PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES JUNE 2020

 The Best Is Still To Come  Southern Defenders  Solid In Defence

EUROFIGHTER EVOLUTION 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 3

EUROFIGHTER PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES JUNE 2020 CONTENTS

 The Best Is Still To Come  Southern Defenders  Solid In Defence PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES

JUNE 2020

EUROFIGHTER EVOLUTION

Cover: A pilot of the 4th Wing inside the Eurofighter cabin during the last TLP 2020-1 course held in Albacete () in February. During the training, the Typhoon pilots work towards the mission commander qualification.

Eurofighter World is published by 4 THE BEST IS STILL TO COME 24 PILOT VIEWPOINT Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH Eurofighter GmbH CEO, Herman Claesen reveals the Test pilot Luke Gili-Ross takes us inside the cockpit during crucial flight PR & Communications exciting future prospects for Eurofighter. evaluations and reveals how the best stay cool under pressure. Am Söldnermoos 17, 85399 Hallbergmoos Tel: +49 (0) 811-80 1587 [email protected]

Editorial Team Tony Garner 6 ALTERED STATES 32 ROUND-UP Mark Ritson Find out how Eurofighter will be constantly evolved to Covid Heroes and Display Pilot Dean Rogers. Luca Accinni tackle a world where threats are mutating and multiplying. Contributors Defence and Space BAE Systems LEONARDO 36 SOLID IN DEFENCE Viva PR 10 NEWS ROUND-UP Leonardo’s Phil Liddiard explains what’s in store for the Eurofighter’s Photography aircraft first flight, Davos defenders. defensive capabilities in a world where threats rapidly evolve. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH Eurofighter Partner Companies UK MOD Crown Antonio J Jiménez Santana 40 NEWS ROUND-UP Giovanni Colla 14 PRIZE FIGHTS Award for TyTAN team, New ITAF squadron, Tetris. As and weigh up their combat aircraft Design & Production options, our special report from expert insiders looks at images.art.design. Werbeagentur GmbH www.iad-design.de how Eurofighter is shaping up.

Printed by ESTA Druck GmbH www.esta-druck.de 18 SOUTHERN DEFENDERS Our exclusive insight goes on location to look at the work of the 37° Stormo and the 18° Gruppo at Eurofighter World on the Internet www.eurofighter.com Trapani Air Base. Follow us on:

If you would like to request additional copies of Eurofighter World, please contact the PR & Communications Department: [email protected]

JUNE 2020

4 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD THE BEST IS STILL TO COME THE BEST IS STILL TO COME 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 5

trust and commitment in the programme — system enhancements. These will improve and both will be part of our future. the aircraft’s processing capability, increase OUR BEST YEARS its agility to introduce new capability and EVALUATING THE EXPORT enhance the operator interface using latest MARKET technologies. While discussions with existing customers All of this is being developed with the on augmenting their respective fleets con- next generation air combat system in mind. tinue, we have also successfully completed Not only will Eurofighter be a technology flight evaluations in Finland and Switzerland. maturation platform for the future fighter, it ARE STILL AHEAD These trials confirmed Typhoon’s will also have to co-operate seamlessly with strength from a capability point of view, a next generation air combat solution. We and both of these potential customers have aim to deliver the best possible air combat noted the comparatively small support foot- capability by harnessing the innovative tech- print directly contributing to more affordable nologies that will protect our nations while operating cost. strengthening Europe’s future prosperity. Of course, whenever we take part in these global competitions, we are in a THE MATURING E-SCAN PICTURE highly competitive environment, but the We have already made significant advanc- Eurofighter offering is strong — and by that es in the maturation of E-Scan. This will I’m not purely thinking in terms of capability offer a step change in capability — with a but also politically and importantly, credible class-leading wide field of regard offering industrial offerings underpinning a strong significant benefits in both the air-to-air and economic dimension. air-to-surface domains. The large power Recognising the four-nation collabora- and aperture will provide pilots with much tive nature of the Eurofighter programme; enhanced coverage compared to other from day one, the Eurofighter programme solutions. has built its solutions on the best balance We flew the first Kuwaiti production between politics, sovereignty, budgets and aircraft equipped with the entry into service operational capability. Eurofighter therefore standard of E-Scan and the newest P3Eb is THE role model for European defence weapon system standard in December 2019 collaboration. and completed a further series of test flights People try to compare us directly with in March this year. other aircraft but that would be to ignore Our E-Scan development and test pro- the fact that the Eurofighter programme is gramme is already intense, and throughout so much more. It forges political, industrial 2020 there will be a number of technical and operational relationships; our opera- maturity milestones to complete. Eurofighter GmbH CEO, tors have more ownership of the asset and As well as forming the entry into service our air forces are much more connect- level for Kuwait and subsequently Air Herman Claesen, discusses ed. In short, there’s a whole Eurofighter Forces, the E-Scan programme will also be eco-system that you are part of which has the foundation for the early embodiment of how Europe’s future air power collaboration at its heart. These are the kind the solution on Typhoon for the German and of things you simply don’t get if you buy Spanish Air Forces. requirements and something ‘off the peg’. COLLABORATION AT OUR HEART Typhoon’s future capability journey are EVOLVING CAPABILITY Effective collaboration has been our Of course, deals for new aircraft represent bedrock and remains at the heart of what converging. just one side of the equation — the other is we are. Already the most successful Euro- capability. Here again we have a number of pean defence programme ever, Eurofighter major enhancement programmes running. is the benchmark for collaboration across urofighter is already the most success- software. In addition Eurofighter is already able to carry a very the continent. ful European defence project ever. But both and impressive array of air-to-air and air-to- Our core nations all believe firmly the Eanyone who believes that Eurofighter Spain are expected to place a ground weapons. In addition to this we importance of a strong Europe in terms of has reached its peak could not be more contract this year to implement the new will shortly be introducing our first E-scan defence and security and the Eurofighter mistaken — the truth is the best years are E-scan radar in their fleet. variant into the Typhoon fleet. This will be Typhoon programme plays an important role yet to come. These plans clearly demonstrate Ger- one of the most powerful and capable air in supporting this objective. All four nations Right now, we have a number of exciting many’s ambitions to significantly advance tailed talks in combat radars available on the market have a strong commitment to NATO and see opportunities. There are serious prospects, the Luftwaffe capability and their trust and due course on how this require- and will significantly enhance our weapon their defence and security relationships with both in terms of more sales and future commitment to not only the Eurofighter ment can be satisfied. systems capability. European states, as critically important. capability developments. programme, the aircraft and its capability, However, the need for more aircraft And in parallel, last year we announced Yes, the Eurofighter programme delivers You only have to look to our core nations but also clearly supporting the European to be manufactured doesn’t stop here. a study of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) of economic benefits to the core nations and to understand that sales landscape. Defence industry. We also received a ‘Request for Quotation’ the aircraft to ensure it will continue to be industry, but it also forges political alliances Germany is ready to replace its entire Germany is also looking to replace its from the Spanish government to provide part of the backbone of NATO air defenc- — alliances which create mutual benefits fleet of Tranche 1 Eurofighters, in excess Tornado fleet. I firmly believe that Eurofight- an offer to commence replacement of their es to 2060 and beyond. The LTE study is and underpin the strength of Europe as a of 30 aircraft under its Project Quadriga er is the country’s best choice. We will be F-18 fleet which are fast approaching the now taking shape, and we are entering into positive influencer globally, specifically on programme. These will be replaced by new- continuing to support the German nation end of their life. conversations with our customers about security. build latest standard Tranche 3 aircraft that with information to support their assess- Since the very beginning of Eurofighter, finalising a detailed programme of mission will include the E-Scan radar and updated ments and we look forward to entering de- both Germany and Spain have shown great 6 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD ALTERED STATES ALTERED STATES 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 7

