In modern warfare, aviation plays a key role. The world's leading military powers have a developed aviation industry and are capable of independently creating combat aircraft. Today there are a number of states (India, Turkey, Iran) striving to join the “major military-political league”; they all pay great attention to the aviation industry and strive by any means to obtain the latest technologies in this area. The ability to build combat aircraft is not only a matter of prestige, but also of national security.
In the early 80s of the last century, the European fighter fleet no longer corresponded to the realities of the time. The cars created in the 60s (first and second generations) looked clearly outdated, both morally and physically. At the same time, serial production of the excellent fourth-generation multirole fighter F-16 had already begun in the United States, and in the USSR they were working on the MiG-29 and Su-27. The Americans persistently offered the F-16 to their European allies, but it was shameful for England, France and Germany not to have their own modern fighter.
In addition to ambitions, a reluctance to lose jobs in such an important area as aircraft manufacturing also played a big role, and the European requirements for a fourth-generation fighter were somewhat different from the American ones. Therefore, at approximately the same time, work began in different European countries to create a new combat aircraft. Later they decided to join forces, which led to the emergence of the EFA consortium, which initially included leading aircraft manufacturers from England, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
The result of his work was the fourth-generation European fighter aircraft Eurofighter Typhoon or EF2000. Its serial production began in 2003. Today this machine is in service with the Air Forces of England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Austria. It is planned to deliver this aircraft to Kuwait and Oman; India is showing great interest in the EF2000.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is available in four different versions, one for each country participating in the project.
Domestic and foreign experts believe that at the moment the Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the best fighters in the world. The latest modifications of the EF2000 can be classified as generation 4+ or even 4++. At the beginning of this year, 476 aircraft were produced, the cost of one aircraft is $123 million.
History of creation
As mentioned above, in the early 80s, Europe had a serious lag behind the USA and the USSR in the quality of its fighters. The aircraft created in the USA were not very suitable for the Europeans in terms of their characteristics: they needed a fighter capable of fighting for air supremacy and solving air defense problems. American vehicles were mainly focused on solving strike missions and could not carry medium-range air-to-air missiles.
Several European companies were involved in the development of the new fighter: Bae in England, MVB and Dornier in Germany and Dassault-Breguet in France. The projects they worked on had similar characteristics: a simple and cheap machine was created, with a relatively low take-off weight and good thrust-to-weight ratio. Therefore, it is not surprising that very soon the Europeans decided to join forces.
In 1983, at a meeting of the chiefs of staff of the Air Forces of France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain, it was decided to create the Eurofighter consortium, which would develop a new European fighter.
This aircraft was primarily planned as an interceptor, with missile and cannon weapons on board, capable of striking ground targets.
It should be said that even at the stage of forming the tactical and technical specifications for the future fighter, serious disagreements arose between the countries participating in the consortium. The French needed an aircraft not only land-based, but also deck-based, so they insisted on reducing the weight of the airframe, which did not suit the other participants. For this reason, France left the consortium in 1985 and began developing its own Rafale program.
The Eurofighter needed a new engine with high thrust-to-weight ratio. To develop it, another consortium was created, which was called “Eurojet”; it included such industrial giants of the Old World as Rolls-Royce, FiatAvio and MTU Aero Engines. The project for a new engine for the fighter was called the EJ200.
As the work progressed, small European states began to show interest in them: Holland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium.
In 1988, a contract was signed for the design of the aircraft and the construction of its first samples.
The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union could not but affect the project to create a new aircraft. The threat of a global war with a powerful enemy, which hung over Europe for almost half a century, is a thing of the past. Voices began to be heard that the program (very expensive, by the way) should be curtailed. In addition, many experts stated that the new aircraft is seriously inferior to the much cheaper Soviet MiG-29.
However, the program was successfully defended, although the number of orders for the consortium was reduced. In 1991, testing of the aircraft began, and in 1994, the Eurofighter Typhoon made its first flight.
Initially, it was planned to build 620 Eurofighter Typhoons, orders were unevenly distributed between factories in four countries: England - 232 fighters, Germany - 180 units, Italy received 121 aircraft. Spain was entrusted with the assembly of 87 cars.
In 1998, a contract was signed for the production of a pilot batch of the aircraft, and in 2000, flight tests of the fighter were completed and it was cleared for operation.
In 2002, the consortium signed a contract with the Austrian government for the supply of eighteen aircraft, but then their number was reduced to fifteen.
In 2003, deliveries of the EF2000 Tranche 1 fighter aircraft began to all member countries of the consortium. In the spring of the following year, the aircraft were officially accepted into service. In the same year, contracts were signed for the supply of the second batch (tranche) of aircraft. It should be noted that the fighters belonging to Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 have significant differences. The EF2000 Tranche 2 was equipped with a new on-board computer, an improved avionics package, and a more advanced weapons system that allows it to destroy ground targets.
