Eurofighter Typhoon News and updates

[mike2000 is back]

How bleeding edge tech keeps Eurofighter Typhoon in the air

TechRadar is - clearly - not a military website despite having "radar" in the title. Nevertheless, we jumped when we were given the chance to talk to Mark Bowman.

He's the BAE Systems chief test pilot, which has got to be one of the coolest jobs in the world.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is at the forefront of technology – capable of reaching supersonic speeds in less than 30 seconds. It's got interchangeable parts – the 13 "hardpoints" enable different weapon configurations to be added.

The most recent innovation on the Typhoon is a head-tracking system, which follows the pilot's gaze to lock onto targets and deploy weapons. We grilled Mark on this and the other components that make the Typhoon the cutting-edge piece of kit that it is.

TechRadar: Can you give us some background on the Eurofighter Typhoon?

Mark Bowman: It's a fourth-generation combat aircraft, pretty cutting edge in most areas. It brings together what would have been squadrons of aircraft in the past in an aircraft that is multi-role. It can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground tasks, and it's got 13 hardpoints.

It packs in the latest cutting-edge technology – including the helmet-mounted display and very advanced sensors – we're not just talking about weapons here, we're talking about radars, infrared search and track systems and defensive aids. It's absolutely potent, and an aircraft where we can expect to multiply many times the capabilities of early-generation aircraft.

TR: What's the most crucial piece of technology in the Typhoon?

Mark Bowman: All the displays we present to the pilot have to be put in such a way that we can take all that information, process it and present it to him in something he can assimilate quite simply, so he can spend most of his time concentrating on the mission.

Now we're getting the pilot even more involved in the weapons system through things like the helmet-mounted display, which essentially says: "If I know where the pilot's head is at any one time, then I can use that information to steer sensors, to steer weapons, to actually control the aircraft".

We also use voice control, which is another high-end technology. We can talk to the aircraft.

TR: Does the pilot still have a very fixed role in the plane?

Mark Bowman: At the end of the day, you've still got a prop, you've still got a stick, you've still got that interface with the aircraft. But the aircraft is clever enough to say you're approaching a limit – maybe a high-speed limit, maybe a G-limit, maybe a roll limit. It knows those limits, and it provides information to the pilot to do something about it. Ultimately, the pilot is still the arbiter of good taste and judgement, and we have to give him the information he needs to make both tactical and operational decisions.

TR: What happens if all the automation fails?

Mark Bowman: The safety of the pilot is paramount. However, we're looking at a very unstable aircraft here, it's very aerodynamically unstable. That's controlled by four flight computers – it's a quadruplex redundant system in some areas, and in others it's hexaplex redundant, in terms of things like data. As such, if all that failed, the aircraft is aerodynamically unstable, and as such it wouldn't be able to maintain a controlled flight.

TR: How has the Eurofighter Typhoon changed since you started working with it?

Mark Bowman: When the UK tax payer is spending so much money on technology, there's absolutely no point in buying something that lasts a couple of years. These aircraft are going to be around for 30 or 40 years – maybe longer.

You have to future-proof it to enable technology to go in, to put new weapons in as interfaces develop between the aircraft and the weapons that it carries, and constantly being able to upgrade the aircraft in terms of technology.

The aircraft has been in service since 2004, we've gone through its infancy, and now we're in its adolescence. There's so much more to come in this aircraft, and that's a real testament to the way the aircraft's been designed, and the real future-proofing that goes into such a high-end aircraft.

TR: What's coming up next for the Typhoon?

Mark Bowman: We're not standing still here – there are new weapons coming along. The UK has purchased a new, extra long-range air-to-air missile, called Meteor, which is being integrated on the aircraft. We've got new smart multi-seeker bombs going on there, which use GPS as well as laser guidance. As the weapons are upgraded, the aircraft's there to match it.

TR: How do you simulate such a complex piece of kit?

Mark Bowman: We've got two types of simulators. One emulates the flight dynamics of the aircraft. As I mentioned before, the aircraft is unstable, and we need some pretty good confidence that before we fly it we've got the flight dynamics properly modelled, and we've got the control system simulator to do that.

On the cockpit side, the interface the pilot has with the weapons systems is constantly being upgraded, and we use an active cockpit rig which allows us to simulate all the connectivity between the various sensors and the pilot and develop those as well.

TR: A lot of consumer technology – from radio to GPS – has come from a military background. Is there anything you're using at at the moment that you could see coming into civilians' lives?

