Deliveries of Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoons to all four Partner Nations will begin in Summer 2008. Deliveries are scheduled to run until 2013.
By July 2009, Tranche 3 is already underway. The initial order for 112 Tranche 3 Typhoon aircraft was awarded by NAMSA on July 31, 2009. These aircraft will be equipped with electrical, cooling and computing power to accomodate future systems, including a new radar, weapons, and electronic warfare systems. The airframe will also accommodate future installation of additional fuel tanks carried under the fuselage, greatly increasing range and endurance. Each of the new Typhoons can carry up to eight air-to-air missiles and up to six air-to-surface weapons. These aircraft are expected to become operational by the year 2013.
Further enhancements are currently considered within the Main Development Contract (MDC), currently in final negotiation, formulating the roadmap for the integration of future capabilities. Another future enhancement will include the fielding of the e-scan AESA radar capability. Recently, the Euroradar consortium conducted the first flights of the CAESAR (Captor Active Electronically Scanning Array Radar) antenna on DA5 at Manching, Germany.
Eurofighter Typhoon: Retrofit and Upgrade Programs
The R2 Retrofit program is intended to bring all the earlier Typhoons up to the Block 5 standard. All 115 Tranche 1 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft will be standardized through a series of "Capability Upgrade" projects. Aircraft in Blocks 1, 2 and 2B, are now being upgraded to Block 5 capability, also known as Final Operational Capability (FOC), in order to maximize the aircraft capability at the national fleet level. Upgrades will be included in scheduled maintenance activities to enhance overall fleet availability.
The first non-Block 5 aircraft to be brought to FOC standard is BS021, the 21st single seater of UK production. Only a few days later, German aircraft GS019 joined the program. Both are Block 2B aircraft. This functionality standard represents the full air-to-air functionality, whereas Block 5 includes this plus the enhanced carefree handling air-to-ground capability to drop laser guided bombs. As of February 2007, six aircraft are undergoing retrofits (three in Germany, two in the United Kingdom and one in Spain) with a seventh aircraft soon to join the project in the UK.
Priority in the R2 programme is on the upgrade of Block 2B aircraft, as less work is required to bring these aircraft to the higher performance level. By the end of 2007, the combination of Block 5 new aircraft deliveries and upgraded R2 aircraft will enable the Partner Air Forces to meet their NATO commitment goals.
Following on from Block 2B aircraft, Block 2 Eurofighter Typhoons with the initial air-to-air capability will be upgraded. Finally early Block 1 aircraft (all of them twin seaters) will enter the program. All Tranche 1 aircraft are scheduled to complete upgrade to Block 5 FOC standard by early 2012.
Eventually, all Tranche 2 aircraft will also go through the Phase 1 Enhancement program beginning 2011, covering new software architecture, enhanced multirole man-machine interface (MMI), integration of a new targeting pod, enhancements of MIDS (Multifunctional Information and Distribution System) datalink, Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system, Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS), communications, improving ‘network centricity’ and expanded weapon support including Paveway IV and Enhanced GBU-16.
A second batch of future enhancements has been submitted during the Berlin Air Show this year. “Phase 2 Enhancement (P2E)” is targeted to be implemented by the end of 2014. It focuses on the introduction of enhanced weapons expected at this time, like enhanced Storm Shadow, Taurus, supersonic delivery of Paveway IV weapons, Brimstone, Small Diameter Bomb, AMRAAM C-5/7, and Meteor. Other improvements of subsystems are also expected, including further enhancement of DASS. Further enhancements are expected for Tranche 3.
Note: By mid- 2008 all Block designations have been deleted from the Typhoon program, except for Block 9 which has been instituted as a placeholder for future capabilities, to be more flexible in adapting future customer requirements.
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