The need to create a multi-purpose aircraft became especially acute after the start of the Afghan campaign.
The Eurofighter Typhoon, modified Tranche 2, first took to the air in 2008. Currently, there is already a modification of Tranche 3, which is distinguished by increased engine thrust, fuel tanks, a more advanced on-board computer, as well as a phased array radar.
You can't make it through the road alone
In the early seventies, almost simultaneously with the USA and the USSR, many European countries started thinking about creating a next-generation fighter. Of the main European three, the French had the best position. Dassault, which made good money from the success of its Mirage III, Mirage 5 and Mirage F1, had both the resources and the opportunity to develop a new generation of fighter aircraft in the shortest possible time. They did not pursue amazing characteristics or unprecedented technologies. By the end of the seventies, the Mirage 2000 made its first flight. Some believe that this is a 3+ generation aircraft, some say that it is the fourth generation, since it was in no way inferior to the early F-16 and MiG-29. However, the French did not need to rush anywhere, what else will affect this story.
The ACF (Avion de Combat Futur) project initially envisioned the development of the Mirage F1 with a conventional swept wing, but Dassault later returned to the proven delta wing and tailless design in the Mirage 2000
Things turned out much worse for Britain and Germany. The aviation industry of the former was in a prolonged crisis; British aircraft were not in demand on the market and were almost never purchased by their own government. The only truly modern fighter in British service was the American F-4 Phantom-II. The Jaguar GR1, which was finishing testing, although formally considered a fighter-bomber, was still poorly suited for the role of gaining air superiority due to a very limited set of air-to-air weapons.
The British urgently needed both a modern interceptor and a modern front-line fighter. The threat from Soviet bombers was more serious, so I didn’t want to delay with the interceptor. They decided to make it without ambition - based on the latest Anglo-German strike Tornado, which was just being tested.
But the front-line fighter had to be as cool as possible, rubbing the nose of the United States and returning the arms markets to Britain.
The British saw a highly maneuverable short takeoff and landing aircraft (or even a completely VTOL aircraft) as a promising front-line fighter.
One of the projects being developed to meet these requirements - Hawker Siddeley HS.1205 Germany was in the most difficult situation. Attempts to create a vertical take-off and landing fighter, both independently and in cooperation with the Americans, ended in nothing, despite a decade of work. Germany still did not have fighters entirely of its own design, which did not satisfy German industrialists who wanted to enter the aviation weapons market. Therefore, the new aircraft, which was supposed to replace the notorious F-104G and the oldest F-4 Phantom-II, was planned as a real masterpiece of technical thought, capable of not only standing up to any promising Soviet aircraft on an equal footing, but also, more importantly, with ease defeat other Western competitors in the arms market.
The Taktisches Kampfflugzeug (later Taktisches Kampfflugzeug 90, or TKF-90) program explored a variety of different and unusual options. For example, Dornier was exploring the option of returning to a biplane design, but using new technologies
Italy was slowly developing its own fighter of the future. True, it was very reminiscent of the heavily mutated American Phantom-II
Description of the aircraft
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multi-role fighter that should become the backbone of the European Air Force in the first third of the 21st century.
The fighter is made according to the canard aerodynamic design, the front horizontal tail is all-moving. The wing is triangular in shape, low-lying, the sweep angle of the leading edge is 53 degrees. To reduce the fighter's visibility, it is made of radio-absorbing material.
The flaps and slats are two-section. Eurofighter Typhoon has a single-fin vertical tail.
Fuselage type – semi-monocoque. The pilot is protected by overhead armor from small arms fire. The pilot's cockpit is covered with a one-piece frameless canopy, which provides the pilot with excellent visibility. An ejection seat is installed in the cockpit, which allows the pilot to leave the aircraft at any speed and flight conditions.
The EF2000 body consists of 40% carbon fiber, 40% various aluminum alloys, and 12% titanium alloys. Composite materials make up most of the aircraft's surface (about 70%), which ensures its low ESR.
Fuel tanks are located in the fuselage and in the wing caissons. Several suspension tanks can be placed on the external suspension units. There is an in-flight refueling system.
The Eurofighter Typhoon has a tricycle landing gear with single-wheel struts. The main struts are retracted towards the fuselage, and the nose strut is retracted forward. The design of the landing gear allows the EF2000 to land and take off from runways with poor surface quality. For emergency braking, the aircraft is equipped with a braking parachute.
When creating the EF2000 fighter, stealth technologies are used. The aircraft cannot be called completely invisible, but the RCS is significantly reduced. When developing the aircraft, the designers were tasked with reducing the EPR level by four times compared to the Tornado aircraft.