Mark Bowman: In the future, I think you'll be looking at a human usage aspect, the interface between the human and the technology. Where I'd be looking – and I'm only speaking as the monkey with the stick and the rudders – is the automotive industry. We've already seen where voice is used there, and I think it's going to be exploited an awful lot more.

The helmet I use at the moment, and the ability to track where the pilot's head is, and a displacement surface, so you can put imagery on there – you may want that in the civil aviation industry, or you may want it in the automotive industry, to put images in front of the pilot, or the driver.

TR: We're seeing more and more reports of "drones" carrying out military operations. Do you think there's always going to be a role for the pilot in combat?

Mark Bowman: I think there is going to be a growth of unmanned aircraft in the future, and I think the piloting side is going to be complementary to that, in terms of the roles conducted. Those roles where you need persistence – being in the battle area for a long time, doing repetitive surveillance type work – are going to lend themselves more and more to pilotless aircraft, where human fatigue is an issue.

Instances where it's a highly dynamic situation, where ultimately a lot of tactical information is being sifted through, are going to be better suited to manned aircraft. It may be supported in terms of firepower and what-have-you by unmanned aircraft, but ultimately there's going to be manned aircraft in there.

The thing not to forget here is the ethics side of it – if you're conducting wars there needs to be a human face behind it, and I think it's quite important that manned aircraft are seen as the arbiter of whether stores are released, or whether they're not. Being there, and having eyes on the target, is massively important.

I can never foresee that we're going to be in a position to say, "sorry, that's the end of manned aircraft." I think we tried it in the 1950s and failed miserably – I don't really see that the situation's changed.

TR: You obviously don't want civilians being injured or killed during war – is this something you consider when you're building the plane?

Mark Bowman: It's not particular to Typhoon or anything – the ability to limit collateral damage is very much at the forefront of how aircraft weapons systems are developed, and Typhoon is concerned not only with the safety of the pilot who's flying it, but the safety in which ordinance is delivered and targeted

cutting edge technology.

 

[Taygibay]

cutting edge technology.

Actually, bleeding is more advanced, Mike! First you cut then it bleeds?
Are you going vintage fan on us?

Now, I'm gonna rain on your parade, guys but quickly, to replace Gab during his unexplained absence, sort of!

A plant that responds to and cancels the Moon's gravitational attraction? Nice! [ See post 103. ]
But one of the partners in the program had to stop deliveries after discovering a repeat problem with …
the quality of bolt holes ( location and poorly prepped surfaces ) between tail and body.
Germany Suspends Eurofighter Deliveries Due to Quality Problems
That makes the worth of the floating plant abysmally low!

An electro-sonic toothbrush up your arse doesn't clean your teeth half as well as an old-school one in your mouth.
Technology still needs to be used properly.

This said, I won't make it a habit to come here for remarks. Maybe if a VS thread surfaces?

Oh! and even as a typo, Rafael is an Israeli weapons maker. Using it to mean French aircraft causes
possible confusion and loses credibility to any post it appears in. Please be thorough, good people!

Good day all, Tay.

 

[black-hawk_101]

I wish to see some in PAF colors too. When Jordan will be buying 100 EF-2000s?

 

[Khafee]

Eurofighter Reveals Enhancements for Typhoons
Awad Mustafa
November 10, 2015

DUBAI — New Eurofighter Typhoon capabilities that will potentially be implemented with three Arabian Gulf clients were revealed at the Dubai Air Show on Monday.

The program's capability manager, Paul Smith, a former UK RAF pilot and Fighter Weapons School instructor, said that work on integrating major new capabilities onto the aircraft is now "well advanced" and "delivering promising results."

"We are having one of the busiest flight test periods in the program's history and the integration of the enhanced weapons-mix is well advanced and delivering promising results," he said.

http://www.defensenews.com/dubai-air-show/
"Throughout 2015, we have been conducting a series of flight tests with our Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA), working on the integration of major new weapon-systems capability with a particular focus on both Storm Shadow and Meteor missiles," he said. "At the same time, the Eurofighter continues to deliver effective and proven air power in both the Middle East and the Baltic states. This is a dynamically challenging and exciting time for the program, with its weapon system capabilities continuing to grow."

Kuwait announced its intention to acquire 28 Eurofighter Typhoons in September to become the third GCC customer of the consortium.

The Sultanate of Oman announced its purchase of 12 aircraft in December 2012 while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently operating Typhoons in its ongoing Yemen campaign.

