PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES OCTOBER 2020

 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge  INSIDE STORY: A unique collaboration between German and UK forces

E-SCAN TAKES TO NEW HORIZONS IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE LATEST NEWS ON THE E-SCAN RADAR 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 3

CONTENTS

PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES SEPTEMBER 2020 WELCOME

Cover: We take a detailed look at the latest developments on the E-Scan radar

Every single one of us will remember 2020 as a to invest in the development of Europe’s biggest ever challenging year. The global Covid-19 pandemic has combat aircraft programme. That is why in this issue of had a massive impact on all our lives. The Eurofight- Eurofighter World we focus on all things E-Scan.

Eurofighter World is published by 4 E-SCAN TAKES EUROFIGHTER TO NEW HORIZONS: er community is no different. Our air forces, industry Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH We take an in-depth look at the latest news on the E-Scan partners and wider stakeholder groups, have each For the Air Forces of the core Nations, 2020 has been PR & Communications radar and what it means for Eurofighter fleets. been forced to adapt to this new dynamic. business as usual despite the pandemic. Their commit- Am Söldnermoos 17, 85399 Hallbergmoos [email protected] ment to 24/7 Quick Reaction 10 FROM FLYING SUIT TO BUSINESS SUIT: However, when I consider Alert and Baltic Air Policing has Editorial Team Tony Garner Find out what happened to four former Eurofighter the landscape in which we been maintained without them Mark Ritson Typhoon pilots when they switched careers. operate, I am happy to report missing a beat. In this issue we Luca Accinni that we have made signifi- reflect on their tireless work. Contributors 18 PERFECT VALENTINES: cant progress in a number of Airbus Defence and Space We speak to the man who flew the first UK Typhoon, key areas. And, in a feature called 'From BAE Systems Leonardo Archie Neil, about his memories of that flight and his work flying suit to business suit', we Viva PR today on creating a future training environment. Top of the list is the signing speak to four former Eurofight-

Photography of the E-Scan Embodiment er pilots who are now work- Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH 22 TAKING FLIGHT WITH DATA: contract. It’s a significant ing for our respective industry EDITORIAL Eurofighter Partner Companies Our exclusive interview with Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian programme, which commits partners: Airbus, Leonardo and Giovanni Colla Geoffrey Lee, Planefocus Ltd. Burridge looks at the role data will play in the future and to BAE Systems. The four dis- Stewart Jack battlespace. embody the E-Scan radar onto cuss their experiences and how Carmelo Sucameli Dr. Stefan Petersen/ their respective fleets. The they have adapted from flying a José Antonio Monago Terraza 27 NEWS ROUND-UP: contract is worth around €2.8 fighter jet to flying a desk. It’s a German Air Force fighters connect with remote carriers. billion, and supports further fascinating read. evolution and enhancements 28 JOINT EFFORT: of the current E-Scan product When you look across the mag- Design & Production In a unique exercise, a Luftwaffe Eurofighter detachment to meet German and Spanish azine the message is clear. Yes, images.art.design. Werbeagentur GmbH joined a UK detachment as part of a NATO air force requirements. we’re living through unprece- www.iad-design.de Baltic Air Policing Mission in Lithuania. dented times, but that has not Printed by This, combined with the recent UK investment diminished the professionalism and commitment of ESTA Druck GmbH 32 SEEING RED: announcement to enhance the Electronic Warfare everyone concerned with the Eurofighter programme. www.esta-druck.de 24 Eurofighters took part in the world’s most important capabilities of E-Scan, creates a formidable and highly In their collective hands Eurofighter has a strong future, air combat training exercise Red Flag. Find out how it all capable family of Typhoon E-Scan solutions for our delivering outstanding combat air capability, ready for came together. core nation and export customers. the future. Eurofighter World on the Internet www.eurofighter.com 36 NEWS ROUND-UP: Furthermore, these two contracts clearly demonstrate Enjoy the read, Follow us on: Latest update on Project HALCON; the inside story of the Eurofighter core Nations’ commitment to continue Italian Air Force pilot plus a historic flight in Exercise Blue Wings.

If you would like to opt-in or opt-out the 44 SOCIAL DISTANCE NO BARRIER: Eurofighter World distribution list, please go on Learn how NATO Air Policing carried on despite the www.eurofighter.com/optinout or contact the Covid-19 pandemic. Herman Claesen PR & Communications Department. CEO OCTOBER 2020 Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH

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Soon after this announcement was made, Additionally to the core development pro- the UK awarded a contract to develop the gramme, which is well-advanced in deliv- Mk2 variant of the radar for future em- ering the ECRS Mk0 variant, there are also bodiment into the Royal Air Force's (RAF) major development programmes underway Eurofighter Typhoons. to develop and integrate the future variants E-SCAN TAKES EUROFIGHTER of ECRS; Mk1 and Mk2. Eurofighter World spoke to David Hulme who is responsible for the acquisition and When you consider the future of the Euro- delivery of the portfolio of E-Scan contracts, fighter programme over the next decade, TYPHOON TO NEW HORIZONS including the core development programme the continued evolution and enhancement to integrate the E-Scan radar system into of the aircraft primary sensor will form the aircraft. David’s role also encompass- a major element of all our development es bid and campaign activity for future programmes. Phased outputs with respect programmes, which includes the Eurofighter to radar variants and associated capability Common Radar System (ECRS) programme. enhancements will continue to deliver in The ECRS comprises the three variants of support of our increasing production com- E-Scan radar: the Mk 0, Mk1 and Mk2, and mitments. This starts with our Kuwait and also the potential upgrade of the MSCAN Qatar customers, with Germany and Spain radar, currently in service. following soon after.

Where are we now? What’s the significance of E-Scan?

We've recently been successful in secur- The integration of the baseline E-Scan ca- ing commitment to the German-Spanish pability or CAPTOR-E (Advanced Wide Field retro-embodiment programme into 126 of Regard Active Electronic Scanned Array) aircraft. This is in addition to our estab- is a fundamental enabler for capability lished production customer requirements in growth across the Eurofighter platform. Yes, support of new-build aircraft deliveries into it is a significant capability uplift in its own Kuwait and Qatar. right, but E-Scan is also the catalyst for the development of many of the other systems Moreover, the UK has recently committed on the Eurofighter Typhoon platform. The a significant development programme to integration of E-Scan radar has already enhance the Electronic Warfare capabilities triggered a range of enhancements across a of ESCAN, through the Mk2 programme. number of other aircraft systems, particular- ly the avionics, power and cooling systems.

To fully exploit certain E-Scan capabilities, there are also a number of elements of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) programme that will be enabled and supported as a result of E-Scan integration. These include the po- tential for cockpit upgrades, enhanced mis- sion computers and high speed networks.

For example, the E-Scan radar is capable of absorbing a lot more data from the environ- ment. Of course, the aircraft therefore needs to be able to deal with that data in terms of what it processes, what it stores, what it off- boards through data linking, et cetera.

How good is the Eurofighter E-Scan?

It’s world-beating. The Eurofighter E-Scan is incredibly capable; it can carry out a Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH was recently awarded wide range of functions concurrently and with higher degrees of autonomy. With a contracts for the development, supply and integration of full suite of advanced Air-to-Air and Air-to- Surface modes, it delivers to Eurofighter the Mk1 E-Scan radar into 126 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft It means we now have five air forces plan- Typhoon more capability and supports a ning to operate with E-Scan enabled Euro- wider range of operations, improving the across the German and Spanish fleets. This has represented fighter Typhoon Aircraft, and four confirmed utility and effectiveness of the platform. production programmes. In addition, there the largest order to-date for the next generation electronically are significant ongoing discussions with A key point here is mission data, which, in current and future customers for both retro accordance with many aspects of Eurofight- scanned array radar, CAPTOR-E. and new aircraft requirements, inclusive of er Typhoon, will make the E-Scan radar E-Scan capabilities. increasingly configurable.  6 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD E-SCAN E-SCAN 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 7

E-SCAN: THE OPERATIONAL RELEVANCE

By Raffael Klaschka Multiple beams allow for extremely It offers the Eurofighter pilot a significant Eurofighter Strategic Marketing precise target tracking, giving the pilot tactical advantage and, when allied with the maximum authority over engagement rang- platform’s inherent power and agility, means The E-Scan Radar opens the door for es and tactical decisions. Typhoon will be a potent performer Eurofighter Typhoon into the Future Operat- Thanks to the Wide Field of Regard, for the future. ing Environment. That’s because the radar there’s greater potential to reduce geomet- is the main sensor of the aircraft, and im- rical closure to an enemy while maintaining provements and insertions of new capabil- the full picture. ities act as multiplier for the whole Mission In short, while there is much more po- Effectiveness of the weapon system. tential to explore with the Captor-E E-Scan, A greater field of regard, more radar it is clearly a game changer. power and automated multi-mode operation are only some of the features. More detec- tion range and smart incorporation with all sensors will help to reduce the pilot workload whilst enhancing Situational Awareness.