To achieve similar characteristics, composite materials were actively used in the design of the aircraft, the front parts of the engines are masked with a special design of air intakes, and the external weapon mounts are made semi-recessed. Starting in 2020, the Eurofighter Typhoon is equipped with an airborne phased array radar, which has a much lower level of radio emissions.
The Eurofighter Typhoon power plant consists of two Eurojet EJ 200 turbofan engines, each of which develops a thrust of 9.18 tf. The most modern technologies are used in the manufacture of the EJ 200: discs made of powder materials, a digital control system capable of operating in any mode, monocrystalline turbine blades, and a built-in diagnostic system. The combustion chamber has a special ceramic coating, which significantly increases its service life. One of the main features of the aircraft engines is their modular design; dismantling takes only 45 minutes.
The Eurofighter can be called one of the most durable combat aircraft. First of all, this concerns its engine; the designers increased its service life to 10 thousand hours of operation.
The EF2000's non-adjustable air intake is located under the fuselage and has a curved lower edge, which also reduces the aircraft's visibility on radar screens. The air intake is divided by a vertical partition into two independent channels, each of which feeds one of the engines.
Eurofighter Typhoon is equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control system (EFCS) without mechanical backup. In many ways, it is this that ensures high maneuverability of the aircraft, its stability and safety of piloting at extreme conditions.
The weapon control system consists of the PIRATE forward looking infrared system and the ECR90 multi-mode coherent pulse-Doppler radar. The PIRATE system is installed on an external hardpoint and is designed to search and identify air and ground targets.
The fighter's navigation system is inertial and includes ring laser gyroscopes, a helmet-mounted sight-indicator, a system for analyzing, identifying and prioritizing external threats and other components.
The aircraft's most expensive electronics component is its DASS defense system. It collects and analyzes information from many sensors that can perceive laser or radar radiation. DASS also controls a number of protection elements (both passive and active), including jamming transmitters, shooting thermal traps and dipole reflectors, and towed decoys. Containers with an electronic warfare system are located at the ends of the wing consoles.
The fighter has thirteen external hardpoints. Its conventional armament consists of four medium-range guided missiles located under the fuselage and two short-range missiles, which are usually placed on the outermost external hardpoints. In total, the Eurofighter Typhoon can carry up to ten air-to-air missiles. It is possible to place three hanging tanks.
The Eurofighter's cannon armament consists of a 27-mm Mauser automatic cannon, which is located in the root of the right wing.
The aircraft can also carry up to 6.5 thousand kg of various bombs.
Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 aka EF2000
Eurofighter Typhoon is a 4th generation twin-engine multi-role fighter with a canard design and delta wing. Later modifications of this fighter belong to generation 4+ or 4++. The development and production of the Typhoon is carried out by Eurofighter GmbH, which was created by a consortium of Alenia Aeronautica, EADSM and BAE Systems in 1986. The development of a promising aircraft began in 1979.
The Typhoon is a unique combat aircraft, produced in four versions: one version for each country included in the consortium (Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain). At the same time, all contracting companies are engaged in the production of units for each of the 620 aircraft. Members of the consortium are engaged in the production of the following elements of the multirole fighter: AleniaAeronautica - rear fuselage section, external flaperons, left wing; BAE Systems - rear fuselage section, forward fuselage section (including PGO), garrot, canopy, tail stabilizer, internal flaperons; EADS Deutschland - center section, central part of the fuselage; EADS CASA - slats, right wing.
The design features of the EF2000 reflect the designers' desire to use the latest advances in electronics and aircraft engineering. To ensure the required level of maneuverability characteristics, especially at high angles of attack, the fighter was designed according to a scheme with a low-lying delta wing (sweep of 53 degrees), a negative stability margin, two-section slats and flaps, a rotating front horizontal tail, a vertical fin and a rudder without a stabilizer. This scheme has a number of advantages, the main one of which is the reduction of drag at supersonic speed.
The leading edge of the front horizontal tail is made of radio-absorbing material.
Although the new fighter does not belong to the category of aircraft made using stealth technology, during its design several design and layout measures were carried out, which were aimed at reducing the effective scattering surface. During the design, the task was set to reduce the effective scattering surface from the forward angles of irradiation of radar systems by four times in comparison with the same value for the Tornado aircraft.
Such measures include: recessed air intakes and motor input stages masked by input devices (a significant source of reflection of electromagnetic radiation). Some elements of the aircraft design that are important in terms of reflectivity (the load-bearing planes and the leading edges of the horizontal tail and stabilizer) are characterized by a large span, which is why they have good reflectivity in the forward sector. The external suspensions of guided missiles are semi-recessed, which makes it possible to partially shield the missile suspensions from incident EM radiation by the aircraft structure.