An evolving Eurofighter makes sense for a number of reasons, says Typhoon pilot and Weapons Instructor EVERYTHING Daniel Krueger. CHANGES verything changes. Threats mutate Looking to the near horizon, the capa- and multiply. Technology shifts and bility roadmap envisages the embodiment Edata is exploding. The way wars are of E-Scan radar and the next enhance- fought, and territory defended, is altering. ment, P4E. However, to ensure Eurofighter And so, the question is, ‘Where does remains flying and is still relevant into the fit into this?’ 2060s, the evolution beyond P4E needs to The answer is simple: Eurofighter is be mapped out. And that’s what’s taking constantly evolving too. place now. More specifically, ideas around a future vision for Typhoon are taking shape and key Getting to grips with future needs aspects that can be delivered have started From a logical standpoint we need to con- to be identified. tinue the Eurofighter evolution journey but Agreement on an evolved Eurofighter will no-one can anticipate exactly what might be secure a number of things: the operational needed for the 2050s and beyond. Nobody sovereignty for European nations, our core knows what the threat environment will look engineering minds, and defence industrial like then. base, along with all the economic benefits What we do know for certain today is that brings. With every Euro spent in Eu- that Eurofighter offers huge growth poten- rope, the investment stays in the European tial, in terms of connectivity and the ability economy. to fully exploit current and future sensors. In parallel, the evolution of Eurofighter Unlocking that potential is key to ensuring will deliver the best possible technology that the aircraft stays as relevant in the path towards future air domain security for decades ahead as it is today. the region. And it represents a cost-effec- While the detail grows increasingly hazy tive technology route towards FCAS capa- the further out you project, some of the bility; while ensuring evolving 6th-generation core characteristics required to retain rele- system compatibility. vance as threats evolve are already coming clearly into view. These include battlefield Where are we now? awareness, interoperability, connectivity, Right now, Typhoon plays a key role in se- flexible firepower and cyber-resilience. curing the defence of Europe, with more than If that shopping list represents a future 500 aircraft defending the skies over Europe, commander’s base requirements, the next and realistic hopes for more sales, as several question is: what are the fundamental European nations are looking at the potential enablers that will help transform it from a of Typhoon for the defence of their countries wish list to a done deal? and Europe. Even today From a pilot’s perspective, you’d say Eurofighter is Europe’s largest and most suc- that in complex air-to-air and air-to-ground cessful defence collaboration programme. scenarios, you will need 360-degree, It supports more than 100,000 highly-skilled time-sensitive battlefield awareness. You’ll jobs across 400 companies in Europe. need connectivity for tactical operations, And, during combat operations like Op- decision-making and data/imagery sharing. During combat eration Shader over Syria and Iraq, and air In addition, with so much reliance on data, policing operations in the Baltics, Eurofight- you will need incredibly secure cyber-resil- operations and air er has proved its operational strengths, with ience. And, at the end of the day, you will policing operations in hugely positive feedback from operators. still need to be able to call on flexible and the Baltics, Eurofighter Their opinion is clear and unambiguous, as scalable firepower. Eurofighter has climbed up the capability Hence, in order to make Eurofighter fit has proved its curve, through the addition of weapons like for the future, you have to look at certain operational strengths, IV, , , Brim- enablers — many of these are going to be stone II, and other elements of a ‘Phased’ required in the future on all kinds of assets, with hugely positive enhancement programme, the aircraft has not just Eurofighter.  feedback from evolved in the right direction. operators. 8 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD ALTERED STATES ALTERED STATES 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 9

It means boosting the onboard process- FIREPOWER AND OPERATIONAL EXPLOITATION OF SENSOR The processing power and the sensors A Common Core with Inbuilt ing capacity to a high level to be able to FLEXIBILITY TECHNOLOGY provide information which drive towards a Flexibility cope with all the new technology and infor- Next up is firepower and operational flexi- Other key areas include faster sensor man- very increased battlefield awareness. You While there is an emerging common thread mation that will be gathered by a range of bility. To fulfil a complex task with minimal agement, self-protection kit and increased need a way to display this. In short, to truly of national requirements, each national more sophisticated sensors, both on board reaction time you have to be able to maxim- battlefield awareness. That means: the exploit new sensors you need a large area air force might also have its own specific and elsewhere, like for example, from a ise and optimise what you have on the jet. introduction of multi-core processing, high display. needs. That’s normal and Eurofighter has forward air controller. It also means having Eurofighter already has a very impressive speed data network, further exploitation proven to be flexible in the past, indeed its the capability to elaborate on, present and set of weapons but in the future we are of our Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS), Generations flexibility is one of its strengths. share data. It means having an ability to also looking into electronic attack and other new cockpit technologies like a larger Eurofighter’s evolution is a continuous It’s therefore important that any en- carry a wide variety of weapons and, often, mission roles. It will offer a much wider and display, and a new helmet display, Striker transition. The jet will be flying and relevant hancements that go onto the aircraft are using them in the same mission. scalable spectrum of effect. 2, which is about to be integrated. We are until 2060 and beyond, playing a key role in as scalable as possible. Initially, nations The way we use those kinetic effects What’s envisaged is a Eurofighter that’s also looking into the provision for app- the future battlespace alongside any future will agree a common baseline and they are should be scalable. The pilot should be able as flexible as possible, one that can carry based programming of the jet. combat air system. currently making progress on this. Part of to choose from the aircraft gun, up to a more and has fewer constraints in terms of The latter means restructuring the mis- Indeed, a number of technologies ideas the thinking behind the current evolution 2000lb bomb, and be able to release these its flight envelope. Ultimately, that envis- sion architecture in order to enable an app- and solutions currently being earmarked study is to identify the common develop- different weapons in any way he needs. ages a future where you are able to hang based enhancement. This would potentially for these 6th Gen Combat Systems can be ment threads and examine how these can whatever is needed for a particular mission open the door for national specialists to matured on Typhoon and then evolve into a be scaled. What does this mean in terms of under each wing. programme the jet and give a nation a spe- . For example, the There’s a high degree of interdependen- capabilities An increase in the number of missiles cific requirement. large area cockpit display. Putting that onto cy here too. For example, the arrival of an on the aircraft is also being looked at. This idea of flexibility is being addressed Eurofighter will allow the industry partners E-Scan will give the pilot more accurate INFORMATION SUPERIORITY Consider this: a configuration with up to in the planning stage. All of the enhance- to gain experience about how to integrate it target data and hence you can better Let’s start with the end in mind: informa- 16 air-to-air missiles and also 14 air- and take this knowledge onto a 6th-gener- employ your weapons. But to carry all the tion superiority. That’s what any pilot or to-surface weapons. That’s ation fighter. weapon configurations you might want, you any commander needs in order to hold an fully exploiting the Other examples include high-speed data would need an aerodynamic modification kit. advantage over an adversary. capability of the networks and multi-core processing, both What does that mean? Well, consider Eurofighter. key aspects where gaining experience, via this, the air domain will once again become As a pilot I Eurofighter embodiment, will have important a contested one and there will be increas- believe there will be a spin-offs for bringing those features to a ingly complex operations, featuring a range future requirement for an aircraft future system. of connected assets, meaning scenarios that just has its boxing gloves on. Yes, become ever more dynamic. To operate it's nice to have a sensor monster, but you effectively in this new world, you will need need one with a powerful jab too. information at hand and be in a position to This flexibility would also increase a use it first. A prerequisite of this is con- pilot’s fighting time in the battlespace nectivity. You need to be able to ‘talk’ and available. To aid this development, ways of share your information across multiple increasing fuel loads with new extended domains of air, land, sea and space. range tanks, and more fuel stations, are You have to have reach back capability, being looked at. where you communicate with your deci- It would maximise Typhoon’s firepower FACTS AND FIGURES: sion-makers and give them the information while still fully exploiting the potential of the needed to make a tactically sound decision. aircraft, because what doesn’t change is And fast. We are talking seconds. Eurofighter’s world-beating characteristics Information superiority also means — its extreme high thrust-to-weight ratio, its having better target fidelity. Quite simply, power and its agility.  623 aircraft ordered – Europe’s largest military collaborative programme the more precise the data, the better the In short, more weapons, and an ability weapon effect. And, to get to this point to carry a greater variety of weapons,  More than 525,000 flying hours achieved requires data fusion — supplying the pilot means greater operational flexibility. That’s  97% mission availability during Unified Protector 2011 () in any split second ALL the most relevant one of the reasons why pilots want to have information. Easy to say — getting to that a Typhoon flying by their side.  99.4% mission availability during Baltic Air Policing 2015 state is quite a process. Then there are improvements that will So, there’s a clear requirement for extend the lifetime of the aircraft both in ments are envisaged as scalable options,  Current deployment over Baltics and Middle East enhancing Eurofighter’s computing capacity terms of flying hours and flying years. that the nations might elect to do it or just in order to fully exploit the new sensor go for part of this technical solution accord-  Over 300 yearly flying hours per jet technology. ing to their national requirements.  Eurofighter is the backbone of NATO over Europe Coupled with that we are also looking But it's clear that new sensor technol- at a redesign of the cockpit — again this is ogy, like E-Scan radar, will have a high  Combat-proven during operations over Libya, Syria and Iraq in part being driven by a desire to unlock demand on the data network on the aircraft the full potential of new sensors like E-Scan and need processing power to fully exploit  More than 10,000 hours flown, over 800 precision-guided ammunition radar. These are essential steps to ensuring them. So a common baseline, including Eurofighter’s role as a force multiplier is the safety critical items, would have to be dropped in missions, during by UK RAF utilised to the max. agreed. 10 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS ROUND-UP 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 11

