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December 28, 2023 Topic: military Region: Europe Blog Brand: The Buzz
Tags: EurofighterEurofighter Typhoon Russia NATO Cold War

Eurofighter Typhoon Is a Fighter Plane Built for One Mission
The Eurofighter Typhoon has no F-22 or F-35 stealth or 5th-generation
fighter capabilities. However, it can still compete with the best
fighter jets today.

by Peter Suciu Follow PeterSuciu on TwitterL
The Eurofighter Typhoon is no F-22 or F-35 and has no 5th-generation
fighter capabilities. However, it can still compete with the best
fighter jets on Earth today. And it was designed to take on the Soviet
Union's best fighters.

There was a time when the idea of a joint European-built aircraft was
little more than a pipe dream. Still, the European collaborative program
that produced the Panavia Tornado proved that former adversaries could
work well together in developing a highly capable warbird.

The Eurofighter Typhoon was devised to provide four of the continent’s
air forces with an air defense fighter that would be superior in all
respects to the latest generation of Soviet warplanes then coming online.

Eurofighter: A History
Established in June 1986, the Eurofighter consortium involved the same
three countries – Germany, Italy and the UK – that had worked to develop
the Panavia Tornado.

Spain later joined those three, while France had also been an early
partner in the European Fighter Aircraft (EFA), before Paris elected to
pursue its own program that resulted in the development of the Dassault
Rafale.

Early work on the EFA project had actually defined the basic concepts
for the future Eurofighter Typhoon, including canard foreplanes, active
digital fly-by-wire controls, extensive use of carbon fiber composites
and other advanced materials, a hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS)
cockpit, advanced avionics, multi-function cockpit displays and direct
voice command input.

Many of the technologies had been tested using a full-scale
demonstrator, the British Aerospace (BAe) EAP (Experimental Aircraft
Programme). Seven prototypes were produced, and the first made its
maiden flight in March 1994.

The aircraft was subsequently re-designated the Eurofighter 2000, and
later renamed Eurofighter Typhoon.

Notable Eurofighter Typhoon Facts
The Captor-M mechanically scanned radar’s wide field of regard offered
significant benefits in both air-to-air and air-to-surface engagements.
It provided considerable power and aperture for enhanced angular coverage.

A multi-mode unit, the Captor-M was able to search for targets in Range
While Search (RWS), Velocity Search (VS) and multi-target Track While
Scan (TWS) modes. Lock-follow Modes were tailored long-range tracking
and short-range tracking for use in visual identification or gun attacks.

In addition, Captor-M’s Air Combat Acquisition Modes could provide the
pilot with a choice of boresight, vertical scan HUD field of view or
slaved acquisition. The jet fighter offers three advanced search modes:
Range While Search, Velocity Search, and Track While Scan. In addition,
there is a set of lock-follow modes that provide short and long-range
tracking, which can be used in visual and gun attacks.

The pilot workload was reduced by using advanced features, including a
direct voice input (DVI) and the hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS)
control functions, which allow single-pilot operations even in the most
demanding missions. Navigation aids also included the latest GPS with a
fully digital interface, satellite tracking channels, and anti-jam
capabilities.

Eurofighter Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typhoon was notable for having only 15 percent of its
surface being metallic. That enhanced its stealth and protection against
radar-based systems. In all, upwards of 75 percent of the aircraft was
fabricated from carbon-fiber composites.

The two-spool EJ200 engines utilized a single-stage turbine driving a
three-stage fan and five-stage compressor with annular combustion with
vaporizing burners. It enabled cruise at supersonic speeds without
afterburning.

Eurofighter Typhoon

The Typhoon also employed a deliberately unstable aerodynamic
configuration that provided superior maneuverability at subsonic speeds
as well as efficient supersonic capability.

As of October 2020, 572 Eurofighter Typhoons have been delivered. The
aircraft remains in service with the air forces of multiple, including
Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – while Austria, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar
and Saudi Arabia have also adopted the aircraft.

Currently, four of the surviving prototypes are now on display in
museums in Germany, Italy and the UK.

About the Author
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than
four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He regularly writes about
military hardware, and is the author of several books on military
headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available
on Amazon.com. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.

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