In operational terms, it means the aircraft Delivery of complex requirements and The capabilities now under development, will The contract is great news for everyone Securing core nation customers for E-Scan Kuwait customer next year, and the devel- can be rapidly modified based on the programmes through partnership and col- help ensure the operational effectiveness of associated with the Eurofighter programme is significant in another sense. It sends the opment and production programmes remain prevailing mission and environment. laboration across the best of the European Eurofighter Typhoon for decades to come. because it reflects continued confidence in message out from the German and Spanish on track. aerospace sector is fundamentally what the product and in the international collabo- customers that they’re now confident in the The aim is to maximize flexibility and Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH is here to What about the existing radar? ration and construct that makes it possible. E-Scan capability and are committed to The production lines are fully mobilised, end-user configurability. That’s why there do. We are supporting and enabling All Partner Nations and their Industries ben- the upgrade of their Eurofighter Typhoon with deliveries of radar systems into aircraft are a number of different radar variants, national requirements to be delivered, The MSCAN radar, which is on the fleet efit and receive a share of the work, and the fleets. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH is final assembly well underway. We have each with their own particular features and without compromising the benefits of inter- today, will also be sustained and there will whole Eurofighter endeavour takes another similarly focused on bringing a correspond- a number of functional developments strengths. These can be further configured national collaboration. be a series of capability upgrades in the major step forward. ing upgrade programme with the UK and underway through our ongoing Flight Test and refined through end-user mission-data. forward plan to ensure operational capabil- into reality, and their significant ongo- programme, whilst the hardware is mature How do you define the different ities are maintained. The key point is that It’s also a programme of significant scale. ing investment into the ECRS development and stable. We are on track to hit all the key Why the different variations? variants? MSCAN will remain as an operational variant The upgrade programme will run from programme underpins this intent. milestones for 2020.  within the common weapon system solution around 2022 to 2032 and will provide a Different customers have differing opera- We can’t go into too much detail, suffice developed through the ECRS programme. backbone of ongoing work into the What is the current state of the E-Scan tional requirements and that's why we have to say each E-Scan variant is tailored for Eurofighter Partner Companies and Radar delivery programme? different variants of the radar. specific operational requirements. What’s happening with the core devel- Suppliers. This is hugely important for opment programme? the ongoing stability and continuity of our We are focused on ensuring a successful Whilst there are multiple variants of the ECRS Mk0 is the core product, the hardware Industrial base. Entry-into-Service programme with the ECRS radar, there is one common integration standard and capabilities have been delivered The core development programme is de- programme and weapon system solution. through the core development contract. livering the integration of E-Scan capability The common programme approach allows into the Eurofighter Typhoon. The ECRS and Eurofighter to cater for different customer ECRS Mk1 and ECRS Mk2 are enhanced future development programmes build on requirements, without costs spiralling due products currently under development. the product of this contract. The hardware to divergent requirements and stand-alone These supplement the Mk0 product, with standard resulting from the core develop- development programmes. This approach further hardware and software upgrades, ment programme is designated as ECRS enables the flexibility we need to respond to enabling even more capability enhance- Mk0 and development is complete. Func- multiple Customer requirements in terms of ments to be delivered. tional development is advanced in support the specific capabilities they require, and of its initial Entry-Into-Service next year. the time in which they want them. What’s the future for the E-Scan programme? How significant are the new contracts The weapon-system itself — the avion- with Germany, Spain and the UK? ics, the cockpit, the power, the cooling, The E-Scan radar, and the technology it AIR-TO-SURFACE WIDE FIELD OF REGARD SAR (SYNTHETIC APERTURE TRACKING TARGETS the structure, the support solution — is brings, delivers a significant capability It’s a very positive step forward. Not only is • Detection and Tracking of moving • +-100 Degrees “Look over the RADAR) • Multiple Target tracking configured to support all of these different improvement, but it can bring more. There's it a major investment into the programme, ground targets Shoulder” capability • Creation of SAR images • Multi-Domain variants. It’s a plug and play concept that provision and growth potential in the ECRS but it also supports the capability growth • Improving Situational Awareness • Adjustable antenna position • Available to all participants of • Mission Data configurable Eurofighter is developing. One common solutions to do more, to be further exploited, plan for Eurofighter Typhoon. In particular, over multiple domains reducing Radar Cross Section Battlespace via Data-Link interface and infrastructure within which and to add further operational capability to it reinforces the future role of Eurofighter • Fully automated reducing pilot • Increased Survivability • High Resolution Imagery multiple radar variants can be utilised. what the Eurofighter Typhoon can deliver. Typhoon within the Core Nations air forces. workload 2020 has been a challenging year because continuous high readiness 24/7, so that QRA CREWS of the Coronavirus pandemic, but for the they can take off within minutes to protect Eurofighter air force crews of Spain, European airspace. In this picture we see MAINTAINING Germany, Italy and the UK who provide an Italian Air Force pilot as he prepares to Quick Reaction Alert (QRA), it’s been scramble. business as usual. QRA procedures entail SAFE SKIES aircraft and crews being held at

© GIOVANNI COLLA 10 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD FROM FLYING SUIT TO BUSINESS SUIT FROM FLYING SUIT TO BUSINESS SUIT 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 11

With 23 years’ service in the Royal Air Force, accumulating over 3,000 flight hours on fast jets including Typhoon and Tornado F3, Paul Smith enjoyed a distinguished career in the air force.

A graduate and later instructor at the UK’s Fighter Weapons School, Paul taught fighter tactics and assessed the combat capabilities of his fellow pilots, before leaving the RAF and swapping his flying suit for a business suit. Today, he is BAE Systems’ FROM head of business development for European campaigns. So how was it moving from your How did your experience of being a PAUL SMITH Eurofighter to a flying desk? pilot shape your interactions with your RAF/BAE Systems business colleagues? I actually finished work in the RAF one FLYING Friday and by the following Monday I am able to pass on an understanding of morning, I was sitting at my new desk how Typhoon is used, although that is less in the export department of Eurofighter about the flying and more the operational Jagdflugzeug GmbH. It was a rapid but use context. My colleagues at Eurofighter exciting switch. Getting an insight into how and BAE Systems ask questions like: why is SUIT the industry partners come together and this useful; why is this design feature impor- produce the aircraft was fascinating. I'd had tant; when you're in the cockpit how do you a taste of industry previously whilst working interact with this information; what are your on operational test and evaluation with the thought processes? RAF, but this was an up close and detailed TO view of how everyone works together. As a pilot, you are constantly making risk- So that was fascinating. benefit assessments and that is a useful per- spective to bring to design and airworthiness Working with Italians, Germans discussions. Safety is paramount, but our and Spaniards day in, day out, warfighters need the latest capabilities when BUSINESS was extremely enjoyable and sent on operational missions in the Baltic or rewarding. I loved the whole elsewhere. Maintaining that healthy tension European dynamic and lifestyle between operational capability delivery and in Bavaria that I found interest- safety is essential for our users. ing from a cultural as well as SUIT professional perspective. Most Has your view of industry changed? importantly, I was lucky to make many friends and professional As a front line pilot you are far removed relationships from across the from the point of design or delivery, and partner nations that I maintain to because of that you have an incomplete this day. picture of all the collaborative effort industry puts into capability delivery. Eurofighter is Were there any elements that just a fantastic aircraft — easily the best you found difficult to adjust to? thing I've ever flown. End of. But when you take the aircraft on operations or you are Yes. For 23 years, my life was testing a new upgrade, there may be some flying fast jets. It is an inde- aspects that you want to change. It then scribably stimulating mental and can be frustrating that it might take time physical challenge, so to leave to realise a design change for the frontline. the cockpit was a wrench. It As a you have to have a good In this edition of Eurofighter World we speak was also an incredible privilege engineering understanding of the various to be involved so early in the aircraft systems and their interactions. What to four former Eurofighter Typhoon pilots about operational life of Typhoon. you don’t necessarily understand is all the I was an executive officer on intricate delivery interdependencies. their careers in industry after flying. the first frontline at its formation. At the same However, when you are in industry you time, working in industry has understand how all the design elements presented a new and different feed into a particular change and the challenge. impact on all different areas of the system. It’s a much deeper perspective. I'm fortunate now as I'm in the Air Force Reserve and get to impart the joys of flying We have built the safest multi-role fighter to air cadets and RAF university students. aircraft ever – that is backed up by any metric I teach them the basics of flying. It's a dif- of the data. Why is that? Because between ferent kind of raw flying and a real pleasure. NETMA and industry we carry out a lot of work And my role at BAE Systems means I jump to make sure it’s safe. There is a huge amount in the back of Typhoon from time to time to of background checking, rig testing qualifica- maintain contact with the latest variant of tion and flight tests before it gets anywhere the product. close to the operational front lines. 