The leading structural elements and areas of the Eurofighter in terms of reflectivity are covered with radio-absorbing materials, mainly developed by the EADS/DASA concern. These include: the leading edge of the wing, the inner surfaces and inlet edges of the air intakes, the rudder, as well as the surfaces adjacent to it, and the like.
Various materials are used in the aircraft's construction: carbon fiber plastics make up 40 percent of the airframe's mass, aluminum-lithium alloys (Al-Li 8090) - 20%, aluminum alloys - 18%, titanium alloys - 12% and fiberglass - 10%. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics account for 70 percent of the airframe's surface, fiberglass accounts for 12%, metal accounts for 15%, and other structural materials account for 3%. The contract stipulates that the empty weight of the aircraft should not exceed 9999 kg. In the future, it is possible to use advanced aluminum-lithium alloys. The design life of the structure is 6 thousand hours.
The fuselage is semi-monocoque. The pilot is partially protected from fire from medium-caliber small arms by overhead cockpit armor. The frameless, one-piece molded canopy provides good visibility.
The fighter uses a single-fin tail having a large area with a rudder. The root part of the keel is equipped with an air intake for the cooling system heat exchanger.
Wing mechanization - a section of flaperons and hovering elevons, as well as sections of deflectable leading edges on each console. The wing skin is made of carbon fiber (the deflectable socks and containers at the ends of the wing are made of aluminum-lithium alloys).
The area of the front horizontal tail is 2.40 m2. Carbon fiber is mainly used for its manufacture.
The aircraft's three-wheel landing gear has single-wheel struts. The main struts are retracted towards the fuselage, the front control strut is retracted forward. The design of the tires and landing gear is optimized for operation even from rough-repaired concrete runways, as well as for landings without leveling. But in order to eliminate problems with heating of the wheel rims during intense braking, the required length of the strips, which, according to the original plans, was 500 meters, was increased to 700 meters. For emergency braking, the aircraft is equipped with a braking parachute.
The engine development program (EFA-Programm) was started in 1983. The basis was taken from the RB 199 engine used on the Tornado multi-purpose aircraft. According to other sources, the engine was created on the basis of the experimental Rolls-Royce XG.40. its bench tests were carried out in 1988.
In 1986, the EurojetTurboGmbH consortium was founded to develop, design and subsequently produce the EJ200 engines. The founders of the consortium are: Rolls-Royce (UK), ITP (Spain), FiatAvio (Italy) and MTU AeroEngines (Germany). EurojetTurboGmbH was located in Hallbergmoos, a suburb of Munich, and was bound by agreements with the NETMA agency (NATO), which in turn is a partner of all these states.
The EJ200 is a dual-circuit twin-shaft turbofan engine with an afterburner. The engine design uses monocrystalline turbine blades, discs made of powder materials, an all-mode digital control system, brush seals, and a built-in diagnostic system. Composite materials are widely used for stationary engine parts. The engine combustion chamber has a thermally insulating coating made of ceramic material.
The fighter uses an unregulated ventral air intake with rectangular side edges and a curved lower edge, divided into two channels by a vertical partition (air supply to each turbofan), having a deflectable lower and fixed upper panel.
According to the intergovernmental agreement between the states, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Italy pledged to participate in the joint development and production of the engine for the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter. The engine is modular. It takes an average of 45 minutes to dismantle it.
Engine characteristics:
Dry thrust – 6120 kgf; Afterburner thrust - 9097 kgf; Fuel consumption in non-afterburning mode is from 0.745 to 0.813 kg/kgf per hour; Fuel consumption in afterburner mode is from 1.65 to 1.72 kg/kgf per hour; The gas temperature in front of the turbine is 1840°K; Air consumption – 76 kg/s; Inlet diameter – 740 mm; Length – 4 m; Weight – 989 kg; Assigned resource – 6 thousand hours; Time between repairs – 1 thousand hours.
Fuel is stored in the fuselage, fin and wing in sealed tanks. The central and a pair of underwing external suspension units house external fuel tanks with a capacity of 1500 liters and 1000 liters, respectively. The fighter also has an in-flight refueling system.
The fly-by-wire flight control system is quadruplex adaptive and has no backup mechanical wiring. Provides artificial stability of the aircraft and safe piloting at the limit and high maneuverability.
The weapons control system includes the PIRATE forward looking infrared system and the ECR90 multi-mode coherent pulse-Doppler radar.
The EF2000 is equipped with an inertial navigation system with laser ring gyroscopes, a helmet-mounted indicator sight, equipment for identifying and prioritizing enemy attack weapons, computers for defensive and offensive maneuvers and the area of possible use of weapons.