Smith added that flight testing for the Phase 2 Enhancement Capability Update Program was conducted last month. The program introduces the Meteor and Storm Shadow missiles to the aircraft, as well as enhancements to the radar, defensive aids sub-system (DASS) and other avionics which will enhance the aircraft's lethality and survivability across all roles.

"The testing regime over the last few months has been relentless, and IPA6, a BAE Systems-based Eurofighter Typhoon, made the first flights with the new software and completed the fifth Meteor missile firing. Flight test of multiple enhancements to the integration and functionality of the Laser Designator Pods (LDP) has primarily been carried out by flight test engineers and aircrew from Airbus Defence and Space, Germany. IPA6 has since been joined by Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi's IPA2 as work on the integration of Storm Shadow continues," he said.
http://www.defensenews.com/story/de...y-fires-storm-shadow-cruise-missile/75458024/
During November, he added, further integration work with Storm Shadow, including missile releases and preparation for the next Meteor missile firing, will be done.

"Airbus Defence & Space, Spain will join as the fourth flight test Ccenter as IPA4 is cleared to commence testing with a focus on weapons system performance and comms. This is the entire flight test community operating together to deliver real capability enhancement," he said.

By 2017 Eurofighter operators will be able to integrate the Brimstone 2 on the aircraft and will also further enhance other existing weapons capabilities — including Storm Shadow, Meteor, Paveway IV and ASRAAM.

Eurofighter Reveals Enhancements for Typhoons

 

[mike2000 is back]

EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON STRENGTHENS CAPABILITY IN SERVICE
18 November 2015

Eurofighter Typhoon’s Programme Capability Manager has announced that work on integrating major new capabilities on to the aircraft is now ‘well advanced’ and ‘delivering promising results’.
Paul Smith, a former UK RAF Pilot and Fighter Weapons School Instructor, made the announcement today (November 9th) at a Eurofighter briefing at the Dubai Air Show.

Paul Smith said: “We are having one of the busiest Flight Test periods in the Programme’s history and the integration of the enhanced weapons-mix is well advanced and delivering promising results.”

He added: “Throughout 2015 we have been conducting a series of flight tests with our Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA) working on the integration of major new weapon-systems capability with a particular focus on both Storm Shadow and Meteor missiles. At the same time, the Eurofighter continues to deliver effective and proven air power in both the Middle East and the Baltic States. This is a dynamically challenging and exciting time for the Programme, with its weapon system capabilities continuing to grow.”

Central to this last month’s capability enhancement work on the Eurofighter Typhoon has been flight testing for the P2E Programme – the Phase 2 Enhancement Capability Update which introduces a broad range of capability enhancements to the aircraft. As well as the Storm Shadow and Meteor missiles, there are enhancements to the radar, DASS (defensive aids sub-system) and other avionics which will enhance the aircraft’s lethality and survivability across all roles.

Smith said: “The testing regime over the last few months has been relentless, and IPA6, a BAE Systems-based Eurofighter Typhoon, made the first flights with the new software and completed the 5th Meteor missile firing. Flight test of multiple enhancements to the integration and functionality of the Laser Designator Pods (LDP) has primarily been carried out by flight test engineers and aircrew from Airbus Defence and Space, Germany. IPA6 has since been joined by Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi’s IPA2 as work on the integration of Storm Shadow continues.”

The effects deliverable by both weapons are enhanced by the high-kinetic characteristics and highly integrated sensors of the Eurofighter Typhoon. This improves the weapons’ range and gives the pilot the situational awareness to employ them most effectively.

Smith continued: “In the last week of October, in the UK, the Customer had a first opportunity to test the new P2E software for themselves through a series of typical operational Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface scenarios. IPA6 was joined by a number of other RAF assets (up to 8 aircraft including IPA6, tankers, co-operators and targets) to conduct Operational Assessment Testing. The flights were conducted by pilots from the UK’s 41 TES (Test and Evaluation) Squadron who gave some positive initial feedback. This early operationally focused input enables industry to make final tweaks to ensure that the final product is tailored to customer air forces requirements.”

He added: “The During November we will see further integration work with Storm Shadow, including missile releases, and preparation for the next Meteor missile firing. Airbus Defence & Space, Spain will join as the fourth Flight Test Centre as IPA4 is cleared to commence testing with a focus on Weapons System Performance and Comms. This is the entire flight test community operating together to deliver real capability enhancement.”