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absolute clarity. It's a critical skill, especially of programmes and Project Management, FROM in the fog of war. Briefings get you used to MARCO but a lot of things were new to me, working FLYING SUIT speaking in front of the harshest audiences with colleagues from finance, for instance. I TO and you’re not overwhelmed by speaking to GUMBRECHT started off initially in Business Development BUSINESS large audiences. It's actually a very helpful German Air Force/Airbus but I always wanted to get involved in the SUIT skill in engineering and programme meet- programmes. I’m just very grateful to have ings too. It gives you the tools you need to Before joining Airbus in 2018, Marco this department and to be able to contribute. piece together complex discussions, ana- Gumbrecht was a Staff Officer and fighter lyse and summarise the key elements. You pilot with the German Air Force. One of the How has your experience flying What can industry learn from incoming are used to taking a step back and taking first operational Eurofighter Typhoon pilots, Typhoon shaped your interaction with practitioners? a broader strategic view. Marco was a graduate of the German Air business colleagues when discussing Force Academy and the German Armed programme issues? In my view, having an even broader pool What do you most enjoy about your Forces Staff College. of people to draw on with the right sort of industry role? He went on to clock up more than 2,700 The person in the cockpit doesn’t care operational experience would help make flight hours on , including a about how the consortium is set up, they Eurofighter an even better weapons system. I love the international diversity of my decade on Eurofighter Typhoon. One of the care about the efficiency of the jet and Incoming practitioners bring a unique colleagues and the intellectual challenge of first Eurofighter Typhoon Weapons Instruc- we must never forget that. At the end of understanding of the first, second, third working in the Eurofighter family; the variety tors, he was also deployed on a number the day that is what it is all about, this is a I could probably explain to my former self are basic traits that any military leader has order operational effects of design and of those challenges and the immediate of NATO operations throughout a highly weapon system. why some things aren’t working the way I to have. engineering issues. That is true right across changes in direction. One minute I can be distinguished career. might have expected. That insight comes with the greater depth of understanding. There’s also leading by example. There is The reality is this programme was solely a mantra that weapons officers and fighter set up not just with regard to operational pilot instructors share: ‘Always be humble, capacity, but it was also as an industrial credible, approachable’. These programmes programme. are way too complex to even think that you can do anything by yourself, even just pre- That makes it different to the way other paring the decision-making process. programmes work. However, we must never use this as an excuse. I have a dual role There are a lot of people here that are and I’m responsible for military relations for better than me at certain things. And that's combat aircraft systems for Germany and part of being a leader, recognising that and Spain and I try to educate both sides on finding the right people to do the right job why things are the way they are. and enabling them to get on.

What can industry learn from ‘incoming’ What can the military learn from practitioners? ‘industry’ processes?

Today he is Head of Future Business Euro- I try to create a bridge between my past as There’s not a higher feedback intense envi- Industry is really good at creating the work- fighter and Military Relations in Combat Air- an operational pilot and being the guy in a ronment that I’m aware of than in the fighter ing environment and recognising that being craft Systems for Airbus Defence and Space. business suit, managing and setting up the pilot community. That is something industry efficient does matter. It is the little things, contracts and making sure we address the could learn from. like when your computer isn’t working. It How was it moving from flying right things. gets fixed. Eurofighter to flying a desk? We need to get better at meeting efficien- That doesn’t mean me playing the retired cy. One of the things I did as soon as I got Obviously, inside the cockpit things matter Nothing beats being in the cockpit. I left the Lieutenant Colonel and telling everyone more responsibility was try to give meaning and people move at speed and get things Luftwaffe 20 years after I began my career what a great pilot I was. It means looking to every meeting. done. But once you left the cockpit that and it was the most significant change in at certain things in a positive way, asking, sense of urgency and who was in charge of the operational spectrum from logistics to working on the details of weapon integra- my professional life. ‘have we thought about that?’ I question if we need a meeting? Would what wasn’t always that clear. ‘spanner turning’ engineers as well as pilots. tion or specific aircraft Mission Data values, a phone call be sufficient? If we do have the next directing a campaign strategy or In my last Luftwaffe role, I reported directly And if I do think we need to explain things meetings, we need have some objectives. You need people to make your life easier so What can our forces learn from industry supporting work trying to influence the UK’s to the Air Chief. As one of the first opera- better, it is being the mediator that brings And more importantly, we need to reflect on you can do your job. Getting things done processes? combat air strategy. tional pilots, pretty much everybody in the the two sides closer together. those objectives. You can burn a lot of time in the military caused me many headaches. air force knew me. and resource having meetings with no real That is certainly not the case in industry. Air forces are good at being decisive in an The other thing that gives me a particular I try to make myself go back in time and outcome. operational context. They make a decision buzz are the times when you're working However, coming into industry while you consider how would I explain something What is the most satisfying part of your move forward. In industry we're good at through a particular issue that leads to a are respected for what you’ve done, you’re to my pilot self and what would I have said You get direct, quickly delivered feedback. role? pulling in the data from a diverse range of specific design enhancement. Knowing that pretty much starting from scratch. It’s a about the consequences? That’s how I go If you do something badly in a jet you see it areas and people and producing a meas- a few months down the line my buddies in humbling experience. about it. directly in the debriefing. To be part of helping to shape the future of ured and defined output. our partner air forces will be flying on oper- the Eurofighter Typhoon. It has been part of ations and the aircraft will be doing a better Of course, I miss flying, but being a fighter How has your view of ‘industry’ What leadership qualities have you my life for so long. What are key transferable skillsets? job for them thanks to a discussion that I pilot is a job and we know it is going to end changed over that time? been able to transfer from the military played a small part in. • sometime. I was lucky in that I had carried out to industry? I’ve loved the aircraft from day one and Communication is one. It’s essential for desk jobs almost from the cockpit. For exam- I’ll be honest. When I was a pilot there were seeing it start to go through its Long Term pilots to speak with clarity and brevity. Part ple, I was Director of Flying Operations while times when I was critical of industry. Now When it comes to leading you have to take Evolution and playing my part in shaping of the role is about getting across large flying as well, and that was the beauty of it. I’m in the mix and I can understand things decisions and have the ability to leave your and delivering that, it is really gratifying amounts of often complex information with Coming to Airbus I’d been involved in a lot better. comfort zone and take responsibility. Those to me. •  14 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD FROM FLYING SUIT TO BUSINESS SUIT FROM FLYING SUIT TO BUSINESS SUIT 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 15

How has your experience flying I would export to the world of industry, How was it moving from flying to shape Eurofighter’s future operational FROM Typhoon shaped your interaction with values and behaviours from my military GEN. SETTIMO Eurofighter to flying a desk? development as well as supporting its mar- FLYING SUIT business colleagues when discussing experience. And vice versa, I would export keting perspectives. TO programme issues? to the military world attitudes, ways of doing CAPUTO The specific ‘desk’ I have at Leonardo is as BUSINESS and thinking that I have learned in my Italian Air Force/Leonardo their Senior Advisor for Marketing Strate- Tell us about the practical difference SUIT My main contribution is being able to share professional life at Airbus and Eurofighter gic Campaigns. This is one of the most you can make in your role. the vision of the user, not so much that Jagdflugzeug GmbH. of the customer. This is a fundamental Promoting Eurofighter in foreign markets difference. A pilot represents the last link in What can industry learn from ‘incoming’ is a team effort led by an orchestra which a long chain that began when a person out- practitioners? includes the Country Systems, Programme lined on a sheet of paper, long ago, the first Partners’ Governments and of course the design of this magnificent weapon system. Industry has a chance to understand the Partner Companies. However, even in this JUAN RAMÓN world as seen by the end user of a product complex and integrated environment, there How has you view of industry changed that thousands of people have worked are still moments when the pilot to pilot GONZÁLEZ over that time? on for years. Incoming professionals to interpersonal relationship is crucial because some extent break patterns of thought and it provides reliable first-hand arguments to The change has been very positive. I learn behaviours, and provide different potential discussions. During these occasions, my ESPADAS new things every day and I have been approaches to existing problems. previous career and experience enable me Airbus Defence & Space (Spain) enriched by the experience both as a per- to bring a certain credibility to the table. son and as a professional. What can the air forces learn from An example of that was clearly illustrated industry processes? when we were in a campaign meeting with a potential export nation. There was a large An understanding of the sheer complexity of delegation from Leonardo on one side and a programme like this: the variety of factors, on the other the Chief of Staff of the Air industrial, economic, social, political, legal, Lt. General (ret.) Settimo Caputo enjoyed challenging and exciting tasks of my career. Force with his senior team. After the formal that define the playing field in which the an illustrious 45-year career in the Italian Air It has been a particularly interesting time talks, the Chief of Staff came up to me industry has to operate. Force rising to Deputy Chief of Staff before to make the switch when you consider the directly and asked: “As a Eurofighter pilot, retiring and joining Leonardo as a Senior current technological evolution of the Euro- and as former Deputy Chief of Staff, what I’d also add that they might appreciate that Advisor for Marketing Strategic Campaigns fighter Programme, and the debate around are elements of your operational experience there are many people who do not wear the in November last year. Known throughout the future combat fighter solutions. The you could mention to convince me to buy military uniform, but who are deeply aware the ITAF for his love of flying, General Capu- Eurofighter is one of the best air superiority this aircraft?”. The discussion then moved of the importance of defence to safeguard to has almost 6,000 flying hours to his cred- aircraft available on the market now, it was towards operational aspects in the current the values of our society. • it and was still flying just two days before originally developed in response to Cold and in future scenarios with a very practical leaving the Air Force. He has experienced War requirements at the time. Since then, and solid focus: he listened to me because flying more than 30 different fixed wing and it has evolved to feel at home in networked we were speaking the same language. We rotary wing aircraft, including Eurofighter. war scenarios and it is further develop- chatted together as two pilots and two ing and improving its multirole combat officers and there was a real trust between capabilities, sensors and software in order us. He was very keen to hear what I had to to gradually bridge to the next generation say about the Eurofighter and very much How was it moving from flying of combat systems. I started my career in focused on understanding what it is like Eurofighter to flying a desk? the programme as a pilot and I truly loved to fly the aircraft, what its characteristics to fly this aircraft. Now, I am excited to be are, how it compares to rival aircraft and It was a strange feeling, despite it being a in a position where I can support the pro- how I observe its evolution towards future decision I’d given a lot of consideration to. gramme and contribute with my experience operational scenarios. He was asking very It meant I had to change the concept of detailed and specific questions. space, the concept of time — because just imagine, going from flying at 50,000 feet, This is one of the situations where I can add moving above the speed of sound and living real value, thanks to a specific pilot-to-pilot in three dimensions, to shifting to a place language: he was not talking to me as a where time, speed and the environment are representative of Leonardo but as a former completely different. pilot. It is a question of trust and credibility.

