Typhoon

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.

 

The Aircraft

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 each
• Max speed: 2 Mach
• Length: 15.96m
• Max altitude: > 60,000ft
• Span: 10.95m
• 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 Finmeccanica 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.

 

UK 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.
In March 2009, BAE Systems was awarded a £429 million contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) under a partnering agreement that sees the RAF's Typhoon aircraft maintained and supported by the company. The contract, known as the Typhoon Availability Service, draws on best practice and lessons learnt on previous UK MoD and BAE Systems support arrangement contracts.