With the P2E enhancements scheduled to be delivered to the Customer in steps between 2015 and 2017 Smith said that work is now underway on the next batch of enhancements, P3E which will enable the Eurofighter Typhoon to deploy several more capabilities including precision-guided air-to-surface weapons at fast-moving targets with low-collateral damage.

Smith told media in Dubai: “Our Phase 3 Enhancement (P3E) Programme will enable Eurofighter operators to integrate the Brimstone 2 on the aircraft and will also further enhance other existing weapons capabilities – including Storm Shadow, Meteor, Paveway IV and ASRAAM. We aim to deliver P3E to the Customer in 2017.”

He said: “Beyond P3E, our customers are currently agreeing the content and schedule of future weapon system programmes. These will include avionic enhancements, such as MIDS JTRS, and the potential integration of other weapons such as SDB II and the Marte-ER anti-ship missile, which we know are of interest to some of our customer community. It will also see the integration of Eurofighter’s new E-Scan Radar.”

“Bring all these elements together,” said Smith, “ and it becomes clear why we talk about Eurofighter Typhoon operators having the ‘Combat Edge’ – the situational awareness and a suite of flexible weapons options that offer pilots a real advantage in the battlespace.”

Eurofighter Typhoon strengthens capability in service | BAE Systems | International

 

[mike2000 is back]

Typhoon afterburner glow

Typhoon fully loaded

Fully armed

 

[mike2000 is back]

The old and the new: RAF Typhoon and Spitfire

Typhoon FGR4

Eurofighter Typhoon UK - Air Force

A Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby is pictured in the USA following Ex Green Flag 08 held at Nellis AFB in Nevada.

 

[Bratva]

@mike2000 is back When EF will attain capability to fire PGM ? in 2017 or 18 ?

 

[mike2000 is back]

Typhoon in Norway

A Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

Pictured from underneath are two Typhoon aircraft of 29 Squadron based at RAF Coningsby as they fly over the Cypriot coastline after taking off from RAF Akrotiri.

Eurofighter Typhoon, EJ200's working hard.

Eurofighter Typhoon RAF

Eurofighter typhoon HUD.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Typhoon, sky is the limit.

Typhoon and rafale take your pick.

Rafale et Typhoon en formation.

Typhoon, Rafale, & Spitfire @FrenchPilot,@Taygibay

 

[mike2000 is back]

ADVANTAGES OF TYPHOON
The battle-proven Eurofighter Typhoon is the world’s leading air defence and ground attack aircraft with full multi and swing-role capabilities.

Eurofighter Typhoon is the world’s leading air defence and ground attack aircraft with full multi and swing-role capabilities.

The combination of the airframe performance, advanced human-machine-interface, powerful engines and ground-breaking technology gives Eurofighter Typhoon pilots the edge in today’s competitive digital battlefield. The interoperability, durability, resilience, safety record, reliability and enhancements of the platform ensure that both performance and value are delivered without compromise.


AGILE PERFORMANCE

Unmatched kinetic effect
Eurofighter Typhoon has a foreplane delta design, which is inherently – and intentionally –aerodynamically unstable in subsonic flight. This was developed with experienced pilots to provide enhanced manoeuvrability while still being highly intuitive to fly.

The instability in subsonic flight requires a complex flight control system to support the pilot as the computer systems can react more quickly at lower speeds. When Eurofighter Typhoon crosses into supersonic flight, the point of instability moves behind the centre of gravity, giving a stable aircraft for high performance flight.

The advantages of an intentionally unstable design include greater agility at subsonic speeds as well as reduced drag and an overall increase in lift for enhanced short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance. Proposed engine enhancements such as vectored thrust will further boost the agility of the aircraft.


AIR-TO-AIR CAPABILITIES

Delivering air superiority in a battle environment determines how quickly and safely other operational tasks can be met. Eurofighter Typhoon provides air superiority effectively in both beyond visual range (BVR) and close in combat (CIC) scenarios.


AIR-TO-SURFACE CAPABILITIES

Eurofighter Typhoon is ideally suited to Close Air Support as it can remain on task for long periods with large, flexible weapon loads, such as Paveway IV and the Brimstone Air-to-Surface precision attack weapon. The sophisticated sensor suite including Datalink and Laser Designator Pod (LDP) allows close co-ordination with ground commanders and the identification of individual targets, while the high manoeuvrability enables effective operations over the battlefield.


UNRIVALLED FLEXIBILITY
Air Superiority

Air superiority
Eurofighter Typhoon is the only fighter available on the market able to offer such wide-ranging operational capabilities, while at the same time delivering unparalleled fleet readiness.