I needed a period of adaptation to get used How has your experience flying to my new ‘theatre of operations’. In indus- Eurofighter shaped your interaction try the rules of the game are different; here with business colleagues when discuss- other factors count and it’s a place where ing programme issues? multilateralism is a cornerstone. That is probably a question for my col- The thing is, the role of a fighter pilot is leagues — they are better placed to talk individualistic. You fly alone, you evaluate about our interaction! things alone, you take the decisions alone. Now everything is different, because your However, from my perspective, as a long- relationships with other individuals are es- term pilot, I am convinced that my col- sential from beginning to end. Some parts leagues can take advantage of my experi- of the military world are like this, but here in ence of flying a wide range of operational industry certain factors are accentuated. aircraft, including Typhoon, over  16 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD FROM FLYING SUIT TO BUSINESS SUIT WARSHIP 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 17

productive. It allows the industry to focus FROM their technologies and investments to en- FLYING SUIT sure particularly effective developments. UK Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons TO deployed in Lithuania carried out mock air BUSINESS What can industry learn from attacks to test the defences of NATO war- SUIT ‘incoming’ practitioners? MOCK ships operating in the Baltic Sea. The training mission took place, when RAF One thing air forces share is a ‘multina- Typhoons from 6 Sqn were based at Šiauliai tional cooperation’ mindset. This is the Air Base in Lithuania, with 135 Expedi- the last 40 years. This experience means I most relevant value that industry can learn tionary Air Wing, conducting the NATO Air can provide an additional value in support from the day by day work of Western Air Policing mission. of the Eurofighter’s Long Term Evolution Forces. They’re used to it, under the NATO TEST plan that aims to evolve the Typhoon as a framework and more recently in the various very flexible effective swing role new gener- operational coalitions. ation machine. I had the opportunity to fly in two different roles, air-to-ground and air- Nowadays, being an airman demands a vari- to-air, which are the two capabilities we will ety of skills which are transferable in impor- combine in the Eurofighters of the future. tant international commercial environments So the more I can draw on my varied opera- too. These competences are part of what tional experience, the greater the benefit to ‘incomers’ bring, as well as an understating the business. of the operational doctrines developed by the Air Forces. This kind of knowledge is a I think it is important to have someone who paramount when considering future opera- has the experience of flying working side- tional scenarios and how to best direct huge by-side with the commercial teams. This is investments in technologies. the best way to present Eurofighter in the strategic campaigns. The cooperation here In this sense, I believe that for this aircraft has been immediately mutually beneficial the best is yet to come. Typhoon remains because it’s helped shape a common resilient to emerging threats, while contin- mindset that is centred on effectiveness uing to reinforce its advanced electronic and on how best to respond to emerging warfare systems and the transmission and challenges. utilisation of ever-increasing amounts of both on-board and off-board data. Indeed, How has your view of industry changed Eurofighter’s weapon system is designed over time? for constant evolution and enhancement. Industry can learn a lot from former oper- For sure, it has changed a lot. In the first ational pilots, and “incoming practitioners” part of my career, my pilot’s mindset was can reinforce Industry / Air Force strategic purely focused on my mission. Over the last cooperation. With joined forces, Eurofighter decade, my view of industry has evolved. enhancements will improve and change the I observed a deeply changed relationship capabilities of the aircraft, further develop- between air force and engineers. Nowadays ing its potential and maintaining its ability that has been consolidated and is stable, to operate in the highly contested and which really helps the air force to transmit congested future operating environment. its requirements and receive feedback and solutions more efficiently. Did you ever anticipate you would end up working for Industry? This cooperation between air force and in- dustry has led to the development of a new No, not really, I had never really given generation training system for future combat it much thought. It was only in my final pilots, which is recognised worldwide as months that both the Air Force and Leonar- excellent. It also led to the advancement of do started talking about the value of having the most reactive logistics support model someone with my profile and my experience for the fleets and the most effective tech- to help both sides. It is a challenging role nological development in the aeronautical but I enjoy it. programme at strategic level. During the last part of my career I was As Deputy Chief of Air Staff, I observed the the Italian Air Force representative on the development of a more and more integrated Eurofighter steering committee, and, having and strategic co-operation mindset with the known the programme in detail, I’m one of industry. Today, this has helped to consol- the biggest supporters of its strong future idate an outstanding level of teamwork: in path, thanks to the Long Term Evolution Alessandro Profumo’s Leonardo, the Air and its continuous ability to respond to the Force and industry constantly confront and market. A solid second youth attends the share their visions for the future, making the Eurofighter programme — from both a ca- knowledge exchange continuous and pability and commercial perspective.  18 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD INTERVIEW INTERVIEW 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 19

A PERFECT While the idea has been some time in com- ing, 2021 is set to see the launch of DOTC. It means pilots from RAF Coningsby will be able to train with pilots from RAF Lossie- mouth and, in time, the environment will grow richer with more elements joining. The DOTC concept will ultimately join up mar- VALENTINE’S itime and land-based simulators to create an all-encompassing UK training capability, DOTC (Joint) – literally joining up the dots.

Warton, 14th February 2003, and Archie Neill is Of course, pilots will still get airborne to validate their radar, the DASS, the missile in Flight Ops preparing to take to the skies in launch success and so on. Archie believes that this could one day lead to a ‘live-vir- BT001, the first UK Eurofighter Typhoon. tual construct’, where the two-dimensional DOTC training is mixed in the airborne en- vironment. “Pilots would be able to validate “It was cold outside,” recalls Archie, who at And it’s the training element that’s the focus the systems and training in the air where the time was BAE Systems’ Entry-Into-Ser- of Archie’s work. He runs Typhoon Future their bodies will suffer from G forces, but vice Manager and Chief Flying Instruc- Synthetic Training making sure it meets the the most immersive fighter training would tor. “We’d just been zipped into the full UK’s synthetic training needs. take place in the synthetic environment.” immersion suit and as I was pulling on the full-coverage anti-G suit I started to think. “The aircraft is a lot more complex today Archie says that for BAE Systems, who than the one I used to fly. We are asking are closely aligned with the RAF, the future “When the kit was being designed, I’d done young pilots to become swing-role pilots raises some interesting questions. For a lot of work in the centrifuge to ensure it in swift order and it’s a tall ask. They’ll example, how will this switch to greater use worked. It struck me, at that moment, how arrive on base as combat-ready pilots and of synthetics impact on day-to-day activity many thousands of hours of effort, from progress through their squadron all the way on the bases? hundreds of different people, right across up to mission commander and training is Europe, had gone into getting us to that a fundamental focus. A lot of attention is For Archie, the answer is for industry to point that Valentine’s Day. In that instant I given to the operational use of the aircraft get closer to support the military output. suddenly felt immensely privileged.” but operational training, which sometimes “For me, the real KPI is about capabili- gets overlooked, is hugely important. ty; the trained pilots, trained battlespace His only nerves centred on making sure he managers, and the broad spectrum of didn’t let people down. “We all felt we were “However, with satellites able to track every highly-skilled personnel required to manage representing the wider team.” single move of these highly-capable aircraft, the air defence system. The fundamen- it’s important that you don’t show your tal change is that simulation used to be Following that successful flight Archie spent tactics to adversaries who will be watching focused on the trainer. Now it’s about the months working on the training syllabus for what you do.” operational pilot developing skills. pilots, including their simulator work, as he built an impressive career. So, just as in 2003 when Archie was at the “Focusing on the simulators misses the cutting edge, today he is at the forefront of point. It needs to be a fully integrated envi- Fast forward 17 years and Archie — who developing a synthetic training regime that’s ronment focused on information advantage joined the RAF in 1983, gaining his wings fit for the future. – getting information accurately, securely in 1986 –remains heavily involved in the and quickly to allow operators to make Eurofighter world. Today, he’s BAE Systems’ JOINING THE DOTS critical decisions. Director of Operational Training for the Air Sector. The security aspect is one thing. Fuel budg- “This includes mission planning, data ets are another but, there’s also the fidelity management, and effective programming, His office, within earshot of the runway of synthetic systems that these days allow to make sense of this increasingly complex used by BT001, contains a whiteboard with pilots to train ‘over Syria’ for a range of environment.” a curious hand-drawn map. It’s not immedi- scenarios without ever leaving terra firma. ately clear where it’s supposed to feature. That said, there are elements that need to New simulators are on the horizon but for be addressed. Archie the biggest challenge will be cultural. “It’s the UK flipped 90 degrees on its side,” “We will need a different mind-set about says Archie, noticing the puzzled looks. “It’s “If you go into a simulator everything is spot how we collectively train. That will be a done that way to demonstrate to people the on — the radar, the communications and so challenge.” threats that the RAF have to counter and on. But, everything’s just a little too perfect. that we are supporting.” In the future we need to make it more real. It will be a first. A new test. However, for the We will include real people in the network. man who stepped into the first UK Typhoon, Red blocks scattered across the map indi- The concept is not new — it’s called it’s just another day in the office.  cate high threat areas. Green blocks show Defence Operational Training Capability where the Eurofighter simulators are based. (DOTC) and covers air, land and sea.” THE BIG PICTURE Two Eurofighters at RAF Coningsby in during a routine training mission.