planned evidences were collected in order LEONARDO ISPA 6 TESTAIRCRAFT to best contribute to the path towards final clearance for the Kuwaiti customer. COMPLETES THE E-SCAN RADAR Notably, the E-Scan XCR#1 campaign highly benefited from the ISPA 6’s permit to fly granted by the Italian National Aviation ENTRY INTO SERVICE FLIGHT Authority and the other Partner Nations within just a few days from the receipt of TEST CAMPAIGN clearance documentation. This was the first time in Eurofighter history in which permis- sion has been granted so quickly demon- n the 23rd of December 2019, the scanned (E-Scan) radar, which is being strating full commitment from the wider first Instrumented Series Produc- designed and produced by the EuroRADAR Typhoon community on the Programme. Otion Aircraft (ISPA 6) equipped with consortium, led by Leonardo in Edinburgh, With the successful conclusion of the the configuration has UK. The aircraft is currently allocated to the E-Scan XCR#1 flights, ISPA 6 has also successfully completed its first flight at the Eurofighter/NETMA Phase 3 Enhancements completed the broader P3Eb flight test Flight Test Centre of the Leonardo Aircraft Package b (P3Eb) development programme campaign. Nevertheless, the aircraft will Division in -Caselle. to perform E-Scan Entry Into Service (EIS) continue flying in July and August in order To accomplish this achievement, an flight tests and provide clearances for to perform final E-scan software certifica- Italian Air Force Typhoon (IT 014) went Kuwait, which has ordered 28 Typhoon tion flights for Kuwaiti Initial EIS-standard through a radical modification process in aircraft. aircraft as to support the initial deliveries the Caselle Plant ultimately being named In March the aircraft completed the of Typhoon to Kuwait. the Instrumented Series Production Aircraft “E-Scan XCR#1” flight test campaign, per- Production of Kuwaiti Typhoons com- 6 (ISPA 6). forming seven sorties between the 3rd and menced at Leonardo’s Turin-Caselle site in ISPA 6 represents the latest technologi- the 27th March, also in partnership with May 2019. To this day, eight aircraft started cal evolution of the Eurofighter Typhoon test two Italian Air Force Typhoons. their final assembly processes. KT001, the fleet, having the most sophisticated weapon This challenging programme was com- first aircraft of the batch, is now undergoing system on board. In fact, ISPA 6 is one of pleted on schedule, despite the difficulties electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing the three Typhoon test aircraft currently posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic: and the other aircraft will follow soon. equipped with the Captor-E electronically all flight test points were completed and all

AUSTRIAN TYPHOONS PROVIDE DAVOS PROTECTION

THE FAMILY BUSINESS

n March 27th 1994, 5-year-old Jan “Flying has been in my blood almost Kramer went ‘to work’ with his father from the day I started to walk,” says urofighter aircraft from ’s Bundesheer OChristian Kläsener, Eurofighter’s Luftwaffe pilot Captain Kramer. “Naturally, secured Austrian airspace during the World Manager Flight Ops and Capabilities. It was with my father working for Eurofighter I was “There’s always been a unique con- EEconomic Forum in Davos last week. The Eurofighter a special day in European aviation history inspired to get involved in the industry in nection with the Eurofighter programme Typhoon jets were on hand to secure the annual event in and one that would change young Jan’s life some capacity from the very beginning. because my dad was so intimately involved. Switzerland, under the auspices of the newly-created Air forever. The trip was to the Airbus factory I was only five when my dad took me to One time when I flew in one of the aircraft Force Command named Operation Dädalus. in Manching where the pair witnessed the witness the .” from Nörvenich for the 400-hour inspection, first flight of the Eurofighter. Fast forward Jan’s decision to become a pilot came I texted him the day before and suggested 25 years and today Jan is a Captain in during fifth grade when he started looking meeting up there. That was a very special the German Air Force, flying Eurofighter into getting into one of the squadrons. Over moment for us. It was a once-in-a-lifetime Typhoon jets. time the dream turned into reality. chance to meet up and do business.” THE BIG PICTURE Typhoon pilots from RAF Coningsby in continue their operational training whether it be for Quick Reaction Alert in the UK or the Falklands or deployed international operations such as SHADER in the Middle East.

© UK MOD Crown Copyright 2020 14 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD PRIZE FIGHTS PRIZE FIGHTS 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 15

Franz Posch, CEO, DS Schweiz Airbus, sovereign capability and need to be able to and John Rossall, HX Campaign Director, act independently. Hence the importance of BAE Systems, understand each other’s the sovereignty issue. roles well. The two men respectively lead the Swiss and Finnish campaigns on behalf ENDURING CAPABILITY of the Eurofighter partners. Both nations want confidence that their chosen platform will be flying and support- SOVEREIGNTY AND MISSION DATA ed into the 2060s. Eurofighter is a phenom- “Sovereignty is key to our offers in Finland enal platform, with a fantastic structure and and Switzerland,” says John. “It’s an impor- very powerful engines. And it's got potential tant but complex issue but one way to help for growth in those two areas. The military understand it is thinking about it in terms capability is changing its sensors, its weap- of a social media. A couple of years ago, ons. 2060 is important but both nations people didn't understand that Facebook want to understand the Eurofighter capabil- or Instagram could hold and use all their ity road map that will ensure its relevance personal data unless they ticked a box. Nor throughout its years in service. did they realise that these companies could John Rossall (left), HX Campaign Director, BAE pass this data on to marketing companies Systems and Franz Posch, CEO, DS Schweiz STRONG EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT or whomever. Today society is much more Airbus, This notion is becoming more and more im- aware and eager to protect personal data. portant. From a Finnish perspective, Finland “If you think about how important your It's sensors, it's data and your ability to is a very pro Europe nation. Part of being a personal data is, then consider it in terms access the 1s and 0s and analyse them European solution means collaboration is in of a nation’s military and security data then and use them. That’s really what you’re our core. you can see how imperative the protection buying. All the hardware does is collects It’s a similar story in Switzerland. Says and sovereign control of data is. The collab- that data — if you don't control that, if you Franz: “We are proud to point to Eurofighter orative nature of the Eurofighter programme can’t defend yourself against the threat and as the European solution because we offer and the core nations ensure new partners you can’t direct your complex weapons to common training, common exercises with are equipped to collect and exploit their a target, then all you’re left with is a very the partner nations, while also allowing the PARALLEL LINES sovereign data. The ability to do this is expensive bit of kit that you might not even Swiss to retain the ability to operate their unique to European offers, the speed, and be able to fly.” fleet independently. programmability and therefore usefulness is “Sometimes Eurofighter is misunder- unique to Eurofighter. SECURITY OF SUPPLY stood and viewed simply as a product. What we are talking about is being able Both nations put a strong emphasis on The truth is that it's really Europe's biggest to assess the data you're collecting and use security of supply and software. They both multinational defence programme. We have it to defeat threats. Eurofighter will allow respect the fact that they have to have four core nations behind it, we've got three and are both running competitions for new combat you access to your data and access to of the biggest defence companies in Eu- Finland Switzerland your sensors so you can adapt them to the rope behind it. If you want to compete in F1 aircraft. The next 12 months will be crucial as decision day looms. While both threat. Essentially, it allows you to do things you don't buy simply an F1 car, you need to you need to do to gain a military advantage. be part of a team.”  If you don't have sovereign control of your nations have very specific requirements, there are a number of similarities. data, then you've got to seriously question your ability to sustain military credibility now Both are looking to replace ageing fleets of F-18s, both nations are working and in the future. “What we demonstrated clearly in to broadly similar timeframes, both put a very strong Finland was that Eurofighter was able emphasis on running a fair contest, and both Finland and Switzerland to identify potential threats and then the planner was able to reprogram the mission data, provide it back to the air- represent an opportunity for craft. This is how it knows how to deal with future Eurofighter sales. threats. The unique thing about Eurofighter, is that it can be turned around on a sortie by sortie.” John says this message around sover- eignty and mission data is starting to land. “Let’s face it, we’re talking about titanium, carbon fibre, and two phenomenal engines. But the crucial element is all the 1s and 0s. TWO NATIONS, TWO CAMPAIGNS, BUT SEVERAL COMMON THEMES 16 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD PRIZE FIGHTS PRIZE FIGHTS 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 17

of different weapon configurations, so they are part of the UK RAF’s requirements and SWITZERLAND could get a feel of what's possible in differ- will be embodied prior to when deliveries ent scenarios. are due to commence.”

