Eurofighter has signed the Phase 3 Capability Enhancement contract with partner nations valued at €200 million, which improve the capabiliti...
The program will enhance Eurofighter’s mission and maintenance systems, equip the Typhoon to deploy multiple precision-guided air-to-surface weapons at fast-moving targets with low-collateral damage.
The prime focus is the introduction of the Brimstone 2 missile required by the UK RAF, P3E enhances the capabilities of the Storm Shadow long-range strike missile, the Meteor, Paveway IV and ASRAAM weapons, as well as introducing modifications to further improve the aircraft’s already impressive availability.
Support for the contract will come from all four core nations and the enhancement package will benefit all who use it.
The four nation contract between the UK, Italy, Germany and Spain will form the basis for the next major Eurofighter enhancement, the Phase 4 Capability Enhancement contract, now in its ‘definition phase’. This will lay the foundation for the Nations’ Combat Air capability requirements into the next decade.
The Phase 3 Enhancement contract is scheduled for delivery in 2017. All four core nations will work on flight control and avionics and the contract will centre round a scheduled programme of weapon testing, the development and testing of flight control systems, and finally store clearing and store release testing.
The initial fit for the Brimstone 2 missiles on the Eurofighter will see two launchers fitted to the outboard pylons of the Eurofighter each carrying three Brimstone 2 missiles.
The full swing-role, multi-role weapons compliment on the Eurofighter could now include a mix of: six Brimstone 2 missiles; up to six Paveway IV bombs, two long-range Storm Shadow missiles, four Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and either two IRIS-T or two ASRAAM heat-seeking missiles.
Details of the new enhancements were revealed at the IDEX defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi, 22-26 February 2015, at a contract signing in the presence of Philip Dunne, UK Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology.