© Stewart Jack 22 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD TAKING FLIGHT WITH DATA TAKING FLIGHT WITH DATA 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 23 TAKING FLIGHT WITH DATA

“There is often a mentality that a com- plex aeroplane will do what it says in the brochure, from the minute you get it on your airfield. In the early stages of an aircraft’s life, that is actually debatable. “It was only when we eventually got it to Coningsby and started operating it in the squadron environment with an increased training programme, that we started to think about how we could climb up the learning curve to use its complex technology to optimise our ways of working and support solutions.” Sir Brian’s experience in such a variety of roles gives him a unique perspective. He’s able to analyse the combat air world from the view of the customer, from indus- try, and now, in an independent capacity. It is this experience which makes him as well-positioned as anyone to translate how Case White’s remit was to deliver an data can be used to benefit every level in innovative training package to strengthen the quest for enhanced capability but also the relationship between the RAF and BAE potentially to redefine the role of technicians With a full career in the Systems, the industrial partner. It meant and engineers working on the aircraft day bringing together different cultures to in, day out. RAF, Senior Vice President ensure the fighter was ready to deploy to its main operating base of RAF Coningsby, SPIRAL DEVELOPMENT OF at Leonardo, and currently on time, ahead of being deployed on air CAPABILITY defence Quick Reaction Alert. Chief Executive of the Royal It would enable the creation of a cadre The three elements of his career give him a of 16 pilots and 190 RAF engineers all of distinctive view on how technology can be Aeronautical Society, Air Chief whom, Sir Brian says, were focused on used in a positive way. optimising the aircraft’s data collection ca- “Collaboration is significant – particularly Marshal Sir Brian Burridge pabilities to improve availability and deliver international collaboration – and we need “When I came on the scene as Deputy this new capability at lower cost. to recognise that cooperative development has an extensive and multi- Commander-in-Chief at Strike Command of technology, with its inherent sharing of from early 2002, at a time when Case White DIGITAL IN EVERY SENSE risk, puts a true value on that. Secondly, we faceted view of the industry. [a project designed to support Eurofighter must continue to focus on the customer– at BAE Systems Warton ahead of its move “In any aircraft, the engine-airframe com- industry interface and the optimum division Today, he talks of the role to RAF Coningsby] came into play, I had bination is what it is; you get the thing of activity. Thirdly, we must continually two principal concerns,” says Sir Brian. airborne no matter what,” says Sir Brian. consider spiral development and the incre- data will play in the future “The first was working up the air crews for “But the Typhoon was a complex digital mental insertion of technology in order to the nascent Operational Conversion Unit aeroplane, the performance of its software, optimise capability. battlespace and analyses its and Operational Evaluation Unit ensuring systems and sensors would really have to “For example, in the UK, TyTAN [the that, each day, we got the flying that we be shaped and we would be continually support construct between industry, air historic contribution to the needed out of this small fleet of Typhoons. learning from its mission system output and force and MoD] drew on earlier lessons And, there were still trials to be completed. the data it provided. from introducing availability contracting for combat air world. “Second, was transferring the knowledge “It was digital in every single respect, Tornado. That experience, at a time when from industry to RAF technicians about including the built-in test equipment, and there was limited investment available in operating what was essentially our first ever it took us some time to harmonise our the UK for capability development, has digital combat aircraft. I had lived through approach with that. I can remember getting proved very useful. Project Centurion on the birth of Merlin, the first digital helicopter, 13,000 ‘events’ downloaded onto the the Typhoon, which transfers capability from and had seen how challenging it was to ground-crew laptop after a single sortie, Tornado to Eurofighter, in particular Meteor, transfer this knowledge – I knew this would because it was highly sensitive to things like Brimstone and Storm Shadow, owes much be no different.” alternators going on and offline. of its success to that early knowledge. 

THE BIG PICTURE 37th Wing / Trapani Air Base - After a training mission, the four Eurofighter F-2000 “Typhoon” assigned to 18° Gruppo returned to their home base. The first of the four jets landed a few minutes before, the other three can be seen just a few seconds before the formation break that will bring them to landing.

© GIOVANNI COLLA 26 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD TAKING FLIGHT WITH DATA REMOTE CARRIERS 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 27

GERMAN AIR FORCE EUROFIGHTERS CONNECT WITH REMOTE CARRIERS “Overall, by being smart over the use of “Virtual research and development also data, we are able to demonstrate that we has the virtue of reducing both the time Interconnectivity between remote carriers The communications, which also includ- This marks a first in Europe and is a can reduce the cost of support, improve the to market and the sheer cost involved, an and Eurofighter Typhoons has been suc- ed Tornado fighters and NATO cooperative further milestone towards a future combat supply chain, increase responsiveness and attractive proposition to shareholders. Also, cessfully proven during a live exercise for ESM Operations, were established within air system (FCAS). make sensible investment decisions on both the resulting data-rich environment allows the first time. the framework of existing IT security regula- A further step was the demonstration of sides of the customer–industry interface to for comparisons to be drawn across fleets The technology milestone was hit during tions and NATO classification levels. interoperability with the NATO concept of alleviate pinch-points. It has become crucial and throughout the entire supply chain. the recent German Air Force Timber Ex- During the exercise, the remote carriers, Cooperative ESM Operations (CESMO), a to us to secure future funding and is thus an “Looking ahead, we need combat press exercise over Northern Germany and which currently use the Compact Airborne reconnaissance network spanning several on-going challenge. aeroplanes that are developed to ease the North Sea. It represents the first time Networking Data Link (CANDL), were suc- branches of the armed forces aimed at lo- “To create innovation in this industry, digital analysis with the necessary tools the interconnectivity of the Airbus Defence cessfully connected to Link16, the opera- cating threat systems in the electromagnetic you must first understand the risk-manage- embedded within their systems so we can and Space remote carrier technology in tional tactical data link of the armed forces. spectrum in real time. ment significance of incremental capability plan missions effectively with optimum data. a multi-data link environment has been The remote carriers were not only visible Airbus has succeeded in integrating the improvement and spiral development,” he That’s quite a challenge but there’s no need demonstrated with real fighter aircraft. to all tactical combat aircraft of the Air remote carriers as a full component in the says. “You can then undertake your research to fear that: we have to embrace it and Force but could also receive and execute CESMO reconnaissance network. The sim- and development with some certainty that it quickly learn how to harness data at every orders without the need for technical modi- ulated reconnaissance results of the remote will be pulled through. In the defence sector, level. Here, there are advanced technolo- fications to the aircraft. carriers were made immediately available it remains difficult to convince people that gies in data analytics beginning to emerge to the CESMO Fusion Element during the there is value in looking at the long-term, that will help.” exercise and merged in real time with other understanding the maturation of technology, Is industry ready? Sir Brian thinks so. reconnaissance results such as those of a to the point where you can safely – with a “We are approaching an era where the flying Tornado ECR.  minimum of risk – say ‘let’s go forward and data we capture, and how we use it, is integrate this novel sensor, across our fleet’, pivotal to our future success. But, unless for example. We seemingly waste so much we learn quickly how to use it to our benefit, time in prevarication such that export com- we’re going to find ourselves absolutely petitors can steal a march on us. flooded with too much data. And we’ll end “Litening 5 on the Typhoon is a perfect up ignoring it and that’s something we can’t example. It does an enormous amount to afford to do. We must start to make better improve the ISR capability, as well as the use of AI to help us scan data and pick out attack capability, which is obviously a very highlights that are of imminent importance, important aspect. But at one point it was and deliver the right training to ensure that the new kid on the block. It has had to prove from that point, absolutely anyone who itself.” looks at the data is able to interpret it. “The Eurofighter Typhoon, for example, A DIGITAL BACKBONE is capable of gathering more than a tera- byte of data per sortie. The problem comes “As we look to the future – and this is com- when people on the ground lack either the mon to the civil sector – aircraft must be motivation or the tools to mine that data. designed around a virtual through-life digital They will need the conceptual understand- backbone. Given that we now design and ing to say, ‘this is how we need to do it, develop aircraft using autonomy and AI, it is and this is what we will get back from actually defined digitally, but so must every investing that time’. aspect of its operation and performance in “But that’s all it is – a mindset. Engi- service such that we can optimise the way neers and technicians have been doing in which we support it and upgrade it. But it this in practice for decades, it just hasn’t is axiomatic that its systems must gather in- been wrapped up in technical and digital tuitive data and capture it in such a way that interfaces. We say dealing with data must we can test, learn and improve. This is just be our bread and butter – many don’t one example of where increased numbers of realise it always has been, only at a much data scientists will be involved in aerospace. slower rate.” 