WHAT IT WANTS A KEY ISSUE THE PROCESS SO FAR Switzerland needs to replace its ageing Lifecycle costs are crucial, says Franz: “A “We submitted an RFQ response in 2019 fleet of F-5s and F-18s, which are planned support audit took place last year. Switzer- and a revised RFQ response on 31st Jan- to be phased out between 2025 and 2030. land is particularly interested in the lifecycle uary 2020. We are continually developing The contest started with a Request for costs of whatever they finally end up the solution that we'll finally offer with the Proposal in 2018, which was focused on procuring and how you operate your aircraft Finnish customer and this process will go the capabilities they were looking for from a over time. One of the reasons for this is that up until the end of May this year (some pro- replacement. Switzerland will be the last nation flying F-18 gramme changes may result from Covid 19). Switzerland is a neutral state, not a as it’s more or less at the end of its lifecy- Then they will produce their Best and Final member of NATO, and its major task is air cle. As such they're having to invest heavily Offer documentation, which we will respond policing, but in ‘intense situations’ they in order to keep their F-18 fleet operating. to,” says John. want to be able to defend their airspace. They’ve found it's very expensive at the end Finland has carried out cold weather Switzerland is asking for 36 aircraft in of the lifecycle if you're the only user left. flight evaluation trials where they operated full condition, with everything included in Hence recent pronouncements stating that the Eurofighter at base for the week. But their package. They also want to have a sin- Eurofighter will be flown beyond 2060 are there are other evaluations too, including gle price for four additional aircraft and the very important for Switzerland, because simulator trials which will be used to verify budget is 6 billion Swiss francs. Switzerland they don't want to be in the same situation some of the things we've offered in our is asking for an offset commitment of 60% again.” proposal. of the purchase price. “The good thing is Switzerland has very WHAT’S NEXT? KEY ISSUES clear requirements, a confirmed budget, a In January this year the Swiss team 1. Support: On the support side the UK has clear and well-defined evaluation process.” received the RFP Part 2 which puts the demonstrated through TyTAN that it can Interestingly they are asking for a solution focus on what it will actually deliver, and provide high availability at a low operating that is very similar to the solution that Ger- this proposal has to be delivered by August cost, and an availability-style contract will many is introducing. This Swiss Eurofighter 19th — it’s the Best and Final Offer (BAFO) be proposed at the sustainment phase. But would be almost exactly the same. stage. Says Franz: “That’s it until Type we'll do that in partnership with the Finnish Selection and this will be made in Quarter military and industry. THE PROCESS SO FAR 1, 2021. However, the final details on fleet “We will transfer as much MRO (Mainte- Last year the competition moved into a sizing, weapons and mission equipment will nance, Repair and Overhaul) capability as key stage — the Flight Evaluation Phase. be taken after the Type Selection.” we possibly can to Finland, to be as close Explains Franz: “The flight trials are a huge The final decision will be made on the to the operator as possible. That means the effort and carry lasting significance. In minister's level of all seven ministers be- operators can deliver the maximum military effect, all the things we had claimed in the cause it's a strategic decision. It's not only capability possible; provide the means to proposal had to be demonstrated in the about the product. It's about a partnership, drive platform availability; therefore air- flight evaluations. We mainly used UK Eu- their security relationships, and this is a planes are available for flying the missions. rofighter jets, but supplemented those with very important factor in the process. By providing support as close the aircraft a German Eurofighter because they had as possible we will also need to provide different software configurations, and used CAN WE WIN? airworthiness and engineering support – both. We needed both variants to really Our strong belief is that we have a very which we can and will do.” show exactly what’s available.” stable solution. 2. Sovereignty: Eurofighter will provide HOW HAS EUROFIGHTER FARED? Finland with sovereign control of their own “We flew all the missions and performed all mission data. That’s a key USP in both the tasks they gave us. We had a two-seat- these competitions. er aircraft and they sat in the back in order FINLAND to get a direct view. They were also flying WHAT’S NEXT? alongside us using their own F-18s to see WHAT IT WANTS A decision is due around April 2021. close up what we are doing. After the flights Finland too is looking for replacements for the pilots took part in extensive debriefings. its F-18 fleet and delivery timescales are CAN WE WIN? The whole effort was carried out in a hugely similar, with deliveries required between Both nations want Yes. Eurofighter was designed to be a professional way from both sides. There are 2025 and 2030. Finland’s primary require- confidence that their phenomenal . The very strict rules governing the process but ment is to defend its territory. Eurofighter Centurion Programme transferred air-to- the result was that the customer was really is fast, it can fly high and carry an array chosen platform surface capabilities to Eurofighter that made satisfied.” of advanced weaponry, and that’s exactly will be flying and it a world beating multi/swing-role fighter. The Swiss evaluations highlighted anoth- what you need when you have a threat in Investment in Eurofighter, that will intro- er Eurofighter strength: reliability. “We took your airspace. supported into the duce new complex weapons, expand the an Airbus A400M loaded with spare parts It has a budget of 10 billion euros and 2060s. Eurofighter is a flying envelope, enhance its sensors and to Switzerland for the trial, but we didn’t wants full value for every cent spent. phenomenal platform, person-machine interfaces make Eurofighter need a single screw, which showed them Says John: “Finland has identified a a very strong capability for Finland. Add Eurofighter’s high reliability.” number of scenarios which they need to de- with a fantastic the military capability to the political and In addition to the live flying, the Swiss feat. The configuration of Eurofighter we will structure and very industrial partnership in Europe and Euro- team also carried out simulator trials in propose, will include capabilities that are fighter wins. Germany and the UK, looking at a number not currently on the aircraft today, but they powerful engines. 18 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD SOUTHERN DEFENDERS SOUTHERN DEFENDERS 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 19

s soon as you enter the 18° Gruppo’s Technical Service), in line with the “The crews and aircraft have responded SOUTHERN building you’re taken back in time. 18° Squadron Commander. The STR auton- well in all their operations. The deployment AThe pictures on the walls trace the omously ensures all 1st and 2nd Technical in Kuwait, under the aegis of the Inherent key milestones of a unit that was established Level maintenance tasks. The squadron Resolve/Prima Parthica operation confirmed, in 1917. The history of the squadron is slight- is supported by the 936th GEA of the 36th at an international level, the ability of our ly peculiar; periodically reborn when needs Wing of Gioia del Colle, for some 2nd level aircraft to be able to operate both in the DEFENDERS require and disappearing when they end. maintenance. This reduces technical time air-to-air and air-to-ground domains or more and encourages efficient decision-making, precisely, in the role of reconnaissance. A PROMINENCE OF TRAPANI which in turn guarantees greater efficien- clear example of this was the simultaneous That said, the geo-strategic importance of cy and flight hours. In fact, the squadron redeployment of the Eurofighter in Kuwait Trapani-Birgi Air Base in Sicily was highlight- produces about 2000 flight hours every year, and , where it carried out the ed by the 2011 Libyan crisis when the air with very high reliability. surveillance of Romanian airspace on behalf base provided vital support for air opera- of NATO.” The Italian Air Force’s Trapani Air Base is home to the 37° Stormo and tions. During the crisis many believed that THE MISSION the end of operations in Libya would leave The mission of the 18° Gruppo, as for the the 18° Gruppo. It is one of the most important geo-strategic hubs in the base facing an uncertain future. Howev- other units equipped with the Eurofighter er, the experience only served to underscore (4th Wing of Grosseto, 36th Wing of Gioia Europe. With its Eurofighter Typhoon fleet, the air base plays a key role in the importance of Trapani Air Base and the del Colle and 51st Wing of Istrana), is the decision was taken to re-equip the unit with defence of the Italian airspace. safeguarding the Mediterranean region. We were granted exclusive Eurofighters. Their missions take place either under Following the delivery of the first aircraft NATO command or under the aegis of the access to the base. in October 2012, there was an intense national Government. Under NATO the programme of training, involving pilots and squadron is committed to covering NATO’s maintenance personnel. southern sector 24/7 for about a week a Once Final Operational Capability was month, sharing this task with Gioia del Colle achieved the squadron started its opera- (36th Wing), in the remaining three weeks tional training activities. From 2013 operat- the squadron provides QRA. ing procedures and capabilities were tested In recent years the Italian Air Force PILOTS TRAINED FOR EVERY through a series of exercises and deploy- has enhanced Eurofighter’s air to ground MISSION ments — both nationally and internationally. capabilities, investing significant resources in The majority of training missions are per- The arrival of the Eurofighter also led to a terms of expertise, men, preparation in both formed by employing ‘dummy’ weapons in change in the maintenance organisation. flight and ground personnel. segregated working areas, where air civilian Maintenance is entrusted on a “The swing-role capability of the Euro- traffic is highly restricted. “Training at the STR – Servizio Tecnico Rin- fighter is now a reality,” says Maj. firing range remains an integral and funda- forzato (Reinforced Gianluigi ‘Cash C, Commander of mental part of a pilot's professional growth” the 18 Gruppo. said Maj. Gianluigi “Cash” C. “Over the years the process of becom- ing an air-to-ground and, subsequently, multi-role pilot has changed. Initially it was a process of converting pilots already trained under an air to air profile, integrating their training path with air-to-ground training.” 