The DASS defense system is the most expensive piece of electronic equipment created for the Eurofighter. The system provides assessment and synthesis of data received from laser and radar receivers, other sensors and automatic activation of the necessary active (towed decoys, jammers) and passive means of protection. Containers with equipment are located at the ends of the wing consoles.
The EF2000 fighter does not have internal weapons bays. Instead, there are external suspension units that worsen the EPR performance, however, they allow you to expand the options and range of weapons used.
The fighter has thirteen external hardpoints. Typical armament - 4 medium-range guided missiles AIM-120 AMRAAM, "Skyflash" (on British aircraft) or "Aspid" (on Italian aircraft) placed in a semi-recessed position under the fuselage, as well as 2 short-range guided missiles ASRAAM or AIM-9 "Sidewinder" located on the extreme underwing nodes. The total number of air-to-air missiles is up to 10, but the take-off weight of the fighter, even with such weapons, should not exceed 18,140 kg (40 thousand pounds). External fuel tanks can be placed on 3 external hardpoints. The aircraft is equipped with a 27 mm Mauser cannon.
When performing strike operations, the aircraft can carry up to 6,500 kilograms of bombs on seven hardpoints, as well as 6 air-to-air guided missiles. The combat radius of action when fighting for air superiority can be more than 1000 kilometers; when carrying out a strike operation along a low-low altitude profile, 325 kilometers, and along a high-low-high profile - 1000 kilometers. An aircraft equipped with air-to-air weapons can patrol in the air for 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Semi-conformal outboard fuel tanks were designed for the fighter. A laser rangefinder/target designator can be placed under one fuselage suspension unit. At the wing tips, containers contain electronic radar equipment and infrared trap units.
The production of the fighter is divided into three tranches - 148/236/236 units (620 aircraft in total) for four participating countries (Great Britain - 232, Germany - 180, Italy - 121 and Spain - 87). Tranche 1 aircraft began to arrive in the air forces of the four participating states in the summer of 2003. In turn, the aircraft of each tranche are divided into batches and blocks, for example, the first tranche of two-seater aircraft for the British Air Force is divided into two batches T1 and T1A. The first aircraft arrived at the 17th squadron in 2003. There, the first batch of aircraft was carefully studied and tested. The first “typhoons” officially entered the air force on July 1, 2005. The number of EF-2000 fighters delivered under the first tranche is currently 148 units.
In 2002, the consortium entered into the first export agreement with the Austrian government for 18 Tranche-2 modification fighters worth $2.55 billion (EUR 1.95 billion). However, the Austrian Ministry of Defense and Eurofighter reached an agreement in June 2007 to reduce the ordered aircraft to 15 units and change the modification from Tranche-2 to Tranche-1. Including an agreement to supply Saudi Arabia with 72 fighters, the EF-2000 program currently includes the production of 707 fighters for six customers.
The countries participating in the program signed an agreement on the production and supply of Tranche-2 on December 14, 2004. The first aircraft of this version took off on January 16, 2008 at the EADS facility in Manching.
Initially, the aircraft complied with the "F2 Tranche 1" standard ("F2 model 1"), which intended to use the aircraft exclusively in air combat against enemy aircraft. However, in order to fully utilize fighter jets in Afghanistan, it was necessary to realize the possibility of destroying ground targets. The Typhoon was announced in July 2008 as a multi-role fighter capable of effectively destroying both air and ground targets. The aircraft received the abbreviation FGR4 (T3 is a two-seat version of the aircraft). The complete modernization of all F2 fighters to the FGR4 level was planned to be completed by the end of 2012.
Tranche-2 standard aircraft differ from Tranche-1 with a reinforced landing gear, a new on-board computer, an improved avionics package and improved air-to-ground weapon systems.
An agreement has now been signed for the creation of 40 Tranche 3 fighters. Taking into account previous fighter models, the RAF will have 107 Eurofighter Typhoons until 2030.
Multirole fighters of the Tranche-3 version will receive conformal fuel tanks, an upgraded on-board computer, an engine with increased thrust, a package of new software and a radar station with a phased array antenna.