28 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD UNIQUE MISSION UNIQUE MISSION 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 29

The exercise was the first time a German The interoperability training involved “I felt very privileged and honoured to Air Force Eurofighter detachment became the pilots from RAF Lossiemouth-based 6 have the opportunity to lead the Luftwaffe UK & GERMANY JOIN FORCES FOR embedded within an operational RAF Expe- Squadron flying for nearly two weeks with detachment for this challenging project. ditionary Air Wing. It was designed to prove the pilots from the German Tactical Fighter Besides the great hospitality and support of a ‘Plug & Fight’ concept and allowed the Wing 71 ‘Richthofen’. our Lithuanian friends, the biggest mem- two forces to carry out a sustained period During the exercise, the pilots carried ories we took away were the strong team of interoperability training. out an intensive package of sorties, with spirit which developed between us and the Both Air Forces regularly carry out NATO one German and one UK aircraft, flying as high motivation each RAF pilot and Luft- Air Policing missions and they train together pairs to conduct practice intercepts and waffe soldier showed to build up trust and UNIQUE MISSION on a regular basis, but this was a unique what is known as basic fighter manoeuvres. make things work.” situation because the training was conduct- The pilots then moved on to include The next stage in this training process ed in an operational setting. ‘scramble starts’ and Quick Reaction Alert will be a repeat exercise, but this time with “It was an interesting and rewarding take-offs to then carry out further prac- the roles reversed. Later in the year a group exercise working closely with our Luftwaffe tice intercepts. These practice intercepts of UK Eurofighter Typhoons will be embed- colleagues while deployed to Lithuania,” were conducted against one of the other ded within a German Air Force detachment, says Stu Gwinnutt, Com- 6 Squadron Typhoons which acted as the when they conduct their next Baltic Air mander, 135 Expeditionary Air Wing. target aircraft. Policing rotation. “We were able to demonstrate a high de- Lieutenant Colonel Andy Beckmann, “I am looking forward to our next steps,” gree of interoperability with our Eurofighter German Detachment Commanding Officer, says Lieutenant Colonel Beckmann. “The In a unique exercise this summer, a Luftwaffe Eurofighter detachment joined Typhoon aircraft, while highlighting areas of says: “It is always very interesting to take RAF will deploy to Amari in Estonia with us potential for the future. part in a multi-national mission or exercise. in September, where we will build on our a UK Royal Air Force detachment as part of a NATO Baltic Air Policing “We learned a lot from each other on a To prove the ‘Plug & Fight’ concept made experiences from Siauliai for the ‘plug & professional basis and made new friends it an even more exciting task because we fight’ concept.” Mission in Lithuania. as part of a combined UK–German Team; knew we had to form a bi-national team it’s been one of the many highlights of the in just two weeks in order to be able to deployment.” achieve our goals.

We were able to demonstrate a high degree of interoperability with our Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, while highlighting areas of potential for the future.

Wing Commander Stu Gwinnutt 30 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD UNIQUE MISSION UNIQUE MISSION 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 31

WHAT IS PLUG AND FIGHT? military operations can be conducted, • Monitor the working procedures; thus giving a strong sign of consistent • Accomplish maintenance tasks on The German Air Force and UK RAF mutual European security and defence. It offers: respective aircraft under supervision and participation in Baltic Air Policing in both vice versa. Siauliai and Ämari was planned to prove • High flexibility what’s been dubbed 'Plug and Fight' capa- • Quicker reaction times The future aim is that an engineer would bility. In practical terms it sees an existing • Less costs be able to carry out maintenance work on deployment from one of the two nations, • Less logistical resources a Eurofighter Typhoon from the other nation supplemented by the second nation for without supervision and record it, according two weeks with a minimal technical and ARE THERE CHALLENGES? to that nation‘s standards. logistical footprint. The docking nation uses as many of the host nation’s resources as There are concerns over respective engi- DOES PLUG AND FIGHT BRING OTHER possible, including personnel support and neering documentation, recording methods BENEFITS BEYOND THE ROTATION ground support equipment. and legal framework. For example, who ITSELF? is responsible if a UK engineer repairs a The objective behind is to establish the German aircraft? But the two parties are Because both parties work very closely capability to deploy, command and control developing solutions and are currently together during the partnership, each nation Eurofighter contingents. In addition it allows validating them. gets very detailed insight of how the other air forces to complement each other during nation handles different situations. Both exercises and operational commitments HOW DO THE RESPECTIVE TEAMS forces constantly question their own through short-notice provision of small LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER? procedures and, for example, the German detachments — hence Plug and Fight Air Force has already adapted some capability. It is a bottom up approach. The exchange is working and ground equipment solutions developed at unit and squadron level. from the UK.  WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? They aim to do the following:

Plug and Fight provides additional capacity. • Get to know to the different ground It’s rapid too. Within a few days multinational equipment;

32 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD RED FLAG RED FLAG 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 33

SEEING WHAT IS RED FLAG? • Red Flag is the world’s most important air combat training exercise. Established in 1975, Red Flag is held between four and six times per year in the desert in the US, sometimes with the participation of foreign air forces.

• Together with the US as host nation, NATO partners such as Germany, Italy, Spain and UK perform realistic combat exercises in the air, on the ground and in cyberspace. Bombers carry out low-altitude air strikes on simulated positions, vehicle convoys and mock airfields, which are armed RED with military equipment to create a realistic scenario. Early-warning and target acquisition radar, as well as electronic countermeasures (jammers), make the training environment as true to life as possible.

• The ‘Blue’ forces of the NATO partner nations fly missions against the ‘Red’ forces, a simulated enemy.

• The test and training range at in Nevada measures around 270 km by 90 km, providing unique training conditions for multinational pilots. 80 aircraft – including 24 Eurofighters – took part in the world’s most important air combat training exercise: Red Flag. Learn how it all came together. Aircraft representing the air forces of more than 10 countries took part in the Red Flag combat training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, US, between 8 and 20 March.

