Eurofighter Typhoon IPA3 in under wing load tests as

aircraft development enters the final stages

p r o g r a m m e n e w s a n d f e a t u r e s