“The swing-role capability of the Eurofighter is now a reality,” says Maj. Gianluigi ‘Cash C, Commander of the 18 Gruppo. 20 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD SOUTHERN DEFENDERS SOUTHERN DEFENDERS 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 21

“New pilots undergo a swing-role rota- In terms of armaments the Italian Euro- ments of the 18° Gruppo continue to be tion at the 20°Gruppo OCU – Operational fighter has the AMRAAM missile, and IRIS-T many and varied: exercises, air policing and Conversion Unit, ensuring that when they IR-guided missile for air-to-air mission, with other activities. go to their operational squadron they can the GBU-16 Paveway Laser "The required standard is maintained immediately carry out any type of Euro- and GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway Dual Mode thanks to the efficiency, passion and dedica- fighter mission,” explains Maj. Gianluigi (GPS and Laser guided) for air-to-ground. tion of the staff,” says Maj. Gianluigi “Cash” C. “Cash” C. The Phase 2 Enhancement (P2E) package “Thanks to everyone’s constant com- “The training process includes the use will bring a range of new, long-range capabil- mitment, we are able to ensure the smooth of simulators which allow pilots to acquire ities. running of daily activities and the normal confidence in the management of the on- “P2E is planned to be available from the training of the pilots. In addition, planning board systems. The training uses a 'building end of 2020 and will certainly have impor- and scheduling remain the most important blocks' approach, so once the necessary tant and structural improvements that will tools in the daily life of a fighter squadron: confidence with different roles has been change the concept of using the Eurofighter,” planning ahead of schedule allows you to acquired, these are joined to form the swing- explained Maj. Gianluigi “Cash” C. better organize the training of pilots ensuring role pilot.” P2E will increase the air-to-ground their promptness and effectiveness. Of course, the pilot’s next scenario is capability enabling stand-off targeting of “The results we have been able to unknown: this is one of the major challenges high value assets through the integration achieve so far are manifold: from the Air Po- faced by NATO. So, Eurofighter pilots have of the Storm Shadow air-to-surface cruise licing in Iceland, to the hot sand of Kuwait, to be current in any possible mission role, missile; while in the air to air domain the passing through Romania and the Baltic giving the Italian Air Force an employable addition of the Meteor Beyond Visual Range States, not to mention the countless exer- “tool” in the majority of foreseeable scenarios. air-to-air missile will augment the Beyond cises around Europe and the 2016 Red Flag Visual Range capability, providing enhanced exercise in the . The multi- MISSION READY capability against a variety of targets such as plicity and diversity of the commitments we The Italian Air Force Eurofighters fleet agile fast jets, Unmanned Air have managed to support over the years, as includes Tranche 2 and Tranche 3A, both and cruise missiles. a squadron, as a wing and as a Eurofighter upgraded to P1Eb configuration, while the Over the last eight years, the 18° Gruppo line, underline the importance and matu- Tranche 1 F-2000s have been upgraded to has achieved important results, at the same rity that this aircraft and this Gruppo has ITA Mod 4 configuration that allow the use of time the importance of an advanced base in achieved." the RecceLite pod for ISR missions. the region has become clear. The commit- THE BIG PICTURE Morón Air Base is home to the 11th Fighter Wing, the operational squadron which is a multi-role air defence and attack squadron — meaning it’s capable of conducting both air

© Antonio J Jiménez Santana 2020 defence and strike missions, or both in the same mission. 24 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD PILOT VIEWPOINT PILOT VIEWPOINT 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 25

SWITZERLAND AND FINLAND: THE to be supremely confident the aircraft has As a rule of thumb, in EXAM QUESTION the performance to get out of them if it's evaluations we assume about not going well. Mountain terrain is extremely A lot of flight evaluations are bespoke to unforgiving. 100 hours of preparation for the customer’s requirements. In the cases every hour of flight time. of Switzerland and Finland, there are some Flight Evaluation: The Key Activities stark differences and clear similarities. Ulti- For security reasons we can’t go into spe- mately, both wanted to evaluate Eurofighter cific detail, but in large part both evaluations in all of the roles they’ll need to use it, now, looked at the following: and in the medium to long term. QRA: looking at time to access to the In both Switzerland and Finland these aircraft; climb to height to intercept an air- roles were tested over a two-week period craft; and intervening procedures — maybe with up to eight missions. Effectively, we heading to a relief landing ground, finally a carried out scenarios where we played the recovery. part of the potential successor to demon- Warfighting: each evaluation included strate Typhoon could deliver the capabilities some higher-end warfighting, in some cases they need. multiple Eurofighters vs. a significant num- They're both independent nations and bers of adversaries. This was an important have requirements for activities such as demonstration. It showed Eurofighter as a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) to defend their force multiplier, but also these scenarios are sovereign airspace from a threat. They also designed by the host nations to stretched evaluated the aircraft’s air-to-air potential the candidate aircraft to their limits, which is and air-to-surface strike capabilities. Both a good way to evaluate them. nations understand the value of owning the Surface mission: other tests involved air- data they collect, giving them the ability to to-surface scenarios, like simulated targeting execute a mission however they may choose. profiles, the use of the sensors, such as the V targeting pod for recce and The Missions non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and We were challenged to carry out combat reconnaissance actions. identification tasks whilst building situational Training: both nations will assess how easy awareness against large numbers of aircraft. Eurofighter is to learn to fly, examining the They also wanted to see how our two Euro- basic handling qualities. Both Finland and fighters communicated with each other and Switzerland are F-18 operators, and each shared data, in order to achieve our targeting wanted to test how easy it might be to con- tasks within the mission. vert to Eurofighter. Interoperability: no military exists in isola- Switzerland and Finland: Distinctly tion, and while both Switzerland and Finland Different are independent nations, they want to inter- The Finland exercise was planned as an operate with NATO partners or the nations Arctic environmental cold weather evaluation that have active borders with them. They in mid-January. These conditions are really also need the aircraft to operate effectively testing for any aircraft, let alone Eurofighter. with their naval and/or land forces. So part But they wanted to see how we operated in of the test looked at the interconnectivity and an environment where very few aircraft work interoperability of the aircraft as a system. regularly. Trying to make really nuanced decisions VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT about the weather was difficult. The question ULTIMATE was if it was fit enough to be able to demon- Pressure? What Pressure strate the aircraft could handle the adverse There was pressure but not as you might conditions, versus not fit for anybody to fly expect. The most important thing to me was no matter what aircraft. We had to gain the safety —delivering the validation in a safe trust of the host nation Test Pilots. They way. FLIGHT TEST understood the operating environment, we The next stress point was to provide the knew all about the Eurofighter and we came data to the host countries’ pilots so they The Pilot together in the planning phase to understand could write their reports. You had just one When it comes to a flight evaluation, BAE the boundaries. shot. Flight tests are expensive, particularly if Over recent months both Switzerland and Finland have been carrying Systems Test Pilot Luke Gili-Ross knows Switzerland had a different set of unique they significant numbers of aircraft airborne, better than most what’s involved — because challenges — mountainous terrain, with very so it was really important we delivered. out Flight Evaluation trials as they look to select a successor for their he flew the Eurofighter in both Switzerland steep approach gradients. They asked us to Another factor was time. For both Finland and Finland. Not only that, he has first-hand look at tasks such as a really steep vertical and Switzerland time was tight and some respective combat air fleets. Naturally, Eurofighter is in the mix in both experience of each of the rival aircraft too descent into relief landing grounds, because things, like weather, are outside your control. from his days in the RAF. Here Luke tells us some fast jets may struggle in those kinds That added pressure. When the weather competitions. A key common element is the flight evaluation – some might what’s involved, what the purpose is, and of environments. However, we demonstrated went bad, we had to get creative. Some- how much pressure a pilot is under during that successfully. times that meant adding to an evaluation call it the ultimate flight test. the test. Again, that took a lot of planning because because we were conscious that we might if you commit to those descents, you need miss the opportunity completely.  26 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD PILOT VIEWPOINT PILOT VIEWPOINT 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 27