The German, Italian and Spanish Eurofight- from the German Air Force, meaning they “The German Air Force in particular has as other activities like sea survival training air support or against high-value enemy ers involved flew almost around the clock, only had one stopover,” explains Marco been a pioneer with its Mission Readiness or medical check-ups.” targets, for example to destroy fuel storage completing missions in two shifts and Gumbrecht, Head of Eurofighter Future Training,” says Marco. “Our Airbus col- facilities on the ground. At the same time, conducting a total of 20 exercises. These Business Germany and Head of Military leagues and experts from the German Air EUROFIGHTER RED FLAG the Eurofighters can also adopt an air-to-air challenging missions simulated combat in Relations Combat Aircraft Systems at Force adopted a flexible and agile approach TIME TO GET STARTED! role against hostile aircraft to fight their way the air, on the ground and in cyberspace. Airbus – a former Eurofighter pilot himself. in coordinating these preparations, and the The days in Nellis were long for the entire into a target area or support other impor- The Eurofighters flew together with other “MRTTs can be used for transport as training sessions in our Airbus simulators team. Preparations for a single mission took tant allies. The Eurofighters performed all of combat aircraft such as the Tornado, F-35A well as refuelling purposes, which meant allowed us to realistically reproduce the up to 10 hours – with two exercise phases their manoeuvres excellently. and F-16, and completed their tasks to the the number of additional transport aircraft scenarios.” per day. “A Red Flag exercise is typically satisfaction of those directing the exercise. required could be reduced. This made the The Spanish Air Force was also ready divided into two shifts: day and night,” says COVID-19 BRINGS THE EVENT TO A plan for getting the Eurofighters to the US for the exercise: “The flying wings units David. “The day shift starts at 10am and the PREMATURE END EUROFIGHTER RED FLAG much easier.” prepared by selecting and suiting up the night shift at 6pm The routine is to plan the The exercise had to finish earlier than ONE YEAR IN THE MAKING aircraft beforehand,” explains Squadron mission the day beforehand and execute it planned due to the spread of the corona- Planning for the German Eurofighters’ partic- PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Leader David Neira, Eurofighter pilot and the following day.” virus. Participants and materials from the ipation in the event had already begun one It’s no coincidence that the Eurofighters Commander of 111th Squadron. “Some two Most missions flown involve the ‘Blue’ event were quickly taken back home by Air- year earlier. The units started filling the first performed so well: the air forces started months before relocating to the US, we forces of NATO partners engaging the ‘Red’ bus A400Ms and a number of government containers with materials back in November practising their approach and take-off performed specific training for the aircrews. forces, an advancing, simulated enemy, in aircraft from the German Federal Ministry 2019. Ships and cargo aircraft transported manoeuvres at Nellis Air Force Base long This training plan for the pilots included what are known as offensive counter air of Defence. The Eurofighters were also able just under 150 containers to the US. before the exercise began; that way, they hundreds of flying missions in different operations. The Eurofighters took on several to return quickly thanks to additional fuel “During the journey, the Eurofighters could familiarise themselves with the Red roles. Furthermore, we conducted important roles here: with their 500-kilogram GBU-48 tanks, stopovers in the US and air-to-air were refuelled in mid-air by A330 MRTTs Flag scenarios and quickly adjust to the simulator training at our ASTA [Aircrew Syn- bombs and cannons, they can be deployed refuelling by the US Air Force.  from the Royal Air Force and A310 MRTTs new conditions. thetic Training Aids] here in Morón, as well against ground targets – during close THE BIG PICTURE A Spanish Air Force pilot installs a ‘Remove Before Flight’ safety pin into his Eurofighter Typhoon at the

Talavera la Real Air Base, near Badajoz. The picture was taken this summer during a visit from Wing 14 © José Antonio Monago Terraza (Albacete) to Wing 23 (Talavera La Real). 36 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP INTERVIEW 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 37

PROJECT HALCON TO BRING NEW EUROFIGHTERS TO SPAIN

Eurofighter has submitted proposals for The final Spanish Air Force Eurofighter the replacement of the Spanish Air Force’s from original orders was delivered earlier F-18s which are based on the Canary this year. Once Project Halcon is agreed it Islands. will secure Eurofighter manufacturing and DREAM Spain is looking to secure 20 new Euro- final assembly work at the Airbus facility at fighter Typhoon aircraft to boost its existing Getafe until at least 2030. COME TRUE fleet under what is called Project Halcon. Spain has been a supporter of the Euro- Airbus is in the process of negotiations fighter programme from its inception. In re- with the Spanish government to mature the turn it has used the programme to develop proposal and a contract for the 20 aircraft is a robust aeronautical industry, and that in expected to be signed in 2021. turn has provided Spain with technological The 20 latest-standard Eurofighter independence. Typhoon aircraft would feature the E-Scan Project Halcon is Spain’s wider plan to As part of our regular series of As a pilot, the challenge is to ensure you radar, which is currently under develop- retire its F-18 Hornets and replace them interviews with Eurofighter pilots we keep up with a platform that’s evolving and ment. The Spanish Air Force Eurofighter with the latest-standard Eurofighters be- talk to Italian Air Force pilot Major Ilaria improving daily, with the implementation of fleet is 73-strong. tween 2025 and 2030. R., who gives us a real insight into her new software and new armament types to work with the 37th Wing in Trapani. get familiar with.

WHAT IS THE EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON WHO INSPIRED YOU TO JOIN THE LIKE TO FLY? AIR FORCE? Typhoon is one of the most advanced plat- Joining the Air Force has been a dream of forms in the world. The challenge is centred mine since I was a child. From my child- on maximising the platform’s performance hood home I could see fighter jets flying in order to accomplish the mission in the and this inspired my passion for flying — it best possible manner. From a performance just grew and grew. Seeing the jets, I could perspective, it’s one of the most powerful only imagine what it would be like doing aircraft available. It can deliver tremendous such a challenging and beautiful job. power, making it hard to compete with in I kept this dream alive in my imagination scenarios. because back then the armed forces were not yet open to females. In 2000 when they WHAT ATTRIBUTES DOES EURO- finally opened up to women, I saw a chance FIGHTER POSSESS THAT MAKES IT to make my dream come true. During my SUITED TO MULTIROLE AND SWING- last year of High School I decided to try ROLE MISSIONS? to join the Air Force, and applied for the Eurofighter can perform these roles thanks Academy. This is how I took my first steps to its avionics. The basic handling of the into the job I always wanted to do since I aircraft is taken care of by the autopilot and was a child. auto-throttles: the flight computers take information from the pilot and take care of WHAT IS YOUR CAREER most of the basic flying tasks. The pilot’s BACKGROUND? duty consists of crosschecking that param- I joined the Air Force Academy in 2002. eters are set and are being followed in the My pilot training started in the 70th Wing in correct manner. Latina, close to Rome. Then I went to the This allows the pilot to dedicate the majority Shepard Air Force Base in Texas as part of of their attention on the on-board systems. the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Pro- This is one of the features that makes the gramme. From there I attended the Eurofight- platform capable of both swing-role and er Operational Conversion Unit in Italy before multi-role missions. The attention of the moving onto an Operational Squadron as a pilot is almost completely dedicated to the Eurofighter combat ready pilot. systems and to the task. In addition, the technology makes it easier, compared to WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES some legacy platforms, to perform different YOU FACE? types of missions within a single flight. The challenges can be looked at from two aspects — the office role and the pilot one. Photo: Carmelo Sucameli 38 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS ROUND-UPTEXT 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 39

Some 75 years after the liberation of the A formation of two Eurofighters officially During the visit, a historic joint flight Auschwitz extermination camp, six Israeli welcomed the Lieutenant General’s Israeli over Fürstenfeldbruck, the site of the 1972 ISRAELI FIGHTERS F-16 aircraft landed at the Nörvenich air counterpart, Major General Amikam Norkin. Olympic bombing, took place. Defence base southwest of Cologne. It was the first "On behalf of the German Air Force it Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer also time Israeli fighters had ever touched down was honour for me to welcome the Israeli laid wreaths with the two Air Force Chiefs on German soil. Air Force into German airspace for the first and the Israeli Ambassador at the Dachau LAND IN GERMANY FOR For two weeks, German Eurofighters and time in history.” concentration camp memorial site to com- Israeli F-16s trained side by side in joint air memorate the atrocities committed by the operations. They were at the home of the Nazi regime. FIRST TIME Tactical Air Force Squadron 31 "Boelcke" for this year’s Blue Wings exercises. The exercises marked another milestone in the ever-closer military cooperation be- tween the two countries. Both air forces practised joint air oper- ations during the first week, in the second, the Israeli soldiers took part in the Multina- tional Air Group Days (MAG Days), which take place several times a year. The opera- tion allowed the Israeli pilots to get to know German airspace, which is a real contrast to the topography in . The German Air Force has twice previ- ously participated in the Israeli-based mul- tinational exercise Blue Flag, most recently in November 2019. In addition, the two air forces have been working closely together for years in the Heron training programme. German Air Force Inspector General, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz said: “After the crime of the Shoah against hu- manity, it is a moving sign of our friendship today that we are flying side by side with the for the first time in our history. Following the darkest chapter in German history, it is our mission today to fight anti-Semitism with consistency.”