The ability to simultaneously support both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface scenarios allows the fleet to be used for the widest range of operations. At the same time, the design focus on high reliability, low maintenance and the ease of upgrading systems means the aircraft have the maximum possible availability.


SWING-ROLE

As well as offering leading-edge multi-role capabilities, Eurofighter Typhoon is a high performance swing-role weapon system capable of combining different operational tasks in a single mission at very short notice.


ONGOING SUSTAINABILITY

Eurofighter Typhoon exceeded 200,000 flying hours in September 2013
By September 2013, the Eurofighter Typhoon fleet had exceeded 200,000 flying hours. Furthermore 100% availability was achieved in numerous deployments around the world. The experience of the four major contractors provides sustainable, flexible ground support to keep the fleet active and effective.

 

[mike2000 is back]

INTEROPERABILITY

Eurofighter Typhoon works seamlessly with other aircraft and ground systems

The unique heritage of multiple customers means the Eurofighter Typhoon platform was designed to be interoperable with the widest range of aircraft and other ground systems, providing the maximum flexibility for any Air Force. Eurofighter Typhoon works seamlessly and in real-time with both ground control and other aircraft types in combat, defence, surveillance and monitoring scenarios.



STEALTH ABILITIES

Eurofighter Typhoon has a reduced radar signature

Leading technology materials and design provide Eurofighter Typhoon with a reduced radar signature, while its superior avionic processing speeds, aerodynamic agility and beyond visual range (BVR) capabilities enable it to operate effectively while avoiding detection.



BEYOND VISUAL RANGE

Eurofighter Typhoon is capable of using beyond visual range weapons

Being able to operate beyond visual range (BVR) is a key advantage of Eurofighter Typhoon. Remaining outside visual detection and able to use the latest BVR weapons controlled by the aircraft’s leading-edge sensor suite allows operations with maximum safety and accuracy.



RADAR

The Captor-E AESA Radar

The upgrade of the radar to CAPTOR-E will bring significant operational benefits. The design of the airframe allows Eurofighter Typhoon to deliver the largest electronically scanned array for increased detection and tracking ranges, advanced Air-to-Surface capability and enhanced electronic protection measures. The large airframe also allows a wider field of regard than any other platform.



SAFETY

Eurofighter Typhoon’s safety record is unrivalled


Eurofighter Typhoon | Advantages of the most advanced fighter aircraft

@mike2000 is back When EF will attain capability to fire PGM ? in 2017 or 18 ?

By the middle of next year bro.

European Typhoon Fighter Gets New Weapons, Radar
TOPICS:F-22J-20Typhoon

POSTED BY: KRIS OSBORN JULY 17, 2014





FARNBOROUGH, England — Eurofighter’s Typhoon multi-role aircraft is being equipped with a new precision-guided, stealthy long-range cruise missile and an active electronically scanned array radar system, company officials said at the Farnborough International Air Show.

The enhancements are the latest in a series of technological upgrades for the roughly decade-old Typhoon fighter, a versatile supersonic aircraft now operated by the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The aircraft entered service in 2003.

“The aircraft was always designed as a multirole aircraft with a focus toward air superiority. When it was initially delivered, the aircraft had excellent air superiority capability and the intent was always to add the multi-role capability as we went along,” Paul Smith, capability development manager, Typhoon operational test pilot, told Military.com in an interview.

Operating as a defense industry conglomerate involving BAE Systems, Airbus Defense and Space and Alenia Finmeccanica, Eurofighter made an acquisition deal with European Missile-maker MBDA to integrate the Storm Shadow missile onto the Typhoon.

The Storm Shadow is currently configured onto the Royal Air Force’s Tornado aircraft, and Eurofighter plans to have the stealthy cruise missile fully operational on the Typhoon by the middle of 2016, Smith said.

Build by design with a smooth stealthy exterior, the Storm Shadow weighs about 1,300 kilos and uses a multi-mode precision guidance system including GPS, inertial navigation systems and terrain reference technology, he added.

In service since 2003, the Storm Shadow’s first use in combat came during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was also fired against hardened targets during NATO military action in Libya in 2011.

“The weapon has a 200-kilometer range. It was used to take down some of Saddam Hussein’s bunkers at the start of OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom). It is so accurate that when they were asked to put two missiles on the same bunker, they both went through the same hole,” Smith explained.

The Typhoon’s first operational test flight with Storm Shadow was in November 2013. Additional flight testing and integration work is planned for coming months.

