All four Eurofighter Partner Air Forces operate Batch 2 Aircraft
Hallbergmoos (ots)
With deployment of IS002 from Alenia's facilities in Torino to 4° Stormo "Amadeo d'Aosta" at Grosseto, Italy, all for partner air forces in Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom now operate series production single seaters with Batch 2 standard.
These aircraft have PSP2 Capability (Production System Package) with Initial Defensive Aids Subsystem (DASS), Multifunctional Information and Distribution System (MIDS), Initial Direct Voice Input (DVI) and Sensor Fusion.
Six Batch 2 aircraft have been accepted by the customer air forces so far, totaling the number of now delivered series production aircraft at 41 (including 5 Instrumented Production Aircraft IPA).
Most recently the operation of Eurofighter at extremely low temperatures has been successfully evaluated and proven in Sweden. At Decimomannu, Italy, DA 3, the gun firing clearance aircraft, is completing the final demonstration of the Full Operational Clearance for the operation of this part of the Weapon System.
Flight test of the new Phase 4 Standard Flight Control System Software dedicated for Block 2b has begun. Industry and government test pilots comments are enthusiastic: "The Phase 4 software left a very good impression overall. It was like flying a different, much more spirited and agile aircraft." Pilots also praise the new software for air-to-air refueling, reducing workload considerably.
Production of Tranche 1 standard aircraft is fully underway with the 100th center fuselage and right wing section already delivered. Production for Tranche 2 aircraft has already begun last year with first frames for the centre fuselage produced.
Aloysius Rauen, CEO Eurofighter GmbH, commented: "Eurofighter Typhoon is the biggest and most successful military aerospace programme in Europe. With 638 aircraft under contract to five nations Eurofighter GmbH holds the largest order book of any next generation fighter aircraft worldwide, making Eurofighter Typhoon the undisputed Number One in the global fighter business.
Eurofighter Typhoon has unquestioned capabilities acknowledged by the customers and international aerospace experts. Its operational potential reaches far into the first decade of this century, offering huge technological and industrial advantages to new potential customers based on a large order book, reducing customer risk. The Eurofighter Typhoon programme is characterized as a fully open partnership with unrivalled technological and industrial return to customers who wish to join the project."
Images
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www.eurofighter.com/medialibrary
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Eurofighter Typhoon is the world's most advanced swing-role combat aircraft, developed by the leading aerospace companies, Alenia Aeronautica, BAE SYSTEMS, EADS in Germany and EADS CASA, of the four partner countries, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.
Agile and highly manoeuvrable, the twin-engine Eurofighter Typhoon is designed to operate from hastily prepared bases and small runways for worldwide operations. It is equipped with an advanced multi-mode radar and an extensive range of sensors and electronic countermeasures.
The aircraft's ability to gain air superiority beyond visual range (BVR) and in close combat, and at the same time deliver high sortie rates against air, naval and ground targets in all weathers with a variety of weapons, demands close attention to pilot workload. In Eurofighter the pilot flies through use of a computerised flight control system, which offers full carefree handling.
A strong emphasis has been placed on reducing cost of ownership in addition to outstanding performance and flight safety. Eurofighter Typhoon is less expensive to operate than the generation of aircraft it is designed to replace. In respect to the cost to performance relationship Eurofighter is second to none of its competitors.
The Eurofighter partner nations plan to take delivery of 620 aircraft: 180 for Germany, 121 for Italy, 87 for Spain and 232 for the United Kingdom. An additional export order of 18 Eurofighter Typhoon has been signed with the Government of Austria.
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence has agreed an industrial participation programme with Eurofighter GmbH for the future enhancement of the weapon system. Eurofighter Typhoon has also been selected by Greece to meet its respective requirements for a future fighter.
Following Type Acceptance on 30 June, 2003, delivery of Series Production Aircraft commenced to each of the four national air forces with entry into service declared in Spring of 2004.
With the signature of the Tranche 2 Production Contract on 14 December 2004, Eurofighter now has the largest confirmed production contract order book of any next generation fighter aircraft.
Contact:
Wolfdietrich Hoeveler
Vice-President Communications
Eurofighter GmbH, Hallbergmoos
Tel.: +49/(0)811/80'15'55
Mobile: +49/(0)170/855'04'74
Fax: +49/(0)811/80'15'57
E-mail: wolfdietrich.hoeveler@eurofighter.com
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