© Photo: Dr. Stefan Petersen/Bundeswehr THE BIG PICTURE Israeli and German aircraft flying over Fürstenfeldbruck, the site of the 1972 Olympic bombing, during a © Photo: Dr. Stefan Petersen/Bundeswehr historic joint commemorative flight. 42 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS ROUND-UP 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 43

EUROFIGHTER IN ACTION

With more than 450 aircraft, the Eurofight- RED FLAG March 9-20 PLANNED ACTIVITY EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON RAMSTEIN ALLOY er fleet is the backbone of European Air (6 Eurofighter aircraft) AIRCRAFT WERE USED BY THE 01-20 April 20. - 04/22/20: Power, securing the NATO territory from the Red Flag is a two-week advanced aerial INTEGRATION TRAINING / NOTTE GERMAN AIR FORCE IN THE (2 Eurofighter aircraft) Baltics to the Black Sea. And, throughout combat training exercise held several times SCURA (2 Eurofighter aircraft) FOLLOWING EXERCISES: 2020 the air forces have continued to main- a year by the . It September 14 – October 8 MAGDAY 2 2020, tain mission readiness, with each taking aims to offer realistic air-combat training Force Integration Training and Notte Scura MAGDAY 1 2020, June 22nd. - 25.06.20: part in a series of exercises. In this issue of for military pilots and other flight crew are exercises held by the Special Forces 04.02. - 02/06/2020: (16 Eurofighter aircraft) Eurofighter World we look at the activity of members from the United States and Allied Command to integrate ground troops and (18 Eurofighter aircraft) Italian Air Force and German Air Force. countries. aerial forces through the use of digital RAMSTEIN ALLOY communications to coordinate Close Air RED FLAG, 02-20 June 29. - 01.07.20: EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON COMAO June 25 Support (DCAS) and Surveillance and Re- 3/9 - 03/20/20: (2 Eurofighter aircraft) AIRCRAFT WERE USED BY THE (12 Eurofighter aircraft) connaissance (SR). (8 Eurofighter aircraft). ITALIAN AIR FORCE IN THE COMAO involved 12 Eurofighter F2000 from The exercise was cancelled on 03/18 FOLLOWING EXERCISES: the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle, a KC130 of RAMSTEIN GUARD because of the Covid-19 situation) the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa and one G550 (6 Eurofighter aircraft) APEX February 19 CAEW of the 14th Wing of Pratica di Mare. November 16-20 (2 Eurofighter aircraft) A team of the 16th Wing PF supported the Exercise Ramstein Guard is held by the Apex India is a periodic aerial combat train- assets by providing JTAC (Joint Terminal NATO Electronic Warfare Force Integration ing exercise. It aims to train on Air Policing Attack Controller) capabilities. Programme to provide high level training to procedures for the tactical management of During the mission, the Eurofighter is used the NATO air and missile integrated defence a hijacked aircraft, in bilateral cooperation in air-air, air-to-ground and swing-role con- system. with Allied countries. figuration. This type of combined advanced training allows the youngest pilots to face scenarios that are difficult to simulate using assets from one single Wing. 44 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS ROUND-UP 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 45

EUROFIGHTER SCORES FOR credible, layered defence of that airspace simulated attacks from an enemy helicop- detachment today. Then in a few years’ SOCIAL DISTANCE NO BARRIER INTEROPERABILITY to prevent that kind of aggressive act from ter. Our role was to protect the troops. It's time, who knows where their careers will Throughout the four-month deployment, the happening in the future.” a quite a difficult task to spot a helicopter, have taken them. The deployment is really FOR RAF NATO DEPLOYMENT RAF is working with other NATO nations, it requires a good radar, but luckily on the important for building relationships and notably the Spanish Air Force, who are SUCCESSFULLY JOINING FORCES Typhoon we've got a good radar. sharing experiences. also based at Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, There are two key aspects to the deploy- “So far, they've been really successful A 150-strong expeditionary force from UK for briefings and carrying out all the prepa- and the French Air Force, who are based ment. Beyond the air policing task, the force missions. It's been particularly good in FOR PILOTS THE EXPERIENCE IS Royal Air Force proved their resilience in ration. It proved our training is proficient be- in Amari in Estonia. The presence of three has the ability to carry out other training terms of interoperability with the NATO UNRIVALLED spite of Covid-19, to take part in their latest cause when we all came together everyone nations, different aircraft and a range of missions as well. forces: we’re flying in , speaking with “Obviously, the core task here is QRA,” says NATO Baltic Air Policing deployment. knew their individual roles and everything mission sets has meant strong interopera- “It's a fantastic part of the world to be Polish , and working with the lead pilot. “And back in the UK we have Operating from the Siauliai Air Base in clicked.” bility has been key. working with all three participating nations,” Polish helicopters. From our point of view, two bases carrying out QRA 24/7 and a de- Lithuania between May 1st and August 31st, When the force arrived at Siauliai, it had The lead RAF Pilot at Siauliai said: says the lead pilot. “We're working closely it's really valuable training. The feedback tachment 24/7 in the Falklands. So for us, the 135th Expeditionary Air Wing carried to cope with the constraints of working “We have been routinely flying alongside with the Spanish Air Force here in Lithuania from the JTAXs on the ground has been QRA is something all pilots do routinely. out their preparation for the rotation in unfa- while social distancing, with everyone also the Spanish detachment of F-18s and the and the training with them has gone really good as well.” “However, coming out to somewhere miliar circumstances. required to wear masks in compliance with French Air Force with the Mirage 2000. well. You're fighting against a different type like the Baltic States or Romania or Iceland, “The pandemic has had an impact on national guidelines. Subsequently those We need to be interoperable with all the of aircraft, which we don't get to do very GROWING UP TOGETHER which we’ve done as well, means working in everyone around the globe and it affect- restrictions have been lifted. different types of aircraft that are scattered often, so that's very valuable training.” There’s a human aspect to this activity too a different area and with different con- ed us too,” says Wing Commander Stu “In the Baltic states, and in Lithuania in across all the different nations. Of course, “We have carried out a lot of other mis- as Wing Commander Gwinnutt points out. straints. There's a really good benefit for us Gwinnutt. particular, the number of Covid-19 cases that doesn’t just apply in this operation, but sions outside of the core QRA task. We've “The UK commitment to NATO is obviously in doing that. “We all self-isolated and were tested has been relatively low. The country has to NATO roles in general. This detachment been working on NATO maritime exercises very important to us. But in addition to the “At the individual level not all the pilots before we deployed because at that time, started to come out of the restricted phase is no different in that respect. and Counter Helicopter Training in Poland core task, we also have the opportunity to that have been in the Baltic before, so an the UK was in the thick of the corona virus and life is beginning to return to normal.” “Typhoon is a very agile modern aircraft and throughout the Typhoon has performed work with our allies while we're deployed on operation like this represents an opportunity restrictions.” Despite the unusual circumstances sur- and as you’d expect it's very easy to very well.” operations. to do something different. That has really The force included Eurofighter Ty- rounding the launch of the deployment it’s interoperate and to operate with other jets During the Counter Helicopter sorties, “Normally we come together for an good training benefits because there’s ex- phoon jets and pilots from the VI Squadron been business as usual for the RAF, says of other nations and we’ve done that very the Eurofighter Typhoons operated with UK exercise for a week or two and we establish posure to different types of intercepts and normally based in RAF Lossiemouth. Wing Wing Commander Gwinnutt. successfully here during this detachment.” and Polish JTAXs (Joint Terminal Attack some relationships and learn from each so on. Already this deployment has been a Commander Gwinnutt said the timing of “The operation so far has been very suc- The core activity is Baltic Air Policing Controllers) on the ground as well as Polish other, but then we go our separate ways. In very good learning experience for all of us. Operation AZOTIZES — the UK name of the cessful. We've been involved in a number and the Eurofighter role is Quick Reaction W-3 Attack Helicopters. This particular this deployment, we're here for four months, “While we are here we're trying to train operation that supports NATO air policing in of live QRA launches and conducted the Alert (QRA). This type of activity has been training scenario gave the Typhoons a we can establish relationships, develop, with as many different NATO partners and the Baltic Sea region — was a good test of training engagements with different NATO stepped up following Russia's annexation of chance to practice counter-helicopter tac- share where appropriate, learn from each as many different assets as we can to get the RAF’s contingency planning. partners that we had planned. Crimea in 2014. tics whilst defending a NATO convoy. other and take that through. more from that learning experience.” He said: “Before we deployed, like every- “Getting in, getting established and “That's a good example of why we're The RAF lead pilot said: “During the “Those relationships will follow people one else, we were working from home and delivering on operations, has been a great here,” says Wing Commander Gwinnutt. training missions there were a lot of NATO through their careers. A junior pilot now will social distancing. But we used technology distraction (from Covid-19) for us.” “NATO air policing is all about us giving a soldiers on the ground and they were under meet his opposite number in the Spanish

46 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD LIFE THROUGH THE LENS LIFE THROUGH THE LENS 2020 · EUROFIGHTER WORLD 47

Giovanni Colla is a photographer and free- Aircraft, Air Force Monthly, Aerospace and LIFE lance journalist specialising in military avi- Defence, Global Aviatior, Rivista Aeronautica ation with more than 18 years’ experience. and many more. He says planning is the key THROUGH He’s worked with over 40 armed forces to getting the perfect picture. worldwide. One of the highlights include a flight in the back seat of an Italian Air Force THE LENS Typhoon in 2019. He’s a regular contributor Giovanni Colla to Eurofighter World as well as Combat

About this image: In order to get the shot I briefed the pilots same level helmet line up. Via a radio call I was in the back seat of a TF-2000 to fly with heading 340° (for the sun my pilot ordered a simultaneous three-ship assigned to 37th Wing at Trapani Air Base position). Our jet took the lead while the break with the #1 crossing the tail, #2 and this was the 8th event of the shoot. other three were in echelon formation all at pulling up and #3 peeling off. AF_Monthly_AD297x210.qxp_Layout 1 22.04.20 11:36 Seite 1

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