Eurofighter wants to extend the life of its fourth-generation Typhoon fighters into the 2060s

A few months ago, the European consortium Eurofighter GmbH received a new CEO. Giancarlo Mezzanatto is the new CEO. The top manager recently said that the consortium expects new orders and spoke about the future of Eurofighter Typhoon.

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Eurofighter GmbH has delivered 589 of the 680 fighters ordered and hopes to sign several more contracts for 150-200 aircraft. This could happen within the next two years. The Typhoon was adopted into service 20 years ago. According to Giancarlo Mezzanatto, one of the key objectives of the consortium now is to extend its service life to at least 2060.

The immediate aim is to upgrade the Phase 3 Enhancement. The aircraft must be able to process more sensor information and do so faster. In the future, Eurofighter will launch the Phase 4 Enhancement programme. The project will bring a new ECRS Mk2 radar. The UK has already allocated $1.1 billion to install the new radars. Flight tests will begin in 2024.

Separately, we note that Phase 4 Enhancement involves improving the electronic warfare system. Germany, in particular, plans to equip about four dozen Eurofighter Typhoon fighters with Arexis systems.

After the upgrade the aircraft will be able to launch Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles, which can hit targets at a distance of over 500 kilometers. Nowadays the missiles are carried by German Tornado fighters and American F/A-18 Hornet.

Source: Defence24