Fighter modifications:
Block 1 – Tranche 1, the initial version of fighters; Block 2 – Tranche 1, air combat fighter; Block 5 – Tranche 1, a multi-role fighter version (with the ability to strike ground targets); Block 8 - Tranche 2, fighters with a new on-board computer; Block 10 – Tranche 2, fighter with EOC 1, IFF Mode 5, improved DASS, Rangeless ACMI, IRIS-T digital, URVV – AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM, URVZ-GBU-24, GPS-guided weapons, Paveway III & IV , ALARM, Rafael Litening III; Block 15 – Tranche 2, fighter with EOC 2, airborne attack aircraft – TAURUS, airborne attack aircraft METEOR, Brimstone, Storm Shadow; Block 20 – Tranche 2, fighter with EOC 3; Typhoon S - production version for participating countries except the UK; Typhoon T1 – two-seat trainer for the British Air Force; Typhoon F2 - single-seat fighter for the British Air Force; Typhoon T3 – two-seat trainer version of the Block 5 modification for the UK; Typhoon FGR4 is a multi-role modification of the Block 5 variant for the British Air Force. The modernization came down to the installation of new overhead target designation systems, which were developed by the Israeli company Rafael, and the replenishment of ammunition with guided bombs weighing 450 kilograms (1000 pounds). The EnhancedPaveway II and Paveway II bombs are produced by the American company Raytheon. These bombs have a laser guidance system, but in the EnhancedPaveway II this system is complemented by a GPS guidance system. The effectiveness of the “work” against ground targets of the modernized Typhoon was tested during the joint British-American Green Flag exercises held in Nevada.
As of 2011, the aircraft is in service with: Austria - 15 Typhoon; UK - 86 Typhoon; Germany - 55 Typhoon; Italy - 62 Typhoon; Spain - 32 Typhoon; In 2012, Saudi Arabia entered service with 24 Typhoons; In the same year, Oman ordered 12 Typhoons of the Tranche 3 series (delivery in 2022).
Flight characteristics:
Crew – 1/2 person (F.2, FGR.4/T.1, T.1A); Aircraft length – 15.96 m; Wing span – 10.95 m; Aircraft height – 5.28 m; Wing area – 50 m²; Sweep angle along the leading edge – 55o; Wing aspect ratio – 2.2; Empty aircraft weight – 11000 kg; The weight of the equipped aircraft is 15550 kg; Maximum take-off weight – 23500 kg; The mass of fuel in the internal tanks is 4000 kg; Mass of fuel in external fuel tanks – 1x1500 l, 2x1200 l; Engine – two Eurojet EJ 200 turbofan engines. Maximum thrust of one engine – 6120 kgf (60 kN); Specific fuel consumption – 0.76 kg per kgf/hour; Thrust of one engine in afterburner – 9180 kgf (90 kN); Specific fuel consumption in afterburner – 1.7 kg per kgf/hour; Maximum speed at altitude – 2450 km/h (Mach 2.0); Maximum ground speed – 1400 km/h (Mach 1.2): Take-off/run length – 700 m; Range in fighter mode – 1390 km; The range of action in attack aircraft mode is 600 km; Maximum (ferry) flight range – 3790 km; Maximum operational overload – 9; Service ceiling – 19812 m; Rate of climb – more than 315 m/s; Acceleration time from 370 to 1200 km/h – 30 seconds; Wing load – 311 kg/m²; Thrust-to-weight ratio – 1.18; Cannon armament: — Mauser BK-27 cannon, 27 mm caliber, located in the root part of the right half-wing; Combat load – 6500 kg; Suspension points – 13; Missile weapons: “air-to-air” - AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-132 ASRAAM, IRIS-T, in the future MBDA Meteor; “air-to-ground” - StormShadow, AGM-84 Harpoon, ALARM, AGM-88 HARM, Brimstone, Penguin, Taurus, in the future AGMArmiger; Bomb weapons: Paveway 2, Paveway 3, JDAM, EnhancedPaveway, HOPE/HOSBO; Laser target designation system – “Litening”; Avionics: Radar system: CAPTOR, since 2010 - CAESAR active phased array antenna; OLS PIRATE.
Prepared from materials: https://ru-aviation.livejournal.com https://www.airwar.ru https://pro-samolet.ru https://www.best-army.ru
Overall Project Assessment
Evaluations of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter are very contradictory. Aircraft manufacturers do not skimp (this is natural) on the most laudatory epithets in relation to their brainchild. In their opinion, the EF2000 has an 82% probability of winning a duel with the Russian Su-35, and its combat effectiveness is equal to five MiG-29 aircraft. The developers also believe that the Eurofighter is superior in turn speed (M<1 and M>1) to the Su-35, F-16C, MiG-29 and the French Rafale fighter.
However, there are other EF2000 ratings. Several German aviation experts have come to the conclusion that the European fighter is inferior to the MiG-29M both in terms of avionics capabilities and flight characteristics.
It is believed that the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter was conceptually outdated even before its serial production began. This point of view seems quite reasonable. In the USA and USSR, work on creating fourth-generation fighters began in the mid-60s, and in the 80s these machines already went into mass production. At this time, the Europeans had just begun to create a car.
In 1990, the fifth generation fighter, the American F-22 Raptor, made its first flight. Today this aircraft is mass-produced, and in many respects it is superior to any aircraft of the previous generation.