Ultimate Skills Test difficult job. But I went into it knowing the In Finland, they designated Test Pilots to 100 HOURS PREP FOR EVERY aircraft. The aspiration for both campaigns to experience the capability to the widest That kind of high-end operational warfighting aircraft would sell itself just as long as I did fly all of the missions. That meant we could HOUR FLYING! was that the assessment was fair and possible audience. is really unusual for us. It definitely requires my job and demonstrated it properly. pair up one of the test pilots from Finland consistent across all competitors. Going The standard of the two Eurofighter air- pilots who are operationally competent and with one of the Test Pilots from BAE Systems As a rule of thumb, in evaluations we assume first puts extra pressure on us during the craft was slightly different too. This showed aware. To get the most out of the aircraft, THE ASSESSORS for the whole week. about 100 hours of preparation for every planning, as you have a responsibility to en- the customers that, although they were only you really need to be practised, rehearsed Working together meant we were able hour of flight time. But in reality, that was sure that the plan is deliverable by all, whilst a couple of months apart in development, and familiar with the procedures you have to Both Switzerland and Finland have Class A to develop a close relationship as the week probably multiplied even more, given the suiting the host nation requirements. the capability was significantly different. They perform. Test pilots, graduates from one of the four went on and build up a rapport when making amount of people and the complexity of the The preparation phase was as impor- were able to join the dots and see where It is a challenge because the aircraft is main test pilot schools, either the Empire the more nuanced decisions on weather and missions. tant as the evaluation itself. If we plan the platform was going in terms of capability only as good as the pilot flying it and the Test School in the UK or in the case of many data collection. Planning was the key. We spent a lot of perfectly, we may still have an unexpected growth, an idea further underpinned by the pilots are only as good as the aircraft they’re of the Finnish pilots, the US Navy Test Pilot From the start, both host nation Test time trying to understand what good looks event, which could mean we don't perform proven delivery of Project Centurion in the provided with. You work together. School. This means they think about evalua- Pilots were able to operate Eurofighter like. That was a really challenging set of and don't show the aircraft in its best light. UK. You can’t showboat either. You need tion in the same way as we do — and that’s themselves, which demonstrated the fact discussions, which in the case of Finland However, if we don't plan effectively it's to try and demonstrate the aircraft without important. In fact, in many cases we knew that the aircraft is intuitive and easy to learn took over a year. With Switzerland it was impossible to show the aircraft in its best HOW DID IT GO? overcompensating for any aircraft deficien- one another professionally before starting to use. It also showed them that when I slightly different because Airbus was the light. cies because you have somebody watching the evaluation. That helped us understand was demonstrating a capability that I wasn’t intermediary. Really well. Especially when you consid- you. There's a balance to be struck. You the questions they were asking through the working that hard, because we were able to The planning started with scoping which Team and Equipment er there are so many things that can go have to demonstrate the capabilities within evaluation process. We discussed things have a conversation at the same time. Over aircraft were available, whether they’re single Don’t underestimate the complexity. It took wrong over a long evaluation and across a the scope of what a reasonable pilot is before we started, ensuring we actually a mission sortie, the Test Pilots were able to or twin seat, and how many blue force Euro- an awful lot of time to plan and deliver complicated set of missions, because there expected to achieve. answered the correct question. understand the aircraft and get to know its fighter we could contribute to the scenarios. because both evaluations were seriously were huge amounts of variables: technical, Impressing the Judges: Your priority is nuances. We then looked at the level of information complex. Both were full scenario rehearsals. personal, and environmental. The Rivals safety and delivering what the assessors In Switzerland there were half a dozen we could provide. Where it was limited by a It was a huge team effort, with something For both campaigns we were able to I'm in a very fortunate situation. I have oper- need. The easiest way to do it is by putting evaluating pilots. We had different pilots in classification release then it was largely han- like 30 to 40 people involved in the planning deliver all the flying that we had planned, ating experience of the competitor aircraft in yourself in the shoes of the evaluating pilot the backseat for most sorties. Here, it was dled on a government to government basis, and delivery phase alone for each evaluation. within the timescales. We arrived on time, the Swiss and the Finnish competitions. We and asking yourself, what you would need a different relationship where generally we which was the case in Finland, though that In both Switzerland and Finland, BAE departed on time, used little or no spares, went into the evaluations knowing where we to be able to write your report if you were concentrated on delivering the data in as was slightly different in Switzerland. Systems provided two Eurofighters and two provided the data we’d promised, with very stood. They're all good aircraft. They've all them? professional a way as possible, but they Planning is all about relationship building test pilots, myself and Chief Test Pilot Steve few losses. Both evaluations are something got their unique strengths and weaknesses. I knew that I had two weeks of high were all still able to operate the aircraft effec- with the customer. What was really important Formoso (about 3,500 Eurofighter flying that we're really, really proud of. They both The job was about us targeting our stress in terms of delivering the flying, tively in a short space of time. (to both Finland and Switzerland) was not hours between us). showed the aircraft, and the whole Eurofight- strengths and being honest and talking to but they had to do that another five or six They were two very different approach- that we say we can do something. And not Unique among the competitors, we took er consortium, in a really positive light. The the host nation about the aircraft. That way times with other competitors. Essentially, es, but both had their merits. Switzerland's even that we could demonstrate it. But for one single and one twin seat jet. While the whole team that contributed to the effort can we were able to keep things on a profes- I was trying to make their job as easy as approach allowed them to get more pilots them to be able to validate through their own single seat Eurofighter is a mission-ready, be very proud. sional level. We were very honest about possible. airborne to evaluate the platform, while in audit process that we had demonstrated it. operational-representative version, we felt Eurofighter’s capabilities because it's a There were completely different ways of Finland the pilots were able to become more Obviously, it takes time to negotiate each it was also important to fly the host nation great aircraft. If we’d had a less effective or working between Switzerland and Finland. intimately aware of the capabilities of the of the test points. With both Switzerland and pilots in our aircraft so they could validate capable aircraft, it would have been a more aircraft. Finland we were first to demonstrate the in person. We felt that it was the best way 28 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD PILOT VIEWPOINT PILOT VIEWPOINT 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 29

ICE WARRIOR: THE EUROFIGHTER

Eurofighter is a combat-proven, robust and flexible platform that's available 24/7, 365 days a year to deliver capability, whether it's air-to-air or air-to-surface in any of the environments across the globe. From the extreme heat of deserts to more wintery climates.

TECHNOLOGYThe 2020s TRANSFER: will be a decadeEurofighter of furtherSHORT evolution STORY: for Powered Eurofighter by two Typhoon.EJ200 TAKEN TO EXTREMES: Robust and adaptable, Eurofighter operators control their own mission data — engines which pack huge amounts of thrust Typhoon has been designed to operate effectively in austere theyFor can one use itthing, for themselves growing across demand all fromensuring the core Eurofighter nations, is capablewith both of using Spain short environments across the globe. From the extreme heat of domains.and Germany asking for proposals forand additional damaged runways. jets for their fleets, will deserts to more wintery climates. inevitably lead to further evolution of the weapons system. THE BIG PICTURE Changes of command always leave room for unforgettable moments. This photo shows Maj. Antonino 'Ponch' M. (outgoing 12th Group Commander) being greeted by a passage of four Eurofighter aircraft, whose formation leader is Maj. Fabrizio 'Mono' N. (incoming 12th Group Commander). The photo was taken at the 36th Wing in Gioia del Colle, , and was obtained thanks to meticulous timing on the ground between the photographer and the flight crews.

