Eurofighter Typhoon Updates

A nice video from EADS

Eurofighter Typhoon is a truly multi-role/swing-role combat aircraft. The video highlights the air-to-air capabilities needed for Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions and also shows its air-to-ground capabilities while on deployment.

And some interesting bits of information from RIAT
A recent FOI request has revealed the 2012 figures for QRA launches although this kind of information is often to be found in Parliamentary Answers, click here to read it

RAF Typhoon Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft are held at continuous readiness at RAF Coningsby and RAF Leuchars. The number of days on which RAF QRA aircraft have been launched from all QRA bases for 2010-2012 is as follows: 2010, 14 2011, 18 2012, 25 Launches in 2012 included launches as part of the Air Security Plan for the Olympics. I can confirm that the MOD does hold details of the dates, times and incidents responded  to. I can confirm that al launches were either for Russian military aviation (either Bear or Blackjack aircraft) which approached the NATO Air Policing Area for which the United Kingdom has responsibility or aircraft within UK civil airspace that were causing concern to civil Air Traffic Control ers. Not al launches resulted in an interception, as some incidents were resolved before interception occurred. Al Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter UK sovereign airspace. The aircraft that were causing concern to civil controllers were a range of aircraft types registered in a number of countries, including those registered in the United Kingdom.

A new maintenance regime will save the MoD a considerable amount of money as the number of flying hours before the aircraft are ‘serviced’ has been increased from 400 to 500, there will also be an attendant improvement in availability. Read more here
Good news on Paveway IV integration, as part of the Phase 1 Enhancement programme Typhoon has now successfully released a Paveway IV and can carry up to six of the precision guided bombs. Read more here From BAE

The Phase 1 Enhancement programme includes the integration of new weapons including Paveway IV and EGBU-16 alongside integrating a Laser Designator Pod (LDP) onto Tranche 2 aircraft of the partner nations.

What this does demonstrate is the glacial pace of development, understandable given the numerous constraints but even so, the image below is from 2008

5 years later, the aircraft is on its way to being able to actually drop as well as carry them. 
Finally, news from BAE about Tranche 3, the first of which (BS116) has been moved from final assembly to the paint shop.
Click here to view the story from BAE
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