In almost all characteristics, the Eurofighter Typhoon is inferior to the Russian Su-35 fighter, which belongs to the 4++ generation. In 2014, this aircraft was put into operation and is being mass-produced.
Today, aircraft manufacturers are beginning to think about the appearance of the sixth generation fighter, although its time will not come soon.
Despite this, the European Typhoon is undoubtedly one of the best fighters of our time. It may be inferior in some respects to the latest Russian and American aircraft, but the Eurofighter Typhoon is still a very formidable opponent.
This aircraft used the EMDS system for the first time, the rational use of stealth technology significantly reduced its radar signature, but did not make it excessively expensive, the Eurofighter Typhoon has a supersonic cruising speed, which brings it closer to fifth-generation aircraft.
All this indicates a very high level of European aircraft manufacturing. If the Europeans ever decide to build a fifth-generation fighter, their competitors (USA, Russia and China) will have a hard time.
Circus with the French
By the end of the seventies, after several years of preliminary design and research, both England and Germany came to the conclusion that it might be possible to make an excellent new generation fighter completely independently, but it would take too much time. By that time, the market will be completely occupied by American aircraft, so it will not be possible to recoup the development by selling aircraft to foreign customers. The smart decision was to join forces - fortunately, there were plenty of examples of successful European cooperation in the field of aviation.
Various English projects within the ECF program. In some you can already see the features of the future Eurofighter
In 1979, work began on the ECF (European Collaborative Fighter) program, in which initially only England and Germany participated. The former were represented by the newly created state concern BAe, and the German company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm. As usual, first both companies independently prepared the project according to the same requirements, and then a winner was chosen, which, taking into account the modifications, was supposed to go into series. Interestingly, at about the same moment, the name Eurofighter was first used to designate the future European fighter.
Fighter project from Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, originally developed as part of the TKF-90 program and then presented to the ECF
While the engineers sat down to the drawing boards, politicians took up an equally important task - negotiations on the participation of other European countries in the project. We quickly reached an agreement with Italy and Spain. They did not participate in the design, but were ready to produce part of the systems of the future fighter.
But much more important was the attempt to lure the Swedes and French into the program.
By gaining their participation, it would be possible not only to significantly speed up the creation of ECF, but also to get rid of possible future competitors in advance. The Swedes and SAAB refused almost immediately. The northerners valued their independence too much and did not really want to become dependent on any general weapons development programs. But the French and Dassault were ready to participate.
The Germans did not put all their eggs in one basket. In parallel with the ECF, Dornier was developing a promising fighter together with the Americans from Northrop. This work continued until 1982
In honor of France's accession, the name of the program was changed to ECA (European Combat Aircraft). The French immediately put forward the simplest and most direct proposal - to choose as a single fighter the twin-engine version of the Mirage 2000 (sometimes called the Mirage 3000) they were developing or the slightly heavier Mirage 4000, being developed for export. If such a decision had been made, serial production could easily have been launched as early as 1981. But neither England nor Germany were happy with this. Firstly, they wanted a much more advanced car, head and shoulders above its American competitors. Secondly, with such a development of events, it would be the French who would receive most of the profits, which was unacceptable. Therefore, we decided to continue designing new promising vehicles: R.106 (later R.110) from the British, further development of the TCF-90 from the Germans and ACX from France.
The French fighter Mirage 4000 had every chance of becoming a pan-European aircraft. But it didn't work out
By 1981, it became clear that cooperation was inevitably reaching a dead end. The main stumbling block was the engines for the future fighter. The French believed that the only option was to pair their brand new Snecma M88, the British and Germans advocated installing their two joint RB199 engines.
It was not possible to resolve this issue at the negotiations, and in the same year France officially left the ECA program.
This plus a significant and obvious lag behind American competitors led to a revision of the entire project.
One of the many projects developed at BAe as part of the ECA program
We decided to make not just a new fighter, but a next-generation fighter compared to the existing F-15 and F-16. They planned to finish it by 1989, beating the Americans by two years, who planned to put a new generation aircraft into production only in 1991. The new ACA (Agile Combat Aircraft) project was a typical representative of a promising fighter of those times - it required super maneuverability, supersonic cruising and the ability to attack with missiles several goals at once. But the Europeans did not yet know that the Americans had already decided to rely on stealth in the new fighters and this would radically change everything.
External view of the ACA project. The features of the future Eurofighter are becoming clearer and clearer. Nevertheless, independent work continues in Britain and Germany, within which alternative layout options for the future fighter are being explored.
During the same period, it was decided to build a flying stand EAP (Experimental Aircraft Program), on which it was planned to work out the main solutions and even some components of the future fighter. The main work on the EAP was undertaken by the British from BAe, but the other participating countries had to support the program financially. However, due to a number of disagreements about access to test results, EAP became an exclusively English program, although its results were then planned to be used for a future joint project.