© EUROFIGHTER / Giovanni Colla

32 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS ROUND-UP 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 33

DREAM JOB EPCS PLAY PART IN FIGHT AGAINST FOR DEAN COVID-19

lt Lt Dean Rogers of 29 Sqn has An exercise like Red Flag is also a great been named the RAF’s 2020 Typhoon demonstration of Typhoon’s ability to inte- Fdisplay pilot. Flt Lt Rogers will spend grate with 5th generation aircraft, and that’s the winter at RAF Coningsby carrying out obviously very relevant for the RAF with detailed preparation for the display. We what’s happening with the F-35. caught up with him to discover more about the man who will be wowing the crowds Over the seven years as a Typhoon pilot next summer. have you noticed it changing? Through the various software drops the air- Can you briefly summarise your career craft is continually incrementally improv- in a few sentences? ing and with it the human-machine urofighter industry partners Airbus, BAE Systems has supported the UK’s When I joined the RAF I was classed ‘ab integration (HMI) is always im- BAE Systems and Leonardo have national ventilator effort. The business initio’ which means I’d never flown any proving. When I arrived on Eplayed their part in the global fight provided integrated, tested sub-systems front line type before. I went to RAF Wyton, Typhoon in 2012 it was against COVID-19. and components, which makes best use of flew the Tutor and then the Tucano at RAF good then, but it’s Airbus’ commitment to the fight against our strong project management and engi- Linton-on-ouse. Immediately after that I was even better now. COVID-19 was underscored by a long-dis- neering skills, while saving significant time streamed to fast jets and went to RAF Valley Of course, there tance airlift mission that brought 4 million during final assembly of the ventilators. flying the Hawk T2. From there I came to are always im- face masks and medical supplies from Meanwhile, Leonardo's Aircraft Division Coningsby for my first Typhoon tour. After provements that China to Europe for use by health systems Working has been working together with that I joined No 1 (Fighter) Sqn and did a can be made and caregivers in , Germany, Spain Armed Forces and Government Agencies in three-year "frontline" tour. That was the best and that’s an- and . Italy and around the world, in making assets three years of my life to date. Then I became other good thing available to the authorities to support the an instructor here, gained lots of qualifica- about Typhoon crisis. tions and successfully landed this job. — we’re able to make them incrementally because What experiences with No 1 (Fighter) they’re mainly software-based. Sqn stand out? You can see this progression with Taking the jet to major international exer- Project Centurion, which transfers capa- cises like Red Flag at Nellis Air Base. Red bility for the RAF from Tornado to Typhoon. Flag was the first time I really felt part of The HMI is now the best we’ve ever had, something. And in Typhoon terms we fully and it’s needed because we have so many deserved to be there. We were surround- more weapons on the platform. ed by world class aeroplanes and never felt out of place because we knew we’d What was it about the display pilot role be able to do a good job there. The thing that attracted you? It's a punishing schedule, how will the that really impressed me was the level of I applied because I’d been told by all of the aircraft cope? situational awareness we had thanks to all previous display pilots that it is the best I’ve been all over the world in the jet — the sensors and systems. The combination flying they’ve ever done in their careers — QRA, Baltic Air Policing, the Falklands, of the performance of the jet, the weapons and some have had very illustrious careers. Malaysia, all the major exercises —and I’ve integration and the onboard sensors made The display pilot role represents a com- operated in extreme heat and cold weather, me feel at home in what is a high-end war pletely different challenge for me — espe- and I’ve never had any issues with Ty- fighting scenario. cially when you’re pulling 9G very close to phoon. The Falklands is probably the best Typhoon has always performed really well the ground. Thankfully Typhoon’s aircrew example of the Typhoon working in extreme on Red Flag, which I imagine is partly why equipment, the G-suits and so on, are awe- cold and the jet holds 24/7 QRA there re- the Americans keep inviting us back. As some. It means you can pull 9G instantane- gardless of the weather. It’s shown it’s able a junior pilot, brand new on my squadron, ously but feel confident you’re going to be to operate in some of the most inhospitable I was able to compete against the best able to stay awake whilst you’re doing it! climates in the world. in combat using a Typhoon … that’s how good the aeroplane is. THE BIG PICTURE A Luftwaffe Eurofighter Typhoon in charge at the 71st Tactical Air Wing "Richthofen" in Wittmund Air Base, is about to leave the parking lot following the instructions of the ground specialists during the TLP 2020-1 course in Albacete, Spain. The aircraft will take © EUROFIGHTER / Giovanni Colla part in a COMAO mission in the air-to-air role.

36 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD SOLID IN DEFENCE SOLID IN DEFENCE 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 37

The Praetorian DASS, consists of the Electronic Surveillance Measures (ESM), Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) and Missile Approach Warner (MAW), providing platform survivability and Situational Awareness. Praetorian OUTPACING integrates with the remaining elements of the Typhoon Defensive Aids System (DAS), namely the Defensive Aids Computer THE (DAC) and the and Counter Measures Dispensing System THREAT (CMDS).

Leonardo’s Phil Liddiard, consortium programme lead for EuroDASS, looks at what’s in store for the Typhoon’s defensive capabilities as threats rapidly evolve. sive role (for example Quick Reaction Alert, enabled both incremental upgrades and QRA) to an overtly peer-on-peer offensive the introduction of new capabilities over the role. The corresponding standard or ca- years. There still remain a number of further pability of DASS has then been considered upgrades that will maximise the residual against this. capability growth of the current Praeto- A rational approach is to assume a rian system, enhancements have already sub-set of the future fleet mix will maintain been made via software updates and new the current DASS system architecture, hardware is currently being developed by maximised for capability growth to address EuroDASS: the more defensive spectrum of operations urofighter Typhoon is equipped with situational awareness and a digital stealth of the capability growth potential of the FITTING THE DEFENSIVE SUITE TO and role requirements. A further sub-set will i. The Integration of a digital receiver into one of the most capable Electronic capability, achieved through advanced existing DASS system architecture. The THE ROLE REQUIREMENT require a new DASS system architecture, the existing Electronic Support Measures EWarfare (EW) systems installed on electronic deception techniques. The sys- conclusion drawn is that whilst there are Recognising both the budgetary constraints capable of countering and defeating the (ESM) processor. any combat aircraft. At its heart is the tem has protected crews for over 20 years, short term enhancements that can max- faced by nations, and their numerous evolving threat and staying relevant with ii. The extension of the ESM operational Typhoon’s Defensive Aids Sub System including on peace-keeping operations in imise the capability growth of the existing priorities, EuroDASS have considered how capability growth potential to the OSD of frequency by the introduction of the (DASS), known as Praetorian and provided Libya and Syria. system architecture, the continued evolution best to maximise the Typhoon’s defen- Typhoon. Extended Low Band (ELB) enhancement. by the EuroDASS consortium, a four-nation However, we at EuroDASS recog- of the threat demands a corresponding sive capability across future fleets. At the group of EW experts comprising Leonardo nise that as adversary technology and evolution of the Praetorian DASS, embrac- simplistic level, it may be the case that not OPTIMISING TODAY’S DASS Both of the above enhancements will in the UK, Elettronica in Italy, Indra in Spain techniques rapidly evolve, the Typhoon’s ing new technology to realise a new system every Typhoon being operated will need Firstly, let’s consider the current DASS. The increase the Situational Awareness provided and in Germany. traditional position of air dominance could architecture that will continue to provide the most comprehensive DASS system existing Praetorian system architecture and by Praetorian. Further hardware updates Praetorian protects Typhoon from threats be tested by advanced new air and surface exceptional survivability and keep Praeto- installed, depending upon the role being ful- the threat landscape that this was designed are also proposed which will improve inter- including Infra-Red (IR or heat-seeking) and threats. rian relevant through to the Out of Service filled. This has led to a pragmatic approach against dates back to the early 1990s. operability and Electronic CounterMeasure radar-guided missiles, while integrated sen- This is why, over the last two years, Date (OSD) of Typhoon. based upon our interpretation of future role Fortunately, the design contained signif- (ECM) performance.  sors and jamming equipment also provide EuroDASS has undertaken an assessment requirements; from a predominantly defen- icant head-room for expansion, which has 38 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD SOLID IN DEFENCE SOLID IN DEFENCE 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 39