The Typhoon is also being outfitted with a short-range stand-off missile called Brimstone II, a precision-guided weapon that has also been in service on the British Tornado aircraft. Originally designed as a tank-killer weapon, Brimstone II is engineered with an all-weather, highly-precise millimeter wave seeker, Smith said.

The combat-tested weapon has shown the unique ability to destroy fast-moving targets from the air.

“In Afghanistan they had an Al Qaeda terrorist on a motor cycle doing 60-kilometer and hour — they took him out with a Brimstone,” Smith said.

Eurofighter plans to have the Brimstone operational on the Typhoon by 2017.

Overall, the Typhoon is engineered to carry a large number of weapons, guided bombs and heat-seeking missiles.

“There are 13 hard points on this aircraft, six of which are dedicated to air-to-air missiles. I can carry four AMRAAMS ( Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile), two heat-seeking missiles and I can put two additional missiles or bombs on the aircraft,” he added.

The GPS and laser-guided bombs carried by the Typhoon include 2,000, 1,000 and 500 pound GBUs and the Paveway IV, a 500-pound laser-guided bomb.

Eurofighter is also flight testing a European missile called Meteor which greatly increases what pilots refer to as the “no-escape range” – the distance or point at which an air-to-air adversary has no ability to fly way from or “escape” an approaching missile, Smith explained.

“The integration of Storm Shadow, Brimstone and Meteor will make us uniquely capable for air-to-air. We’ll have great weapons on the aircraft,” he said.

Smith also said the Typhoons air-to-air capability and overall performance is massively increased by what he referred to as the aircraft’s “thrust to weight ratio.”

Defined as the weight of the engine compared to the amount of thrust the engine generates, the thrust to weight ratio is a key indicator of speed, maneuverability and aircraft performance.

The Typhoon engines’ thrust to weight radio is 9.3 to 1, making it the best in the world, Smith said.

“It has a thrust-to-weight ratio comparable to the F-22 Raptor, better than any other fighters out there,” he said.

This is accomplished in part by power emanating from the two Eurojet 2000 engines on board the aircraft and the light weight of the aircraft. The Typhoon is built with 70-percent carbon fiber composite and is therefore said to be fast and very agile.

“The Typhoon can travel at Mach 2. The difference with Typhoon is how quickly it can get high and fast and the ability to sustain that speed. Lots of aircraft have a top speed of Mach 2,” he added.

The multi-national Typhoon fleet of 410 aircraft just reached the milestone of 250,000 flying hours, something Smith points to as an indicator of EJ 2000 engine durability.

Prior software upgrades have enabled the Typhoon to operate with what’s called swing-roll capability, the technical capacity to perform several missions simultaneously such as fire missiles and drop bombs, Smith explained.

The Typhoon’s new active electronically scanned array radar, or AESA, will provide pilots with an expanded field of view compared to the existing radar system. The AESA provides a mechanical ability to rapidly reposition the receiver to as to increase the area it can pick up signals, Smith said.

The new radar is designed to work with other on-board sensors such as forward-looking infrared sensors and passive infrared tracking technology to locate stealth aircraft with a low radar cross section, he added.

Smith explained that the radar and sensors could combine to help the Typhoon locate aircraft such as the now-developing Russian and Chinese stealth aircraft, the Chinese J-20 and Russian PAK FA T-50 stealth aircraft.

The sensing technology on board the Typhoon fighter is called Pirate, or passive infrared and targeting equipment, Smith said. It is a combination of infrared search and track and forward-looking infrared sensors.

As for cockpit avionics, the Typhoon has three large LCD displays which the pilot can switch between when assessing mission requirements. Many of the displays include situational awareness information such as moving digital maps, atmospheric information, sensor data and targeting information.

The Typhoon and U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor have participated in joint training exercises at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Smith said.

“The Raptor and Typhoon make a great combination. We work a lot with the U.S. Air Force to make sure our data links are properly integrated – that is key as a force multiplier,” Smith added.

http://defensetech.org/2014/07/17/european-typhoon-fighter-gets-new-weapons-radar/

 

[mike2000 is back]

RAF: An image taken yesterday showing SPEAR 3 being fitted to Typhoon:Ground crew pulling the safety tabs on a Spear III missile in preparation for live firing on what is the first live testing on the Typhoon

typhoon in flight

 

[mil-avia]

Japanese DVD covers showing Eurofighter aircraft (two images) :

972 × 1378 pixels

Related link(s).

 

[mike2000 is back]