BAe EAP performed quite well in tests. Some British military officials even proposed curtailing participation in the European fighter program and quickly completing the EAP to put it into service
In 1984, France tried to return to the program. This was explained quite simply. Dassault's bet on the Mirage 4000 did not pay off - the aircraft turned out to be of no interest either to foreign customers, for whom it was mainly developed, or to its military. The Mirage 2000 also did not have the best performance.
In such conditions, the French would benefit from money from participating in a pan-European fighter program.
They even managed to come up with a new acronym FEFA (Future European Fighter Aircraft) for this matter. But, as usual, it was not possible to agree on the division of profits. Dassault wanted at least 40%, which neither the British nor the Germans agreed with. So again, this collaboration ended before it even began. The French finally focused on the future of the Rafale and did not participate in this story anymore.
The French ACX project was in many ways similar to the future Eurofighter. Aviation enthusiasts to this day argue about who stole it, when and from whom.
Flight performance
| Weight, kg | |
| empty plane | 11000 |
| maximum take-off weight | 23500 |
| engine's type | 2 Eurojet EJ 200 turbofans |
| Maximum speed, km/h | |
| at an altitude of 11000 m | 2120 (M=2.0) |
| near the ground | 1390 (M=1.2) |
| Minimum speed, km/h | 203 |
| Combat radius, km | |
| in fighter mode | 1390 |
| in attack aircraft mode | 601 |
| Practical ceiling, m | 19812 |
| Crew, people | 1 |
| Weapons: | 27-mm Mauser BK27 cannon Combat load – 6500 kg (7500 kg overload) on 13 hardpoints |
More and more problems
By 1986, the price of the program had become too high, and conversations became more frequent that there was no point in pan-European cooperation - it was worth breaking up and starting making airplanes for everyone on their own. Only additional investments from the governments of England, Germany and Italy saved the program. In addition, it was decided to create the Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH concern and officially and clearly divide the profits, as well as determine what and who produces. Overall, these decisions breathed new life into the program and work both on the future Eurofighter itself and on its numerous new systems such as the engine, radar, targeting electronics, and so on.
The appearance of the future European fighter for 1986. The formation of the Eurofighter's appearance is almost complete
It would seem that all Eurofighter's problems are finally behind us. But I think readers can already guess what kind of meanness awaited the projects ahead.
In 1991, after the unification of Germany and the end of the Cold War, the German authorities announced a sharp reduction in military spending, including withdrawal from the Eurofighter program.
Instead, it was planned to build a cheaper and lighter aircraft, using, among other things, East German industry. The second reason was that the project was too far behind the American F-22. But by that time too much money had been invested in the program, too many jobs depended on it. As a result, through the joint efforts of business and foreign partners, it was possible to convince German politicians to maintain funding, albeit at the cost of reducing the order.
In 1994, the first Eurofighter prototype finally flew. Overall, the car turned out to be truly worthy, seriously inferior only to the American F-22, which itself was experiencing significant problems and was under threat of closure. If the Europeans had managed to quickly polish the aircraft and organize its efficient and mass production, the Eurofighter could well have had an excellent export destiny. But due to lack of funding, the work was delayed. In 1998, production of serial vehicles began for the original customers - Germany, England, Italy, Spain and Austria, which paid for its order in the early nineties. Only by the end of the first decade of the 21st century was work under this contract completed and serious promotion of the aircraft for export began.
They tried to make a carrier-based fighter out of the Eurofighter
But by that time, there were good offers on the market from American companies, and quite cheap and good Russian aircraft, which were not always inferior to the Eurofighter even in electronics. Two European competitors were also ready - Dassault Rafale and SAAB JAS 39 Gripen. As a result, a real fight for the markets began. The appearance of the American F-35, actively promoted as a single fighter of all the forces of “good and democracy,” did not simplify the situation. Some European countries, leaning towards purchasing the Eurofighter, gave preference to the American stealth.
The Eurofighter in the German and British Air Forces should serve at least until the mid-thirties of the 21st century
At the moment, the Eurofighter program cannot, of course, be called unsuccessful. The aircraft is in service with several countries and is slowly being modernized. But they failed to achieve the success they dreamed of in the eighties. Who knows - perhaps it would have been worthwhile to finalize the Mirage 4000 with the French and start making money and slowly modernizing before the end of the Cold War. Maybe we should have tamed our pride and still developed a simpler aircraft. Whether the history of the pan-European fighter could have turned out differently, we will never know. We can only watch for new attempts in the form of the Anglo-Italian Tempest and the Franco-German NGF. We’ll find out what will happen this time in about ten years.