2. Weapon System Integration 4. Operational Capability Some examples of technology exploita- future architectures which will be presented A multi-channel digital receiver architec- In terms of the future capability require- tion within the proposed Praetorian Evolu- to nations. These will have an associated ture will provide high quality, high fidelity ments for the DASS, in generic terms these tion architecture include: capability trade-off thus helping nations parametric data. This capability will allow address themes such as extension to the assess the trade space between operation- Typhoon to act as a forward combat ISR- operational frequency ranges; effective - Advances in ultra-fast sampling and al capability, wider platform impact, risk node, providing forward intelligence gath- operation in the future congested and digitisation will enable wide bandwidth maturity and cost. ering opportunities and contributing to the contested EM environment; networked digitisation, effectively behind the receive In summary, while Typhoon remains one wider digital battlespace picture and shared multi-platform co-operative techniques; antenna. of the best-protected platforms flying today, situational awareness via data off-boarding. enhanced ECM in terms of field of view, - System-on-Chip (SoC) technology EuroDASS recognise the future challenges The enhanced processing will also allow power and technique complexity; geoloca- combines hardware (analog, digital, and are working hard to make sure Typhoon the DASS to contribute to sensor correla- tion and unambiguous emitter identifica- mixed-signal, Radio Frequency (RF) stays a step ahead over the decades to tion and confirmation. tion; low false rate missile warning. functions) and software processing come. In the short term, mature candidate Clearly, interoperability across the These have shaped the Praetorian Evolution into a single integrated chip. This high solutions are available to maximise the ca- weapon system, own-ship and architecture, alongside the future growth level of integration uses less power, and pability of the existing system architecture, multi-ship will increase in com- potential to support incremental capability offers significant SWaP (size weight and providing longevity to the current Praetorian plexity as the number of on- growth by software update through to the power) benefits. for defensive roles. board emitters increase Typhoon’s OSD. - Novel antenna design techniques will and exhibit increased mean traditionally large physical antenna Looking towards the future and the bandwidth and/or NEW TECHNOLOGY UNDERPIN- designs can be realised in smaller, more OSD of Typhoon, EuroDASS continue power. The Evo ar- NING FUTURE CAPABILITIES integration friendly adaptations formats. to undertake significant work to mature ing from this work are the chitecture will provide additional interfaces The exploitation of latest technology and Praetorian Evolution, the future of the DASS fundamentals for a future DASS (ethernet and discrete) to interface to other manufacturing techniques is fundamental Across the EuroDASS consortium, each on Typhoon. This will fully exploit technol- architecture that will continue to pro- subsystems to facilitate improved interop- to realising the capabilities and benefits of partner company is already investing in ogy advancement to ensure nations can vide world-class survivability for Typhoon erability. Praetorian Evolution. New technology will maturation of these technology enablers, count on Typhoon to achieve freedom of and also contribute to the role evolution of realise advancements in orders of magni- increasing the respective Technology Read- movement, access and control of the air. A NEW ARCHITECTURE FOR THE the platform. 3. High Frequency Agile Change tude in data processing, integration and iness Level (TRL) and realising mature build- Praetorian Evolution create a 6th genera- FUTURE BATTLESPACE Praetorian Evolution represents this new Agility and adaptability will be a key bandwidth over the existing architecture. ing blocks for the future architecture. tion DASS, providing continued world class Looking towards the future, we first must system architecture, and addresses four discriminator in the future dynamic bat- The recently-contracted Long Term survivability and support the evolution of consider the future threat environment. key operational capability themes: tlespace. Legacy threats are evolving, and Evolution Study provides a timely opportu- Typhoon by guaranteeing capability growth Maintaining control of the Electro-Magnetic exhibiting agile update cycles; modern nity for the Eurofighter partner companies potential for traditional and non-traditional (EM) Spectrum is fundamental for Nations to 1. Capability Availability threats are quickly and easily repro- and EuroDASS to collectively mature the DASS functionality throughout the life of the achieve freedom of movement, access and Operational capability is only relevant if it grammed. In response the future DASS work already undertaken. A number of stud- platform. control of the air. The threat environment is is available when required. At our recent must support agile update and migrate ies are currently underway, exploring the becoming increasingly complex, congest- EuroDASS Future Capability Conference from traditional mission data constructs to technology enablers to support a range of ed and contested. The threat continues to (October 2019) this was effectively articulat- a more intelligent algorithmic based mission evolve at a pace, with increasingly complex ed as ‘Little C’ and ‘Big C’. ‘Little C’ being data construct. The traditional approach emitters and agile software adaption, cou- the underpinning availability, serviceability of parametric-based mission data fields is pled with increased availability and prolifer- and maintainability that makes the ‘Big C’ becoming insufficient to cover all modes of ation of long range, mobile and networked available and deployable when needed. threat variants and unable to resolve threat surface threats. Opposition air platforms Praetorian Evolution will have a maximal system ambiguities. Furthermore, we must are also being equipped with advanced digital architecture, exploiting high-rel man- strive to reduce the complexity and burden Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) ufacturing techniques to improve equipment placed upon National Air Warfare centres capabilities. This all means that unless the reliability. The digital architecture also for the creation of mission data. DASS continues to outpace the evolution of supports enhanced health monitoring, of- The Evo architecture will provide a seg- the threat, nations risk losing the essential fering improved fault diagnosis and reduced regated software architecture that supports elements of control of the air. no-fault-found scenarios, both contributing the safe introduction of applications and Inevitably, in some areas of the current to reduced repair turn-around-times. algorithmic mission data. This will support DASS, the physical constraints imposed The Evo architecture will comprise of threat-specific ECM applications, and ESM by the system architecture are resulting in common hardware modules, configured by analytical algorithms providing threat identifi- the capability approaching its maximum software, thus reducing through life cost of cation, situational awareness and optimised potential, meaning that a new architecture ownership by reducing the requirement for countermeasures. The segregated architec- is necessary to continue to achieve the air spares holdings. ture will also support the longer term aspira- dominance Typhoon is accustomed to. tion to move certain elements of operational EuroDASS has, whilst being cognisant of functionality from the operational software to the future challenges imposed by the future algorithmic mission data, meaning functional operating environment, considered the update can be achieved in a far more agile future of Praetorian on Typhoon. Result- and cost effective manner. 40 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS ROUND-UP 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 41

AWARD FOR yTAN a ground-breaking support Michael Southern, TyTAN Delivery solution for the UK's Eurofighter fleet Director, said the joint team was hitting its Thas saved more than £500m which targets "delivering more than 75,000 flying has provided the UK Customer with re-in- hours whilst also coping with demands of TyTAN vestment opportunities to further enhance continuing capability enhancements to the Capability of the platform has won a major fleet and involvement in major events such industry award. as the RAF’s centenary celebrations in The Typhoon Total Availability Enterprise 2018. It is about delivering the right aircraft, (TyTAN) sees the Royal Air Force working the right capability, at the right time and the together with the Ministry of Defence and right cost." BAE Systems to ensure aircraft are available "TyTAN has transformed the support of at the right place and the right time whilst the frontline Eurofighter force whilst deliv- reducing costs which can be re-invested ering a 40% reduction in the through-life into new capability. The TyTAN team have support costs of the fleet. This has enabled been recognised by Aviation Week and will the re-investment of the savings made into be picking up an award at the prestigious future-proofing Typhoon, ensuring it is ready Aviation Week Network Laureates Awards, for the challenges of today and tomorrow." which recognises leaders across the In the first three years, TyTAN has al- Aviation community. In the first three years ready delivered 70% of its targeted savings of the programme, £501m of savings were including the Joint Avionics Service (JAS), a re-invested in to enhancements in radar, collaboration on avionics support with BAE defensive aids, future weapons and next Systems' Electronic Systems business and generation mission planning. Leonardo.

EUROFIGHTER SQUADRON ASSIGNED TO If you ever wondered about the typical kind of equipment that’s ITALIAN AIR FORCE 51ST WING required for a Typhoon to work efficiently, then our colleagues from the German Air Force have he Italian Air Force has officially Wing in Grosseto (Tuscany), the 36th Wing operate two fleets simultaneously: one come up with an eye-catching included the 51st Wing at Istrana Air in Gioia del Colle (Puglia) and 37th Wing in with Eurofighters providing the air defence answer! TForce Base, northern Italy, among the Trapani (Sicily). requirements, the other with AMX aircraft During the multinational fighter units responsible for national air defence. The changes at Istrana Air Force Base carrying out tactical reconnaissance flights. exercise Blue Flag 2019 in Israel This follows the assignment of Eurofighter — with the arrival of Eurofighter fighters Work on the base, preparing for the they took time out to contribute fighters to the 132nd Flight Group. The to the 132nd Flight Group — represent permanent deployment of Eurofighters, took to the latest viral trend called the announcement brings the number of Euro- the latest part of the 51st Wing’s current place last year. Key activity focused on the Tetris Challenge. fighter bases in Italy to four. transformation development of the maintenance bays for The Pilot and Maintenance team Eurofighter aircraft have been deployed This will eventually be concluded when the Eurofighter line – these are specifically participated in the challenge, at Istrana on QRA duties since 2017, though the Eurofighter replaces the AMX aircraft. designed work areas that are fully equipped which involves emergency and until now deployments were carried out in However, during the current transition for technical inspections. military forces around the world. rotation by aircraft and crews from the 4th phase, the 132nd Flight Squadron will In 2019, following the activation of the The pictures produced offer a maintenance bays of the Eurofighter line – rare glimpse of the equipment specific work areas equipped for technical used by all the participating inspections – the 51st Wing reached full servicemen. maintenance capacity, allowing the staff of the Gruppo Efficienza Aeromobili (GEA) at Picture credit: /Jane Istrana to take over the other Eurofighter Schmidt Units in the aircraft maintenance cycle. The Commander of the Combat Forces, General of Air Division Francesco Vestito, said. "The effort made by the 51st Wing, especially in this period of serious emer- gency for the country, is even more relevant because it testifies to the passion, moti- 2,000 flight hours for the Eurofighters deployed in Kuwait! vation and sense of duty that have always The Italian Air Force reached an important milestone in characterized the daily work of the Air Force just under 12 months from the start of the mission for the personnel.” Eurofighter aircraft of the Task Group "Typhoon", deployed on the Al Jaber air base.

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